After many hours of standing and working; feet feel pressured, sore, and tight. Even after long hours; many don’t give much care to their feet and often neglect them. Feet are actually very important for balance, agility, stability, and for gripping. Feet are very instrumental in discharging emotions. Toes are also important for balance. Modified yoga stretches improves flexibility of toes, soles and strengthen the arch of the foot, and the balls of the feet and relieves heel challenges like heel spurs.

Overall foot stretching relieves foot pain, and cramps from tight hard shoes or boots. Do all the exercises described in your bare feet. Toes are meant to be mobile. If your toes are locked, and you can’t spread your toes apart, we need to change that. Our first stretch to start at the toes. Open your toes, as far open as you can for a few seconds, and release. Another great stretch for the toe and foot, is to attempt to grab, grip a sock with your toes. Lift up the sock with just your toes. Push it down on the floor, and propel it forward with your toes. Release and pull it towards you by scrunching your toes.

Imagine that you can play the piano with your feet and attempt to roll your toes one at a time. From the big toe to the little toe. Do this for both sides. Put your foot out straight, scrunch your toes and then point your foot down. Release and bring your foot back up. Repeat. If you get a cramp release immediately and massage your foot.

If you’re sitting down, with your foot across your leg, this is an easier way to massage your feet. Massaging your foot is a great release as well, and manipulate the toes during your foot massage, including the big toe if you feel it locked. In the massage, to work your arch, grab your toes and bend them towards the top of your foot. That exposes the ligaments of your arch, which you can massage with the other hand. A lot people find that very painful. But if you consistently stretch and massage your feet, you will not feel it so pained.

If you stand up, put your left foot forward, and the right will be slightly behind you. You want your back leg to be super bent for the pose. At first you are only working on the back foot. Put the top of your foot and toes down on the floor, this stretches the top of the foot, and then put your ball and toes down (the foot is still slightly behind the left), this stretches the sole of the foot. Alternate, top and toes down, ball of your foot down. Add this to it. When your top of the foot is down, you are going to straighten your leg and your body up towards the ceiling. This will definitely stretch your foot. Now you switch your feet so that the right is now front. Bring the left behind you and work on the left. Left top and toes down, and ball and toes down.

If you are standing, squat down, so that you can put your hands on the floor in front of your feet or slightly to the sides of them. In this squat your knees will be out in front of you. Roll forward to the ball of your feet and palms. Then start slowly to bring your knees down in front of you, like you are going to kneel, but don’t place them on the floor. Bring your knees close to the floor and when you come out roll back onto your heels. You are going to sink your buttocks down to stretch out the calves, Achilles and heels. Roll forward, and almost put your knees down, and then roll back to your heels. Not only will it stretch the length of your feet, it will strengthen your legs. If the squat is too much for you, don’t bring yourself down so far. You can do it with your hips much higher bring yourself down what you can. Adding foot care to your routine will release stress, and make you feel much happier, and freer.