ACTIVE LIVING

TRISTAN HALL describes how the right feet exercises that will repay you tenfold.

It’s common to neglect your feet until, ouch, they demand your attention through pain or injury. I encourage you to spend a few minutes a day loving your feet with this routine. The payoff is stronger foot muscles, improved mobility, better stability and fewer injuries.

Here’s your new foot routine:

WALK BAREFOOT – Going barefoot at home for some time each day can strengthen your foot muscles and improve your balance. Conversely wearing shoes or slippers with heavy thick soles can reduce the mobility of your foot muscles and impair your balance. However, going barefoot is not recommended if you currently have foot pain.

FOOT CIRCLES – you can do this lying down or sitting. Raise one foot up and slowly turn it in a circle from the ankle. This will help with flexibility and strengthen your arches. Do about 10 circles in each direction. Then switch to the other foot.

ZIGZAGS – this routine strengthens your ankles and your feet. Wear some shoes for this one. Stand with your feet parallel to each other and at shoulder width. Move both heels to the left, then move the toes to follow them so your feet are straight again. Continue moving across the floor in this manner and go back the other direction. If you need support, do this near a kitchen bench or wall. Repeat a few times. Find some spare moments in the day to get your zigzags in.

ONE LEG ZIGZAGS - Switch to zigzagging on one leg only. Use a pole or a bench for support if needed. Repeat for the

DURING the recent floods, which affected my situation, residents who were fit and healthy enough, helped out those who were unable to do it. Having the ability, health and fitness to help ourselves is a terrific thing.

Our story is minor by comparison with many others but once again it is great to see the community come together to help out those in need. I write this knowing full well many people may never recover the loss and damage to their property, never mind the mental anguish. In our own minor situation, our building was flooded or at least the carpark area was flooded. Unfortunately, like many in a similar situation our floodwater included a significant overflow from the underpressure sewer system.

The really encouraging thing from our own point of view was it was all hands to the pumps literally. We had many of our unit residents assist in the mopping up and water sweeping duties. Another section and group worked outside the building complex with electric pumps to reduce the other leg. Notice which of your legs is weaker. Do more zigzags on that leg until over time; both legs have the same strength. When both legs and feet are similar in strength and flexibility, your balance will naturally improve.

SHORT FOOTS – this exercise wakes up the small muscles in your feet. Sit on a stable chair with no shoes on. Place your feet securely on the ground. Draw the front of your foot towards the back of your foot while leaving the toes and heel on the ground. This will cause your foot to arch more. Hold this arched position for 3 seconds then release and repeat 10 times. Switch to the other foot.

TOE RAISES – this is done barefoot. Stand up and then stretch up onto your toes. Hold that position for 5 seconds then come down. Repeat this for a minute. Shake your feet to relieve any tension. This helps with balance and engages multiple muscles from your abdomen, your legs and your feet.

That’s it. See you with more fun and easy home routines next month. Tristan Hall is an exercise physiologist with Full Circle Wellness. Call 0431 192 284 or visit fullcirclewellness.com.au

FIT HAPPENS With Tom Law

flow of water.

For three days we worked in shifts, not rostered, not scheduled or arranged just people working where possible to reduce the water in the basement to keep damage to a minimum and most importantly protect the lift shafts from water. We lost the fight along the way and the amount of water cascading in from an overflowing overloaded system outside the building flooded our automatic door opening system and the two elevators shafts.

The body corporate is still mopping up to some extent, building leaks we did not know we had, storage bays are being cleaned and reorganized to lift stored equipment off the ground and claims are being submitted.

Some people worked through the night sweeping the water towards drains, some people wanted to help but physical restrictions prevented them from doing so. Again, it great to see the community come together. Tom Law is author of Tom’s Law Fit Happens.Visit tomslaw.com.au

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