I gotta tell you something…I am terrified of bunyans. They seem to run in my family and when I started getting a bit of pain in my big toe joint last week, my thoughts went straight to bunyans. It’s not only the pain that I don’t care for – it’s also the change in shape of my foot and not being able to wear all my shoes! I know, this would be the perfect reason to overhaul and get a brand new shoe wardrobe, but honestly, I don;t buy shoes often, and when I do, they are shows that I love. And usually they were an awesome deal.
But I digress…
I started to think that maybe I wasn’t being as mindful as I could during some of my workouts – especially my barre workouts.
So today I have some key tips for you to consider, when you go heels up at the barre. These tips are designed to take pressure out of the toes and transfer it throughout your body, making you feel lighter and even more fabulous during your workout.
1) Take the pressure out of your toes by using your calves. When you raise your heels, squeeze your calves. Feel that they take on some of the body’s weight, leaving you a little lighter on your feet,
2) Draw up through your inner thighs and quadriceps. Even if you are lowering up and down, think of engaging the thighs fully, as if they were pulling up towards your pelvis, to help take pressure out of the lower legs and feet.
3) Engage your pelvic floor. Basically, pull up through the pelvis and squeeze your “hold the pee” muscles. This upward shift in energy and upward pull in the muscles will draw weight out of your toes.
4) Engage your core. In barre, the pelvis is a bit more neutral than most exercises. The lower back is lengthened and the front of the pelvis tilts to engage your core fully. Keep this tilt and draw up through your belly button, towards your spine. This helps pull the weight up and center it within you power center – the core.
Try out these tips to feel lighter on your feet and keep your toes feeling happy.
Look for a quick video coming soon with some examples of exercises to try this with.
Peace and Love,
Jessi
