This is one of my personal favorites!
Release tension in the feet, and the rest of the body, through these simple myofascial release (MFR) techniques.
Often times, I feel like our feet are overlooked when it comes to how well we move and how good we feel. Our feet are our foundation, we use them to help us move through the world, experience the world, and to get to where we want to go. They do a lot of work for us on a normal, day-to-day basis, working especially hard for those of us who spend a lot of time on our feet (runners, athletes, servers/bartenders, massage therapists, construction/builders, event planners, parents of 2-year-old kids, etc.). Overtime, dysfunction in the feet can transfer up into other parts of the body (think: knees, hips, shoulders) which can create imbalances that can eventually lead to pain.
So try out the following MFR techniques to release tension & restore tissue integrity in those overworked feet of yours.
>>> You may also want to look into some Reflexology points and areas in the feet that correspond to other parts of the body. Our feet provide a pathway of relief throughout the rest of our body and working into them gives us an opportunity to create a deeper sense of connection to ourselves and how we move through the world!
>>> All you need is yourself and a therapy ball. I prefer using the one of the RAD Rounds - I love and use all of RAD’s products. If you don’t have a therapy ball you can totally use a tennis ball, lacrosse ball, golf ball, or bouncy ball. Keep in mind though that a smaller ball might be a little more intense on the feet. If your feet are very tender you could use some rolled up socks, or a frozen water bottle might be nice! You can do these techniques standing (as seen in the video) or sitting in a chair.
>>> I prefer to do these techniques in the morning while I sip on my coffee. For me it’s a nice way to check in and start my day, it’s especially loving before a yoga practice, hike, or surf! You may want to try these out before you begin your day or pre-sport or training. Some of you may find more relief when practiced at the end of a long day or post-sport. Test it out and find what works best for you.
MFR for the Feet
Before you begin, take a moment to check in. Plant both feet firmly into the floor, about hip width distance apart with the toes forward and outer edges of the feet parallel. Close your eyes and scan the sensations of the feet and legs. Just take a moment to notice how they feel.
Then, begin on one foot and work through the following steps before switching sides.
1. Begin with gentle compression at the center of the foot. Place the MFR ball at the center of the foot, both lengthwise and width-wise. Keep the foot relaxed as you lean onto and off of the ball a few times, slowly leveraging the intensity with your body weight. Once you find a space that’s sensational, but allows you to still breathe with ease, pause there for a few deep breaths.
Repeat the same technique near the ball of the foot, just below the big toe, the pinky toe edge of the ball of the foot, and the space just above the edge of the heel. Remember to keep the foot relaxed as you lean in and out a few times to explore the tissues and leverage body weight (intensity). Then pick a spot to lean in for a few breaths.
This compression technique just begins to encourage the tissues to respond & relax.
2. After compression, we’ll explore a little more by rolling out the foot. Continue to keep the foot relaxed and begin at the top of the foot, just below the toes. Keeping a consistent pressure (using your back leg to leverage your body weight over the ball), roll slowly from the top of the foot to the heel. Gently kick the MFR ball back to begin again. Repeat this a few more times, exploring the center and the inner & outer edges of the foot.
Rolling in the general direction of the tissues and muscles fibers encourages any matted or sticky areas to smooth out, restoring a healthy & efficient myofascial glide.
3. Next we’ll move onto a technique known as cross-fibering. Place the ball of the foot, the mound below the big toe, on to the MFR ball. Keeping the toes and foot relaxed, heel on the floor, pivot on the heel as you roll from big toe mound to pink toe edge and back along the joints. Once again you can leverage the intensity by leaning your body weight onto, or backing off of, the MFR ball.
This cross fiber technique also feels nice on the heel. For this, bring the MFR ball below the heel with the toes and ball of foot on the floor. Keeping a consistent pressure on the heel, slowly rock the ball side to side across the heel. You can also play with making a U-shape.
Cross-Fibering is a great way to break up any lingering adhesions or sticky areas in the tissues. Look for the areas that feel fibrous or gritty.
4. Finally, we’ll go into a technique my teacher calls “scribbling” to encourage circulation. For this you want to keep a really light pressure on the ball (most of your weight in your other leg) and imagine that you’re lightly scribbling with the ball underneath the entire sole of the foot.
Light touch is essential for this “scribbling” technique. This technique is beneficial post-rolling and cross-fibering to bring some blood flow (oxygen & nutrients) to the tissues, as well as encouraging the lymphatic cells to come in a clean out the “debris” we released through the MFR.
5. Before switching sides, and upon completion of both sides, plant both feet on the floor one more time, close your eyes, and observe any shifts in sensations or changes in experiences - remember that lack of sensation can be a sensation as well!
Taking a moment to check in before, during, and after MFR (or any body work for that matter) allows us to strengthen and deepen our inner-body awareness which ultimately creates a deeper sense of connection to ourselves, our bodies, and what we need to feel and move our best.