‘Toga?’ I hear you say. How can a piece of clothing worn by the people of ancient Rome help my movement? Actually, we’re talking about Toe-ga – yoga for your toes.
Have you ever sat back and watched how babies and small children move their feet? They can move, bend and manipulate their toes in ways that adults simply cannot. Why is this necessary? During the first 4 years of life, our feet (and hands) are being calibrated as movement sensors, so we can effectively use them to learn how to move around. Strength, mobility and elasticity in the feet are essential to this learning process, and helps to shape the way we stand, squat, walk, jump and run. Unfortunately, as adults we stop using our feet in this way and we also wear restrictive shoes for long periods of time – both of which result in stiffness, immobility and poor elasticity in our feet.
As you know, at EVO we are passionate about foot health and how this positively impacts our ability to move. Adding a few simple toe-ga exercises to your daily routine will help to free your toes from years of restriction – and make you feel like a 4yr old again!
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1. Big toe push
Push the big toe down into the ground while lifting the other toes up. Hold for up to 30s and repeat on other foot.
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2. Big toe under
Tuck the big toe under your foot while keeping the other toes out. Hold for up to 30s and repeat on other foot. |
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3. Big toe out
Keep the big toe out while tucking the other toes under your foot. Hold for up to 30s and repeat on other foot
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For an in-depth discussion on how healthy feet can impact our movement, feel free to download our article: Healthy feet = Healthy movement.
