Roll Your Way to Less Pain & Healthier Feet
Rolling Your Fascia
Your feet deserve some extra love & attention. Not only does it feel great, but mobility in your feet is essential for posture, back & hip pain relief, and the pep in your step.
We talk about the ankle as a single unit, but it’s actually made up of several bones - bones that need to be mobile so we can walk, run, jump, etc. In total there are 26 bones in your foot! Our feet are constantly absorbing force and dispersing it throughout the body so we can function more efficiently. If these bones become immobile due to muscles and connective tissues becoming inflamed, they can limit overall mobility and function, leading to more fatigue and possible injury.
Luckily, just a few minutes of attention daily can yield many benefits. I like to use a tennis ball (especially an old one that is slightly deflated) rather than a lacrosse ball because we want to be able to soften into the pressure rather than recoil away from it. “No pain, no gain” does NOT apply to fascia work.
Find a comfortable sitting or standing position
Place your tool of choice underneath your foot and begin rolling from the ball of your foot, along the arch, and down towards the heel. Once you reach the heel, you will roll in the opposite direction and all the way up the foot to the toes. Repeat.
We have three arches in the foot, fanning up from the heels to the pinky toe, middle toes, and big toe.
Apply as much pressure as you can tolerate, and while it may be uncomfortable at some points, it should never cause unbearable pain. You are in control of the amount of pressure so be kind to yourself.
Perform for 2-3 minutes on each foot.