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Writer's pictureRyan Moriarty

Do Your Feet Hurt?!

Plantar Fascia SMR


Why I Love It

Who doesn’t love a foot massage?! Well now that I think about it maybe not those ticklish people. If you suffer from foot pain you might be familiar with this exercise or at least with the idea of massaging the foot. I have had a questionable right ankle most of my life. It has improved so much over the years but that pesky pain just lays in their dormant waiting to strike. When it does plantar fascia SMR is my go-to. After wearing shoes I don’t normally wear, ahh, what a relief. It has helped so many clients with plantar fasciitis, clients who wear high heels, and even clients that get back pain from their sore feet.


What Does It Do

It’s not just for people with plantar fasciitis but really for anyone. Here is a list of the great things it does.

  • Helps break up scar tissue and adhesions

  • Improves oxygen and nutrient absorption in the foot

  • Increases hamstring flexibility

  • Aids recovery in a long list of injuries and aches

    • Toes

    • Feet

    • Achilles

    • Heels

    • Calves

    • Hamstrings

    • Low back

Not bad for just smushing your foot around on a ball!

Key Coaching Cues

Pretty straightforward and easy to roll a ball on the arch of your foot but let me take you through the steps and make a few notes to help guide the process. You will need nothing other than a chair or seat and a ball. The ball can be a tennis ball or a lax ball. The tennis ball is a bit easier and the lax ball more aggressive. You can use really any type of ball though just so you know. You could even use a foam roller or rolling pin. I’ve used so many different things. You can buy specific gadgets meant specifically for this. However, I digress, the example in the video above shows a few simple approaches.

  1. While sitting down in a chair it's nice to have your knees bent at 90 degrees

  2. Place the type of ball you will be using underneath the arch of your foot

  3. Gently apply pressure and roll the ball from heel to toe

  4. The idea here is to apply more pressure and to search for spots that hurt a bit

  5. When you find a spot that hurts, stop on it and hold it for at least 30 seconds. If it feels like it goes away before then you can move on

Where To Implement It

This isn’t something you have to worry about doing all the time before a workout but I still recommend it. You can add this at any time that's convenient for you. Here are a few ideas of where you can implement it.

  • After a workout with a lax ball from the freezer! This serves as an awesome double-up.

  • After a bath.

  • If you sit all day for work, slip your shoe off for a few minutes.

  • Before a workout

  • Whenever you are experiencing foot pain!

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