Roll Your Feet On a Pink Racquetball to Loosen Your Feet and Hamstrings

I was in the restaurant business since I was 14 years old. I started as a hostess then became a cocktail waitress & then a bartender. All 3 of these jobs within the service industry required me to stand on my feet for long periods of time- I’m sure a lot of you can relate. & because of that, I developed plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis involves inflammation of a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot & connects your heel bone to your toes ( plantar fascia ). Plantar fasciitis commonly causes stabbing pain that usually occurs with your first steps in the morning. As you get up and move more, the pain normally decreases, but it might return after long periods of standing or after rising from sitting. { via }

For me, it came from wearing really bad shoes & standing on my feet too long. I remember being so broke & not being able to afford comfy shoes so I would go to Marshall’s every 6 months & buy whatever $8 black flats they had. Obviously none of them had an arch support. It got worse & worse. It got to the point where I could hardly walk when I got out of bed in the morning after a shift. I tried everything from stretching, gel inserts, new shoes, but nothing was working. The arch & heel of my foot just always hurt.

There were 3 things that did end up working though & I want to discuss all 3. But first I want to talk about the main thing that worked. This is something anyone & everyone can do for sore feet, & it makes all the difference. You should also note, it makes a difference in you’re hamstrings too. It’s such a simple easy hack.

♡ Racquetball

The first & most efficient thing in my opinion is to get a racquetball. The one I like is pink & just the right firmness- it’s just perfectly strong. You basically roll it on the arch of your foot while putting your body pressure on it. This feels good whether you have plantar fasciitis or not.

So you want to roll the ball along the entire sole of your foot. When you’re rolling you should rock side to side so it goes from the toe to the heel all along the entire sole of the foot. I like to put my entire body weight on it but to start, maybe don’t press as firmly. Fun fact. The feet are the furthest body part from the heart, so when you get blood to the feet it helps with muscle repair & keeps your feet in good health. I wanna do it on my feet right now it sounds so good.

This is great to do at home, especially after a workout. I try to make Michael do it but he doesn’t love foot massage like I do.

♡ Custom Orthotics

Another thing you can do is get custom orthotics. This is something I had to save up for when I was a bartender. My feet got so bad that after 2 years I couldn’t stand for a whole shift. A doctor molded my feet & it cost $400. Ugh, tell me about it. I saved every penny I had to get them, then I’d throw them in the Marshall’s $8 flats. They’re pricey for sure, but it did relieve a lot of the pain.

Now, I’ve heard arch support isn’t the best idea because it’s kinda like training wheels- you gotta get off them at some point. But I will say this: the custom orthotics really helped me get through my shifts. & now that I’m pregnant I’m thinking of getting them again because all this extra weight is inflaming my fascia again. Either Daddy Warbucks ( ahem Michael ) dishes out for a new set or I need to dust the cobwebs off my old bartending ones.

If you’re in the San Diego area & in need of custom orthotics you have to go see Dr. Sam. He’s amazing & you basically just stand in this sand stuff & he molds your feet. Contact him at samschiropractic.com or (858) 569-6959.

♡ Foot Stretches

The third thing that can really help is stretching. Before you get out of bed stretch your feet & toes. Put your toes on the ground and then lift your heels. Alternatively you can cross one ankle over the opposite knee then grab your toes & pull them towards your shin. These stretches really helped too. That stretch every morning activated blood flow & helped the pain from wearing restrictive, non-supportive shoes.

The fascia is a web of connective tissue so when you release it, it can trigger the entire web. This feels amazing. Trust me.

Side note: if a racquetball is too gnarly for you ( I like everything intense ) then you could always use a tennis ball because it’s a bit softer. But I’m telling you, if you have foot pain you have to try these things ( but especially the ball ).

This is the hack of a lifetime. Get a bunch & put them in your family’s stockings & they’ll love you forever. It feels so amazing, it’s orgasmic.

Alight G2G roll my foot on some pink balls.

x, lauryn

+ if you’re into these kind of at-home hacks, read why I love my acupressure mat.

++ while you’re rolling your feet out, why not try breathing through your nose too- more on that here.

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