TherapeuticExercisesfortheFoot&AnkleAugust19th,2018

VIRASANA

• Come on to your hands and knees. Bring the knees to touch and separate the feet wider than the hips. Place a

block between your feet. If you are very tight turn the block on its side or use supplement with a blanket or

second block.

• Sit down with your pelvis lowering onto the block.

• The feet should be on the outside of the hips and point straight so that your pinky toe is lined up with the

outer knee (the foot shouldn’t sickle under your hips)

• Create space for your hips by, pulling your sit bones (ischial tuberosities) back and apart. Roll the inner thighs

down and in. Pull the knee cap and the skin below it towards your pelvis.

• If you don’t need a block, don’t use one. But if you lower all the way down you need to be able to maintain a

neutral spine.

• Standinbarefeet.Keepyourbigtoestogetherandtheheelsslightlyapart.

• Liftyourheelsupoffthefloorbalancingontheballsofyourfeet.Keeptheweighttotheinsideofthefootdoing

yourbesttoactivatethefibularis musclesattheoutsideofthecalf.

• Beforeyoucomedowntrytoliftalittlebithigherandthenloweryourheels.

CALF RAISES

• Standupandkeepyourbigtoestogetherandtheheelsslightlyapart.

• Liftyourheelsupoffthefloorbalancingontheballsofyourfeet.Keeptheweighttotheinsideofthefootdoing

yourbesttoactivatethemusclesattheoutsideofthecalf.

• Keepingtheheelsup,bendyourkneesandstarttolowerintoasquat.

• Don’tletthekneesseparateanddon’tletthepelvistuckunder.Trytokeepyourspineasverticalaspossible.

CALF RAISES W/ SQUATS

TENNIS BALL UNDER FOOT

This is not technically a psoas release, but it is a gift to the body any way you look at it. This is great before or after constructive rest as well as anytime during the day. I recommend keeping a tennis ball in a shoe box under your desk; that will keep the ball fromsquirting away while you roll.

• Place a tennis ball under your right foot.

• Spend a minute or two rolling the ball under the foot. You can be gentle, or you can apply more pressure. The choice is yours.

Step off of the tennis ball and bend over your legs. You can check in with your body and see if you feel that the right leg seems a bit longer and looser. Feel free to scan the whole body in this fashion. There is a thick pad of connective tissue on the sole of the foot called the plantar fascia. By releasing the fascia on the underside of the right foot, you effectively release the entire right side of the body.

Toega

• Lift all ten toes, spread them open and put them back down with no toes touching. Repeat 3x

• Lift just the bog toes. Watch the direction that they move and try to lift them straight up. Repeat 3x

• Keeping the big toes down, lift all of the other toes, spread them open and put just the pinky toes down, keeping the middle three toes on each foot off of the floor. Repeat 3x

DEEPCALFSTRETCH

• Rollupamatorblanket.• Standwithyourfeetparallel,yourheelsonthefloorandtheballsof

yourfeetashighuptherollaspossible.• Bendyourkneessoftlyandliftalltentoes.Keepingyourkneesaligned

overyourankles,bowforward.Havesupportforyourhandsifnecessary.(Ablock,orevenachair).

• Stayinthispositionforaminuteorlonger.• Keepingthekneesovertheankles,trytobringweighttotheinnerfoot.

Liftingyourtoeswillhelpkeepyourarchesfromcollapsing.

RunnersStretchw/Rotation

• Startonyourhandsandknees• Stepyourrightfootforwardfarenoughtoextenditstraightwiththefootflexedoffofthefloorand

thepelvisontopoftheleftknee.• Thisisadeepstretchofthehamstringsouseblocksforthehandsifthathelpsyoutofindaflat

back.• Squarethehipsandtrytoextendtothespineforwardovertherightleg.• Externallyrotatetherightlegkeepingthefootflexedandthehipssquare.• Asyourotateexternallykeepyourawarenessintheflexedfootbypressingthroughtheinnerfoot.

Andkeeppullinghipsbacktosquare.

CleanHouse

• Pick things up off of the floor with your feet and toes.

• Start small and try to pick up bigger and heavier things as you proceed.

STANDINGPSOASSTRETCH

• Bend your right leg behind you and take hold of the right foot with your right hand. Bring your knees in line

with one another, keeping the heel in line with your sit bone. If your outer hip is very tight it won’t be easy to

keep the knees in line.

• Pull the right leg behind you gently. Keep the pelvis and shoulders facing forward and upright the whole

time.

• Keep the pelvic floor and the low belly strong as you try to pull the leg behind you through the balanced

action of the inner and outer thigh.

• If you have tight hips, it will be difficult to keep the legs aligned as you draw the right leg back. The knee will

pull sideways, and it is imperative that you keep the legs in line.

ANKLES&TOES

1ststage:Pointyourfeetbringingtheheelsasclosetogetheraspossible.Youcanevenbelttheanklestogetherifyouwant.Sitonyourheels.

2ndstage:Tuckyourtoesasfarunderneathasyoucanandsitonyourheels.Trytohavetheballofthefootonthefloorandthetoestuckedallthewayunder.Note:Ifthisishardinthebeginning,putablanketunderyourshinsandanotherblanketbetweenyourcalvesandyourthighs.Itisfinetoeaseintothingsovertime.

TREEPOSE

• Standwithyourhipsandshouldersfacingforwardandmaintainthatalignmentaslongasyouareinthepose.• Bendtherightkneeandplacetherightfootashighupthelegaspossible.Ifthepelvisturnsbackwardstohelp

yourfootliftup,turnitbacktofaceforwardequallyonbothsides.• Treeposeisbothahipopenerandstandingbalance.Butitonlyopensthehipsifthepelvisisfacingforwardas

thelegopenstotheside.• Don’tworryhowhighyourfootgetsonthelegbutifitcan’tgetabovethekneekeepitslightlybelow.Youcan

pressthefootintothelegprettyhardaslongasyouaren’tpressingonthekneejoint.

TREEPOSEWITHABLOCK

• Placeablockonthefloor.Ifbalanceisanissue,youcanholdontosomething.Andyoucanalsostartontwoblocksassteppingupintotheposetakesadifferentkindofeffort.

• Standwithyourhipsandshouldersfacingforwardandmaintainthatalignmentaslongasyouareinthepose.• Bendtherightkneeandplacetherightfootashighupthelegaspossible.Ifthepelvisturnsbackwardstohelp

yourfootliftup,turnitbacktofaceforwardequallyonbothsides.• Feelthedifferenteffectthislikelyhasonthestandingfoot.Itshouldbeworkingalotmorethatinthetraditional

versionofthepose.

https://corewalking.com/the-feet-in-standing-poses/

https://corewalking.com/yoga-instructions-feet-together-or-feet-apart/

https://corewalking.com/the-muscles-that-work-the-pulleys-that-lift-the-arches-of-the-feet/

https://corewalking.com/learning-walk-inner-foot/

ADDITIONALRESOURCES