Exercise is great for the mind, body and spirit. But over time, working out, even a regular walking routine, can have your feet screaming for rest.
These five yoga poses can strengthen and stretch the muscles of the feet, align your spine and improve your balance for much-needed relief.
Chair Pose
- Stand in Mountain pose with your feet hip-width apart. Inhale and raise your arms toward the sky. Keep the arms parallel, palms facing each other.
- Exhale and bend your knees. Focus your weight in your heels while sitting back as if you are about to sit in a chair. Lean the torso slightly forward over the thighs. Keep the thighs parallel to each other.
- Keep your torso long. Press your shoulder blades together.
- Hold the pose for 30 seconds to a minute. Release the pose by straightening your knees with an inhalation. Exhale and release your arms to your sides.
Downward Dog
- Kneel on your hands and knees with your hands beneath your shoulders and your knees directly beneath your hips. Your hands should be spread wide apart. Your feet should be flat and hip width apart.
- Inhale as you lift your body up, keeping your shoulders back and pushing backwards into your hips. Push your buttocks upwards. Keep your heels down as much as possible. Keep your knees bent as needed, ultimately straightening the legs and bringing the chest to the thighs. Lift one foot then another back and forward (peddling to get the effect of the feet being flat, which is the goal). You are forming a V with your body.
- Exhale relaxing slowly lowering the body, relaxing the arms and legs.
Mountain (Tadasana) pose
- Stand with your big toes together and heels slightly apart. Spread your toes. Rock from side to side, forward and backward, then gradually become still with your weight evenly distributed on both feet.
- Like a mountain, stand with your thighs and core firm.
- Align your legs, belly, pelvic region, neck and head.
- Press your shoulders back and down and look gently forward. Relax the muscles in your face and breathe easily.
- Stay in the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Revolved Triangle Pose
- Stand in mountain pose. Step your feet wide, about 3½ to 4 feet apart. Raise your arms parallel to the floor with your palms facing down. Turn your left foot in 45 degrees to the right and your right foot out to the right 90 degrees. Adjust the heels so they are aligned.
- Exhale and turn your torso to the right. Square your hips towards the front of your mat. Position the left hip around to the right and ground the left heel.
- As you exhale, lean forward over the front leg. Reach your left hand down and to the floor, placing the palm to the inside or outside the foot. If needed, place a yoga block against your inner right foot and rest your palm there. Keep your hips square to the ground. Aim your gaze to your right hand.
- Press the left palm down against the ground and reach your right hand toward the sky simultaneously. Stay long through the torso. Breathe and stretch.
- Stay in this pose from 30 seconds to one minute. Exhale and release the twist. Repeat for the same length of time with the legs reversed, twisting to the left.
