by zirconicusso
As many of you know, my own painful experiences with my left foot created the whole situation for my learning yoga in the first place. A consistent regimen of foot exercises maintains my generally pain-free living, but if I miss a day of the work the pain resurfaces. I have found that consistent work to increase circulation and to stimulate as many areas of the feet as possible is what keeps the pain at bay.
You can see for yourself if the work is beneficial by attending a class. However, here I am posting a video I found of similar work to aid in general foot health.
Please note that not all of these exercises are healthy for all feet. Particularly if you are currently nursing an injury or if you have rheumatoid arthritis, it is important to check with your doctor before you try these exercises, as those conditions may mean these movements could be harmful rather than supportive.
Toward the end of the video, there are a couple of exercises I would recommend doing much more slowly. There is no reason to rush through any of the exercises. In fact, I feel that slow, graceful movement actually requires more strength through the entire articulation of the movement. Slow movement also helps the joints to produce the natural lubricant which allows the easing of the arthritic pain in my own experience.
If you notice that you feel tired doing these exercises, that is a good indicator that these are good for you, and may be of benefit. Doing these exercises regularly can be helpful in the prevention of arthritis pain if you know your family tends towards arthritis. Also, as you can see in the video, these are recommended for runners and those who do other sports which place emphasis on the feet.
I know I have been able to keep my pain at bay as long as I do my exercises multiple times each day. You can start slowly and build up to more as you go. Also, there is no reason to do every exercise shown each day. Pick two or three to work on, and change your routine as you feel you become accustomed to the work.
Have a great weekend!
Pose of the Day: Foot exercises (choose 3 or 4)
Yogic Concept of the Day: Consistency, not amount of doing all at one time, is the key to long term benefit in yoga and supporting my bone and joint health.
