Poses for Happy Feet - with Variations and Sequences

Give your feet a little love and it can help make your whole body feel better!   Your feet take the brunt of your day - being stuck in shoes or standing on your feet all day. It's not wonder  nearly 8 out of 10 people experience foot pain. 

 Stretching and strengthening   your   feet  can increase flexibility, provide pain relief, & can even help improve your balance!  Try these poses for happy feet! 

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Stretch Toes

Weave your fingers between each toe (opposite hand, opposite foot), use your free hand to help spread your toes apart. Stay 10 breaths or a few minutes.

Too uncomfortable? Try just putting your first 2 fingers between your first 2 toes, then work your way between the last 2 toes.

Stretch Top of Foot

Knees & big toes come together, gently squeeze your heels towards center and reach your hips back. Your heels will separate, but continue to engage the heels in, as though they could touch. Stop at the first picture if you feel any pain in your knees. If available, sit hips on heels and sit tall. Stay up to 10 breaths.

* Don't round the spine!  *

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Stretch Bottom of Foot

Knees and big toes touch, then tuck all 10 toes (including your pinky!). Reach hips back towards heels, squeezing heels towards one another.  Sit up, ONLY if your hips touch your heels. If not, just enjoy the first stretch.  Stay up to 10 breaths.

*** Knees achy? Place a rolled up blanket behind the knees to reduce discomfort in the joint. 

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Strengthen Foot & Ankle Sequence 1

Lift all 10 toes &  tap your big toes up & down. Keep your outer edge of foot connected to the ground. 

Lift all 10 toes & play with tapping your pinky toes up & down.  It's not as easy as the big toes, be kind!  Keep the ball of your big toe on the ground!

Place the front half of your foot on a folded blanket. Feel stable with heels on the ground & toes on the blanket. Play with lifting and lowering the heels off of the ground. 

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Strengthen Foot & Ankle Sequence 2

With front of foot on the blanket, from Tadasana, lift up off of heels and balance.

Lower heels and fold halfway with hand on shins and a long spine

Lift up into a chair pose (careful the knees don't push too far forward). 

** want to play with your strength and balance?  Do the whole sequence without your heels on the ground!

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Chair Variations

Fingers between the toes

To stretch the top of the foot, tuck the toes, including the big toe - from the first knuckle on your foot, not your toe.  If too intense, keep the  shape, but slide the foot under the chair. 

To stretch the bottom of the foot,  plant the toes on the ground and lift the heel. To increase the feeling of a stretch, slide the foot further under the chair.