Bottom of foot stretch

Flexible and limber feet and ankles can absorb the pounding of walking, running, and jumping more efficiently than if your feet and ankles are tight and rigid. This stretch targets the muscles that run along the entire bottom of your feet. It doesn’t beat a foot massage, but if you’re prone to cramping in your feet you should do this stretch every day.
To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Begin with your hands and knees on the floor (all-fours position).
2. Flex your feet so your toes are moving toward your knees.
3. Inhale and gently move your hips back and down toward your heels and move your heels up, toward your hips. You should feel this stretch on the bottom of your feet.
4. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds by using deep breathing to help you sink gradually deeper into the stretch.

A few do’s and don’ts for this stretch:

• Do move your hips back toward your heels.
• Do focus on lifting your heels as you gently press the balls of your feet toward the floor.
• Do lift your bellybutton toward your spine.
• Don’t hold your breath.