Thread: Foot Stretch??

Hi ya'll. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older, or heavier or what but my feet cramp up on me sometimes. Not always at the same time. This hasn't happened in the past. Sometimes, before dancing, during warm ups, during dancing, after dancing. I've worn heels pretty much my entire life.
What kind of stretch should I be doing that I evidently am not doing?
I also get pains in the muscles in the front of my legs, right around the shin bone. How do I stretch that?

Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I roll my foot on a tennis ball almost daily. It's orgasmic, lol.

Someone was telling me that Cassandra has some foot exercises that she teaches. I think there might be a DVD??? Anyway, I think it involves flexing and spreading the toes . . . must check in to this more. Rolling the feet on a tennis ball is a good idea too . . . nice massage for sure. I do a lot of ankle circles and point/flex (not extreme points) too to help out that area.

Originally Posted by SamarDahab

I roll my foot on a tennis ball almost daily. It's orgasmic, lol.

I used to do that too until I found at a store called Ocean State a rubber half ball shape with finger-like protrusions that actually vibrates when I press my foot against it!! Talk about orgasmic

I have the same problem! I will be watching this as well.

Originally Posted by Surida

I used to do that too until I found at a store called Ocean State a rubber half ball shape with finger-like protrusions that actually vibrates when I press my foot against it!! Talk about orgasmic

that sounds nice! i use a tennis ball as well. i believe there are also stretching bands you can use to flex your feet on. i have very high arches and love stretching my feet.

mahira maybe u should take a break from heels? it might help?

Originally Posted by shaabichic

that sounds nice! i use a tennis ball as well. i believe there are also stretching bands you can use to flex your feet on. i have very high arches and love stretching my feet.

mahira maybe u should take a break from heels? it might help?

I have tried the bands and they don't seem to do anything for me. I have taken a break from heels both in dance and everyday. I wonder if the break is whats causing it.

oh hmm maybe?
the way ur describing ur pain it sounds like shin splints...i used to get those when i was on the track team in high school..they used to tape my feet and shins

Ouch! How do I get rid of it?

i'm really not sure...but i think trying out RICE would help out (Rest, Ice, Compress, and Elevate)
do u tend to land heavily on ur heels? i think that's one cause of it.

Originally Posted by shaabichic

i'm really not sure...but i think trying out RICE would help out (Rest, Ice, Compress, and Elevate)
do u tend to land heavily on ur heels? i think that's one cause of it.

Hmmm, I don't think so. I will pay more attention in the next couple days. I'll try the tennis ball thing too.

Golf balls work well too! Or in a pinch, a wine bottle.

Originally Posted by 1shadylady

Golf balls work well too! Or in a pinch, a wine bottle.

Mmmm wine.

I did pilates for a while and was shown some excellent stretches for the feet (I get cramps and pain in the ball of my foot occassionally) however I'd recommend getting tuition on these stretches to ensure you are doing them correctly - when I first did what he asked of me I thought I was doing them correctly until he pointed out minor ankle alignment issues which meant I was not gaining the full benefit of the exercise.

Of course, funds might be tight so you can always do it yourself - practicing pointing straight out and then bringing your toes up to the heavens can help as too can picking up a hankie with your toes.

Just did a google and this looks interesting: Pilates for Feet* - Pilates Pro - Pilates-Pro.com: The Pulse of the Pilates Industry

and there are some youtube foot pilates videos (who knew?!)

That does look interesting. Thanks.

Wonder if the cramps and the shin muscle pain is related in that when the foot cramps you are tensing other muscles to release the cramp? If pain and cramping are getting in the way of your quality of life, it may be an idea to go see a doctor for advice.

To prevent cramping, number one rule is to keep hydrated. Sometimes vitamin and mineral deficiency can be a problem - eg. low calcium, iron deficiency? I take calcium (as per my sleep doctor) to thwart night time leg cramps, and an iron supplement (to help out with extreme "two days on the couch, rolled up in a ball" period cramps, but muscle cramps are muscle cramps).

Sometimes my feet get cramped because they are cold. I wonder if a nice soak in warm water (or a foot spa, with Epsom salts ) as a pre-dance routine would help out too.

Hope some of this helps :)

Originally Posted by MahiraRaqs

Hi ya'll. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older, or heavier or what but my feet cramp up on me sometimes. Not always at the same time. This hasn't happened in the past. Sometimes, before dancing, during warm ups, during dancing, after dancing. I've worn heels pretty much my entire life.
What kind of stretch should I be doing that I evidently am not doing?
I also get pains in the muscles in the front of my legs, right around the shin bone. How do I stretch that?

Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Have you started wearing a new pair of shoes recently? Especially any flip-flops, slide ons, sandals of any sort without heel straps?

I got some chacos with the open heel. No matter how I adjust the straps, they do not work for me at all, and the symptoms they've caused include pain in my arches, metatarsals, and up my shins. Even to the point of making my knees hurt.

Other than that, have you been doing more releve work recently? You mention being heavier -- did you put on some weight over a short period of time? Again, asking because of an experience I had about 7 years ago. I had put on some weight and stopped exercising, then I started some intensive dance practice, and my style was evolving to include more and more releve. I was allowing my weight to distribute towards my pinkie toe during releve (it was a cheat, due to my decreased strength and increased weight) and bottom line I got a metatarsal stress fracture. It started out as a burning or cramping in my feet after dance practice. As the stress fracture happened, it turned into a constant pain that nothing would dull and no drugs could touch. It took months to heal.

it sounds to me that your are potassium deficient. Lack of potassium in your system will cause muscle cramping. I don't know for others, but for me it's always in my feet and sometimes in my lower legs.
When I take water pills, this gets worse, obviously because with water, there goes potassium.
The thing about potassium is that you can't find it in high concentration in pill form, because it can cause ulcers, so the highest you'll see is 3 %, I think. You can, however find much higher percentages in food.
Banana, almond, a lot of the vegetables, etc. Potassiums are usually listed on food lables.
When you get cramps in your feet, try eating several bananas / day for a few days. Sort of like a banana therapy. A large banana will have about 30 % of your daily needs of potassium. If the cramping goes away then you know it was potassium, and now you know how to fix it.

Originally Posted by Marianna

it sounds to me that your are potassium deficient. Lack of potassium in your system will cause muscle cramping. I don't know for others, but for me it's always in my feet and sometimes in my lower legs.
When I take water pills, this gets worse, obviously because with water, there goes potassium.
The thing about potassium is that you can't find it in high concentration in pill form, because it can cause ulcers, so the highest you'll see is 3 %, I think. You can, however find much higher percentages in food.
Banana, almond, a lot of the vegetables, etc. Potassiums are usually listed on food lables.
When you get cramps in your feet, try eating several bananas / day for a few days. Sort of like a banana therapy. A large banana will have about 30 % of your daily needs of potassium. If the cramping goes away then you know it was potassium, and now you know how to fix it.

I never even thought of that. I used to eat alot of bananas and I haven't for awhile now and it tends to get worse when I'm dancing and drinking a ton of water. Hhhmmm. Thanks.

Originally Posted by MahiraRaqs

I also get pains in the muscles in the front of my legs, right around the shin bone. How do I stretch that?

.

In ballet we would stretch the top of the foot into the shin by crossing one foot over the other in parallel with the top of the foot on the ground and going into demi-plie very slowly, gently and shallow, holding then rising. As you change levels you can feel the different areas of the top being stretched. Barefoot or in slippers of course. I feel this stretch into my shin.

Hope it helps!