Your feet are your stability. They are your first line of communication with the floor, but so many of us spend all of our time in shoes that don’t allow us to feel the floor. For this reason, I like to start many of my classes with a foot warm-up. After you’ve done the warm up on one foot, take a pause and feel the difference from one foot to the other. This comparison helps your brain to register the change.
The sequence:
– roll through your feet forward and back.
– shift your weight from left to right in that one foot.
– shift your weight in a circle through your foot. Big toe, heel, outside of the foot, little toes, and vice versa.
A few precautions:
– watch the alignment of your ankle. Many people press their weight to their big toe or little toe, but you want your ankle and foot to be aligned so that there’s a straight line down your shins into the second and third toes.
– put a little bit of pressure into the floor, and stretch a little bit. As always, don’t cause yourself pain! Just a gentle amount of sensation is what you’re looking for.
– Don’t lock your knees, especially if you tend to hyper-extend.
Remember, if this doesn’t work for you, don’t do it. Maybe come up with your own method of waking up the muscles of your feet. Self-massage, walking barefoot or rolling your foot over a tennis ball are also great ways to wake up the muscles of your feet.
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Before beginning any new exercise/conditioning program, you should consult your physician, physical therapist, athletic trainer or strength and conditioning coach.
The exercise area must be safe and free of hazards.
Do not attempt any motion that causes you pain, and never force your body into positions.
Use of any information provided in this website is solely at your own risk.
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