When we think of yoga, we typically imagine a gym full of people moving in perfect sync to an instructor’s calm voice. While many of us have done yoga at one time or another, we may have never considered foot yoga.
In our day to day life, our feet are often overlooked. We may pay special attention to our back and hips, but our feet typically get the stick’s short end.
The truth is, our feet are vital to our wellbeing and daily life, and foot yoga is one way to give your feet the love and attention they need.
What Is Foot Yoga?
Foot yoga is exactly what it sounds like, yoga for your feet. This kind of yoga involves paying special attention to how to spread your weight across your feet. You will work on regaining and maintaining the range of motion in your toes and ankles.
These yoga stretches strengthen the tendons and muscles, in your feet, increasing their flexibility. It can even prevent and heal foot problems like plantar fasciitis, bunions, or shin splints.
Benefits of Foot Yoga
Encourages Your Feet To Adapt
Foot yoga encourages your feet to adapt. In our daily life, we walk on flat surfaces and put our feet into shoes that don’t require our foot to adapt to various surfaces. As a result, our feet may slowly lose their ability to provide you with much-needed stability and balance across surfaces.
The arches of your feet that provide structure weaken, creating a variety of problems. Patients suffering from this often report fallen arches, weak ankles, hammertoes, and bunions.
Practicing foot yoga “wakes up” these muscles, helping them return to their original adaptability state.
Fixes Alignment Issues
Alignment issues can arise over the years. Misalignment in the feet can spread to the legs, hips, and spine, reducing the body’s foundation’s strength. Foot yoga works to combat these issues and helps to evenly spread your body weight across the balls of your feet and toes.
Strengthens and Stretches Your Feet
Foot yoga also works to strengthen and stretch your feet. To properly support your body, your feet must be strong and balanced. At times, wearing restrictive or uncomfortable footwear can negatively affect the musculature of your feet.
By stretching your toes and spacing them out, you work to counteract the adverse effects of footwear. These stretches allow more blood to flow in and out of the feet, allowing the musculature to release tension.
Contact Canyon Oaks Foot & Ankle
If you’ve been having pain and discomfort in your foot and ankle, it may be time to schedule an appointment with your local podiatrist. Our highly trained staff is ready to answer any questions you may have and help you get back on your feet.
Fill out our online contact form to get in touch. Our team members will contact you shortly so you can start having happier, healthier feet as soon a possible.