You can always do exercises here and there, sprinkled throughout the day. A nice routine, however, can help focus your movement.
Start standing and find your form : feet pelvis-width apart, weight back over heels, legs vertical, kneecaps relaxed, pelvis centered, ribs centered.
Look down and:
1• Spread your toes
ACTIVE TOE SPREADING
INSTRUCTIONS
• Stand with feet pelvis-width apart and pointing straight ahead, weigh back in your heels.
• Spread you toes apart as far as you can, keeping all the toes flat on the ground.
• Repeat throughout the day ( read: make sure your shoes are not too tight to do this motion!).
2• Lift your big toes individually
TOE LIFTS
INSTRUCTIONS
• Lift your big toes while keeping the other eight small toes on the ground.
• Then try lifting just the big toe on the left foot, and then the big toe on the right foot.
• Work to lift each big toe straight upward, rather than letting it veer sideways (toward the pinkie toe).
• After you've mastered lifting your big toes, try lifting first them and then the second toe of each foot, making sure to keep the balls of your feet on the ground.
• Then lift the third toes, fourth toes, and fifth toes.
• Once all your toes are lifted, place them down one by one.
• Repeat, doing one foot at a time.
3• Top of the Foot Stretch, repeat other side.
TOP OF THE FOOT STRETCH-STANDING
INSTRUCTION
• From standing, reach your right foot behind, tucking the toes under.
• Bring your chest and hips back so they stack over your non-stretching foot.
• To make the foot stretch less, shorten the distance you've reached the leg back.
• Repeat left side.
4• Spread your toes again, lift and wiggle all your toes, lift your big toes individually.
5• Calf Stretch #1, repeat other side.
CALF STRETC #1
INSTRUCTIONS
• Place a think folded and rolled towel ( or a rolled yoga mat) on the floor in front of you.
• Step onto the towel with a bare or soaked foot, placing the ball of the foot on the top of the towel.
• Adjust the foot so that it points straight forward, and slowly straighten your stretching leg.
• Keeping you body upright (try not to lean forward with your torso), step forward with the opposite foot.
• It is common to keep the non-stretching leg behind the towel at first. If you're leaning forward, finding you need to bend your knees, or losing your balance, shorten your stepping distance.
• More advanced: use a half foam roller instead of a rolled towel.
6• Spread your toes again, lift and wiggle all your toes, lift just your big toes.
7• Calf Stretch #2 repeat other side.
CALF STRETCH #2
INSTRUCTION
• Beginning in the position of Calf Stretch #1, bend the knee of the foot on the rolled towel of half foam roller, pushing it slightly forward as you press that same heel toward the ground.
8• Spread your toes, lift your big toes individually.
9• Top of the Foot Stretch, repeat other side.
10• Calf Stretch #1, repeat other side.
11• Calf Stretch #2 repeat other side.
12• Bottom of the Foot Stretch, repeat other side.
BOTTOM OF THE FOOT STRETCH
INSTRUCTIONS
• Sitting or standing, position a tennis or similarly sized squishy ball under the arch of one foot at a time.
• Slowly load your weight onto the ball (stay seated if necessary to reduce the load).
• Move your foot forward and back and side to side ("vacuuming" your foot) to gently articulate individual joints within the foot.
• Eventually, try different ball sizes and firmness. Golf ball. Even marbles can be used.
13• Top of the Foot Stretch, repeat other side.
14• Bottom of the Foot Stretch, repeat other side.
15• The Pelvic List, repeat other side
16• Top of the Foot Stretch, repeat other side.
17• Calf Stretch #1, repeat other side.
18• The Pelvic List, repeat other side
19• Get up and down ( from a chair or from the floor) three to four times.
You can stop here, or, for more of a workout, stay down on your last "get down."
• Lie back on a bolster and do ten to twenty floor angels.
• Bring one knee in to reach your foot, repeat other side (if you're doing this on a chair, you can do this exercise on your bed at a latter time)
• Climb on to your hands and knees (use bolstering or padding as necessary), stretch your fingers and thumbs out, and rotate your elbows towards and away from each other to move your wrists and shoulders.
• Flip back over onto the bolster and do ten to twenty floor angels again.
• Spinal Twist on bolster, repeat other side.
• Bring one knee in to reach your foot, repeat other side.
• Flip back over to your hands and knees to spread your fingers and rotate your elbows towards and away from each other.
• Rise (pay attention to how you get up!) and sit in a chair.
• Chair Squat four to five times.
• Thoraic Stretch on wall or chair.
• Sit for Finger Stretches
• Chair Squat four to five times. (watch your shins and mind your form)
• Thoraic Stretch
• Back Up Twist, repeat other side.
• Elbow Touch
• Finger Stretches
• Elbow Touch, hold for five deep breaths.
• Chair Squat four to five times.
• On the last one, rise and walk to a door jamb and reach up to the top (or to the sides) and hold for four to five breaths, pulling down your ribs.
• Stand on one leg and count to twenty, trying to not touch down (mind you form), and repeat other side.
INSTRUCTIONS
• Holding lightly on to a wall or chair, try standing on one leg.
• Remove unnecessary tensions : relax your toes, back your hips up over your heels, straighten your knees without locking them ( i.e., pulling up your kneecaps), drop your shoulders, and breath in a relaxed way.
Take a deep breath -- you've move your entire body!
Well Done!
Start standing and find your form : feet pelvis-width apart, weight back over heels, legs vertical, kneecaps relaxed, pelvis centered, ribs centered.
Look down and:
1• Spread your toes
ACTIVE TOE SPREADING
INSTRUCTIONS
• Stand with feet pelvis-width apart and pointing straight ahead, weigh back in your heels.
• Spread you toes apart as far as you can, keeping all the toes flat on the ground.
• Repeat throughout the day ( read: make sure your shoes are not too tight to do this motion!).
2• Lift your big toes individually
TOE LIFTS
INSTRUCTIONS
• Lift your big toes while keeping the other eight small toes on the ground.
• Then try lifting just the big toe on the left foot, and then the big toe on the right foot.
• Work to lift each big toe straight upward, rather than letting it veer sideways (toward the pinkie toe).
• After you've mastered lifting your big toes, try lifting first them and then the second toe of each foot, making sure to keep the balls of your feet on the ground.
• Then lift the third toes, fourth toes, and fifth toes.
• Once all your toes are lifted, place them down one by one.
• Repeat, doing one foot at a time.
3• Top of the Foot Stretch, repeat other side.
TOP OF THE FOOT STRETCH-STANDING
INSTRUCTION
• From standing, reach your right foot behind, tucking the toes under.
• Bring your chest and hips back so they stack over your non-stretching foot.
• To make the foot stretch less, shorten the distance you've reached the leg back.
• Repeat left side.
4• Spread your toes again, lift and wiggle all your toes, lift your big toes individually.
5• Calf Stretch #1, repeat other side.
CALF STRETC #1
INSTRUCTIONS
• Place a think folded and rolled towel ( or a rolled yoga mat) on the floor in front of you.
• Step onto the towel with a bare or soaked foot, placing the ball of the foot on the top of the towel.
• Adjust the foot so that it points straight forward, and slowly straighten your stretching leg.
• Keeping you body upright (try not to lean forward with your torso), step forward with the opposite foot.
• It is common to keep the non-stretching leg behind the towel at first. If you're leaning forward, finding you need to bend your knees, or losing your balance, shorten your stepping distance.
• More advanced: use a half foam roller instead of a rolled towel.
6• Spread your toes again, lift and wiggle all your toes, lift just your big toes.
7• Calf Stretch #2 repeat other side.
CALF STRETCH #2
INSTRUCTION
• Beginning in the position of Calf Stretch #1, bend the knee of the foot on the rolled towel of half foam roller, pushing it slightly forward as you press that same heel toward the ground.
8• Spread your toes, lift your big toes individually.
9• Top of the Foot Stretch, repeat other side.
10• Calf Stretch #1, repeat other side.
11• Calf Stretch #2 repeat other side.
12• Bottom of the Foot Stretch, repeat other side.
BOTTOM OF THE FOOT STRETCH
INSTRUCTIONS
• Sitting or standing, position a tennis or similarly sized squishy ball under the arch of one foot at a time.
• Slowly load your weight onto the ball (stay seated if necessary to reduce the load).
• Move your foot forward and back and side to side ("vacuuming" your foot) to gently articulate individual joints within the foot.
• Eventually, try different ball sizes and firmness. Golf ball. Even marbles can be used.
13• Top of the Foot Stretch, repeat other side.
14• Bottom of the Foot Stretch, repeat other side.
15• The Pelvic List, repeat other side
16• Top of the Foot Stretch, repeat other side.
17• Calf Stretch #1, repeat other side.
18• The Pelvic List, repeat other side
19• Get up and down ( from a chair or from the floor) three to four times.
You can stop here, or, for more of a workout, stay down on your last "get down."
• Lie back on a bolster and do ten to twenty floor angels.
• Bring one knee in to reach your foot, repeat other side (if you're doing this on a chair, you can do this exercise on your bed at a latter time)
• Climb on to your hands and knees (use bolstering or padding as necessary), stretch your fingers and thumbs out, and rotate your elbows towards and away from each other to move your wrists and shoulders.
• Flip back over onto the bolster and do ten to twenty floor angels again.
• Spinal Twist on bolster, repeat other side.
• Bring one knee in to reach your foot, repeat other side.
• Flip back over to your hands and knees to spread your fingers and rotate your elbows towards and away from each other.
• Rise (pay attention to how you get up!) and sit in a chair.
• Chair Squat four to five times.
• Thoraic Stretch on wall or chair.
• Sit for Finger Stretches
• Chair Squat four to five times. (watch your shins and mind your form)
• Thoraic Stretch
• Back Up Twist, repeat other side.
• Elbow Touch
• Finger Stretches
• Elbow Touch, hold for five deep breaths.
• Chair Squat four to five times.
• On the last one, rise and walk to a door jamb and reach up to the top (or to the sides) and hold for four to five breaths, pulling down your ribs.
• Stand on one leg and count to twenty, trying to not touch down (mind you form), and repeat other side.
INSTRUCTIONS
• Holding lightly on to a wall or chair, try standing on one leg.
• Remove unnecessary tensions : relax your toes, back your hips up over your heels, straighten your knees without locking them ( i.e., pulling up your kneecaps), drop your shoulders, and breath in a relaxed way.
Take a deep breath -- you've move your entire body!
Well Done!
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