Fingers And Toes
Posted by terrepruitt on July 14, 2015
About four months ago I went to a Foot Fitness Workshop as part of a Movement as Medicine Series by Tanya Baldwin N.D.. I wrote a post about it called Foot Fitness Workshop — Ahhhhh! I could have sworn we did an exercise where we put our fingers in between our toes, but I am not seeing that on the list nor in my post, but I know I would not have done it on my own. I know I have seen it other places too, such as in connection with yoga, but I can’t put my finger on those references at the moment. I am not fond of this exercise. For some reason I really don’t like to put my fingers between my toes. Well, I think it is more accurate to say I don’t like things between my toes. But this is a great exercise for the feet. It is also relatively simple.
I had to have done it at that workshop because I wouldn’t do it on my own. But once I did it I realized how great it made my feet feel. It helped open my foot and made it feel as if it had more space. Everyone’s feet are different. Some people have toes that are wide apart and some people have toes that are close together. My big toe on both feet have enough room for another toe to be in between them and the rest of my toes. So I have no problem wearing flip-flops where your big toes and second toes “straddle” something. But I don’t like things in between my other toes.
My other toes are very close together. It is a challenge for me to get my fingers in between my toes. Now the idea is not just to put your fingers in between your toes. The exercise involves putting your fingers in between your toes all the way down to your hand. So your fingers are all the way down to where your toes meet with your feet and your toes are all the way down to where your fingers meet with your hand. For me that is wedging my fingers in between my toes. I don’t really like it. The orientation is the bottom of your foot is in the palm of your hand. You want to put your fingers in your toes from the bottom.
But as I said, I had done it and I loved the way my feet felt afterwards. So . . . I took it to a stretching class I taught. I told them I was doing something I didn’t like to do, but I knew was good for them. I put it in the “routine” just for them. After we did it our feet felt great.
Today I brought this exercise to my Nia class. Since I did it and I like the way it made my feet feel I wanted to bring it to Nia, but it seems like a Floorplay exercise, but after we dance we don’t want to touch our feet. No matter how clean the floor is, after moving around on it for 50 minutes, touching your feet is just not very comfortable. Perhaps touching the top or even a quick touch. But the way you have to wedge your fingers in between your toes, is not so great after almost an hour of barefoot dancing on multi-use type floors.
So today we STARTED class with this exercise. We took a bit of time to do it. We talked about the sensations of the our foot and our hand as we did it. A lot of us didn’t really like it. But we did it. We noticed that one set of toes seemed easier to wedge our fingers in between. All of us agree that our foot felt more open after doing it. With the way we squish our feet into shoes. It is great to allow them to open up with this exercise.
It helps with mobility in the foot because we move our foot around while I fingers are in between our toes. It helps strengthen the toes because they are moved into a different position. It helps bring mobility and flexibility into the toes because we are causing the toes to move and separate. It is good for overall foot health. Try it. You will see how different your feet feel after. You will appreciate the sensation.
Have you done this exercise before? How does it make your feet feel?
Terre Pruitt's Blog 
Jill Campana said
Rats. I tried this but my toes are so short and stubby that I can’t get my fingers in between my toes!!! Rats! Sounds yummy though. Thank you!!
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terrepruitt said
Oh my, you must have cute tiny little toes! Perhaps just a couple of fingers and toes? Perhaps not all the way to the start of fingers/toes? It is yummy so perhaps you can find a modification that can let you get a taste. 🙂
XO
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