Relieving Pain from Plantar Fasciitis through Yoga Practices
🚀 Head off on that Rockies vacation with your new hiking boots, feeling lucky and ready to explore! But oh no, the next morning your heel's in pain — plantar fasciitis strikes! Fret not, yoga to the rescue!
Cleveland Clinic's brilliant Yoga Therapist and Yoga Program Manager, Ms. Judi Bar, guides us through a variety of yoga poses that'll stretch and strengthen those aching feet muscles. No, we're not talking about cringeworthy "Bound Angle Pose" or "Headstand on One Toe." These are straightforward poses that'll make you feel like a stretching pro!
🕉️ Getting Started:
Sit at the edge of your chair or stand straight in a comfortable position, keeping your spine elongated, chest lifted, and shoulders relaxed. Take deep breaths and prepare for a foot flexing, calf stretching adventure!
🤵️ Basic standing posture | Basic seated posture__ | ___🦶 Feet hip-width apart | Feet on the floor, knees directly over ankles👀 Gaze forward | Sit up straight, tummy in slightly🦵 Hands by your sides | Arms relaxed, hands resting on your thighs
💃 Foot Warm-up Sequence:
- Seated toes wiggle — Wiggle your toes in your seat to wake them up.
- Ankle circles — Draw circles with your feet, both clockwise and counter-clockwise, to loosen up your ankles.
- Seated calf stretch — Stretch out your legs in front of you while keeping your feet and toes pointed upward. Lean forward for a gentle stretch in your calves.
🇮🇳 Poses for Plantar Fasciitis Relief:
🐾 Prancing feet — Stand straight and lift the heels of one foot while rolling onto your toes. Repeat on the other side.💼 Calf/Achilles stretch — Stand tall with one foot back and your other foot parallel, bend the front knee, press the back heel down and stretch the Achilles tendon and calf muscles.
Remember, pain-free yoga is the ultimate goal. Don't push too hard! And voila! You've completed your foot fitness routine. Incorporate these moves into your daily life, and you'll soon find that plantar fasciitis will be a distant memory. Stay flexible, stay happy 😃!
Incorporating science-based yoga practices from experts such as Judi Bar, we can strengthen our health-and-wellness routine by following a fitness-and-exercise plan that includes stretching poses to alleviate plantar fasciitis. This practice combines the basic standing and seated postures, a foot warm-up sequence including the seated toes wiggle, ankle circles, and seated calf stretch, as well as specific poses like the prancing feet and calf/Achilles stretch. By sticking to this regime consistently, we aim to improve our overall health and bid goodbye to foot-related ailments like plantar fasciitis. Stay happy and healthy!
