Are your feet constantly aching and (literally) standing in the way of comfortable daily movement? We've got a few tips for relieving foot pain so your feet can focus a little less on talking (or crying for help), and a little more on walking.
So, what’s the best thing you can do for your feet? Work on your lower legs! While there are many muscles to talk about in the foot, the real power in the feet comes from the big muscles in the lower leg (calves, tibialis, etc).
The smaller muscles of the foot help stabilize and make small movements, while the bigger muscles in the calves help drive power and help the foot through it’s full range of motion.
If your calves feel tight or restricted, you’re gonna see some restriction in the feet as well. The tail doesn’t wag the dog, in this case.
Besides that, the calves have a big role in pumping fluid back to the heart, and they’re at a big disadvantage with gravity. This is one of the reasons why getting your ‘steps’ in is so important; fluid movement.
Although your calves tend to run the show, it’s important to explore around the WHOLE lower leg. Try starting with a broad-based tool like the helix, and if you find a tiny underlying muscle that’s tight, switch to a smaller tool like the RAD Rounds so you can precisely follow that muscle along.
To put it into perspective, having tight calves is like driving with the emergency brake on. It’s putting the brakes on all the critical motion that your feet need.
Now that we've taken care of the root cause, it's still important that we activate the muscles IN your feet as well. To do so, we recommend using the Neuro Ball on your feet for a few minutes after releasing your calves. This will help your legs and feet send signals to your brain that it's time to "stop whining, and start moving."
Recommended RAD Tools for Calves and Feet?
Calves: RAD Roller, Helix, Axle, Rod
Feet: Rounds, Neuro Ball, Recovery Rounds
