Release Your Feet, Release Your Hips
In an earlier post (click here) we talked about the foot-hip connection – specifically from the heel to the glutes. The connection works the other way too. Releasing your feet can help release your hips. And, keeping tension out of your feet, can help keep it out of your hips.
In short, healthy feet are a big contributor of healthy hips.
Illuminate me.
In addition to the fascial connections that run between the feet and the hips, there’s an obvious functional connection.
Almost everything you do with your hips starts at your feet: walking, running, climbing, jumping, etc. Tight or overworked muscles in the feet can create a chain reaction up to the hips.
Also, the feet do a lot of shock absorbing so the hips don’t have to do as much. If the feet are tight and unable to do that work well, the pressure travels up the chain as well.
Try it…
You’ll need a ball. Tennis ball, lacrosse ball, dog ball, or pinky ball.
Place it under the ball of the big toe, keeping your heel on the ground.
Curl your toes around the ball and hold for 3 breaths. Repeat 3-4 times.
Repeat the process another two times, placing the ball under the ball of the middle toe, then under the ball of the pinky toe.
Place the ball under the ball of the big toe. You should see part of the ball peeking out from the inner edge of your foot.
Step onto the ball with your weight and roll the ball just until it gets to the heel.
Roll it up and down in that range 4-5x, keeping weight on the ball.
Repeat mid-foot (starting under the ball of the middle toe) and outer foot (starting under the ball of the pinky toe).
After completing the first foot, stand on both feet and feel the difference between the two.
Repeat on the other foot.
Try it and let us know what you think. Contact us here. We’d love to hear from you
Wishing you happy hips!