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.
While sitting down in a chair it's nice to have your knees bent at 90 degrees
Place the type of ball you will be using underneath the arch of your foot
Gently apply pressure and roll the ball from heel to toe
The idea here is to apply more pressure and to search for spots that hurt a bit
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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