One of my followers reached out to me saying her hamstrings have been tight due to Parkinson’s. Working in the garden bent over has made them worse, and now her back hurts too. Another fighter said that they’re having issues with plantar fasciitis. Luckily, I have an answer to help them both… ADDRESS YOUR FEET!
Fascia is a band or layer of connective tissue (primarily collagen) under the skin that attaches and separates muscles and encases internal organs. Fascia can get very tight and knotted up, causing pain and stiffness. People with Parkinson’s disease get even more tight. This tightness compounds every day if it’s not addressed. Therefore, it’s very important to release it so the underlying muscles can glide and function properly.
This myofascial release technique is great for treating tight hamstrings, back aches, foot and calf pain.
All you need is a racquet ball and your bare foot. I found that a racquet ball works better than a tennis ball because there is a little more give to it. Check out this video:
- Start by standing up tall (if you have balance issues, you can also do this in your chair). Bend over slowly to reach your toes. Make note of how far down on your shin you’re able to reach. Then start rolling your foot on the ball. Hold on to something since you will be standing on one foot for at least a minute and a half.
- Basically, you roll the ball on the arch of your foot while putting your body pressure on it. This feels great! Put as much pressure on the ball as you can stand, and roll it up and down the entire sole of your foot.
- After you have rolled the entire foot, press down on it like pressing on a gas pedal of a car. Press all over to get the blood circulating in your foot. This should take a minimum of 90 seconds per foot.
You have diaphragms in your feet, pelvic floor, thorax and throat. These all raise and lower at the same time. If any of these diaphragms are stiff (like the bottoms of your feet), it will cause your whole system to be affected.
After you have rolled your feet for a least 90 seconds (longer is better), try retesting to see if you can reach further down to touch your toes. I promise your feet will feel better, and you may feel a little lighter in your stepping because you released that fascial line a little bit!
You can do this every day, and multiple times each day. Enjoy the foot massage!
- 💜 Coach Kimberly