We love the outdoors and basking in the sun but the novelty of warm weather is starting to wear off. As we enjoy our summer activities, we find ourselves sweaty and on our feet for hours on end (and not always in the most accommodating footwear).
Perhaps this summer, you walked all 18 holes at the golf course on both a Saturday and Sunday and afterwards you felt tenderness in your lower back. Maybe you’ve paired your favorite sundress with ballet flats to go to an outdoor concert at Lincoln Center and your neck and shoulders were aching afterwards. Or perhaps you put on a great supportive pair of sneakers for your daily walk but the sweltering heat and humidity got the best of your posture and your hips felt sore.
Did you knowthat pain or discomfort of our feet can affect the entire kinetic chain of your body bringing misalignment and joint pain?
As our clients know, while lying down on the reformer may be restful, it is not a cue for nap time! Doing footwork on the reformer allows us to work, strengthen and stretch all the little muscles we don’t always have access to when we are standing in shoes. Focusing on our walk and balance affects posture and placement as a whole. This in turn fundamentally impacts the core and beyond.
Don’t have access to a reformer every day? No worries, you know we love giving homework! Here’s something you can (and should!) do daily… read on below.
How to Pedal Out the Feet
- If you have a half foam roller to stand on, have your toes at the apex and your heels dropped over the edge. No half foam roller? No problem! Have your toes on a step and your heels hanging over the edge, while holding onto something sturdy.
- Start by raising both heels so you feel your calves activate..
- Lower both heels towards the floor and hold for 10 seconds.
- Bend your right knee as the right heel lifts while simultaneously dropping the left heel down into a stretch.
- Change sides and repeat.
- Do this 10 times.
This not only promotes full foot articulation, it also releases tight calves which tend to be the culprit of a lot of our gait and posture issues.Need more info on how to do this in a way that is customized for your body? Ask your Pilates practitioner at your next session or email us at [email protected].