Dear coaches, 

I have a recurring problem with plantar fasciitis. I’m good now, but have flare ups every few months that have my foot hurting so much that I skip 2-3 weeks of training. What do you suggest I do when I have an injury like that?

Thanks!
One Foot For Now

Dear One Foot For Now,

Plantar fasciitis can be hard to kick and will have a tendency to come back if not taken care of properly.  First of all, let’s describe what plantar fasciitis is: “plantar” is the bottom of your foot, and “fascia” is the connective tissue fibers between the skin and muscles. Lastly, “itis” means inflammation.  So, unfortunately, plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of the connective tissue fibers of the bottom of the foot. But have no fear, OFFN — Here is a quick list of things you can do to heal (and even prevent) this injury from coming back:

#1. Sock Stretch

Do this at least three times a day for about 2-3 minutes. You can even do this stretch while doing something else, like reading a book or watching TV.

#2. Ankle Stretch 

We will be stretching the ankle with two movements here. First, we’ll work on plantar flexion by sitting on our heels with our toes untucked. (This is actually harder than it sounds and it is OK if you can’t sit all the way down at first.) To make this stretch easier, you can roll up a small towel and place it under the front of your ankle while sitting down stretching.

The next stretch that you will do along with the plantar flexion is called dorsiflexion, which can easily be done by doing a downward facing dog stretch. While in down dog, you want to work on getting your heels down and make sure to press evenly between your hands and feet. Do this stretch twice a day, once in the morning and once at night.

Cycle back and forth between both stretches three times, holding each for about two minutes.

#3. Myofascial Release

First thing’s first, you’ll want to grab a couple of different stretching tools, whether it be a trigger point roller, rubber hose, or even a PVC pipe. The point of myofascial release is to create a minor discomfort, or as my friend David Weck says, a delicious discomfort – I.E. not pain.

Next, we roll. This is done in a specific order, so pay close attention!

First, you will start by rolling the lateral (or outside) of the foot. Next, you will roll out the middle area.  Finally, you’ll finish with the medial (or inside) of the foot. Roll from the ball of the foot to your heel.

You may want to start sitting down while rolling out and use your face as a good measuring tool. This means your face should be relaxed while rolling. If you’re grimacing because of the pain, you may be going too hard too fast. Remember to take it easy!

Spend around 3-4 minutes on each foot, two times a day. You can do this along with the ankle stretch in the morning and night.

#4. Nutrition 

Sometimes, this problem can be solved with proper hydration and a magnesium supplement.

Getting the proper amount of H20 is ultimately going to give you a more fluid and flexible body, helping to heal and prevent further injuries. Make sure to drink adequate amounts of water for both your body type and activity level, and try to stay away from excess coffee, caffeine, and alcohol.

A magnesium supplement is going to help relax the muscles, aiding with restoring the body to a healthy state.

#5. Epsom Salt Bath 

The oldest trick in the book, this is something you will definitely want to do during a flare up. A simple Epsom salt bath at night for 15-20 minutes will help ease away any aches and pains.

#6. Kinesiology Tape 

Lastly, you can use kinesio-taping to help with the pain and healing of the fascia. This tape helps by increasing more blood flow and structural support to the area. Feel free to shoot me an email for any of your kinesio-tape needs.

I hope this helps, One Foot For Now! Just realize that it took a while for you to get into this situation, so it will take a little work to get back out there dancing, pain free. Follow these six steps and you’ll be on the road to recovery in no time.

-Coach Aaron

Have a question for the coaches? Shoot us an email!

We’re excited to announce the launch of Ask a Coach, where we will be fielding questions about your health and fitness outside the Shop. Questions will remain anonymous, so feel free to ask us anything. The coaches will sort through your questions and pick one to answer on the blog on the reg. You can either enter your question in the comments section below or send them to info@danesbodyshop.com.

Dear Coaches,

I know I want to make a change to a new healthy outlook on life, but I don’t know where to begin! Do you have any advice on how to start eating clean and working out (without burning out in a month)?

New Year, New Me

 
Dear New Year New Me,

I’m glad to hear you’re going for it this year! Revamping your whole life style is no joke. I know how tough it can be in those early days. Here are some tricks that I found useful:

Start Small. Rather than planning out a complete overhaul, choose to change your current health situation in realistic increments. Although a complete 180 is the best option, it certainly isn’t the easiest to keep up. Sit less when you’re at home, change one meal a day, go to the gym one more day each week, throw out the junk food at home, get one more hour of sleep, go shopping for groceries more often.

Think Lifestyle, Not Diet. A lifestyle is an everyday thing, while a diet tends to have a beginning and end. Set yourself up for that long-haul success with a lifetime of healthy decisions. A change in perspective can help you make better decisions moment by moment. What does a new lifestyle look like? Try any one of these items to kickstart some new habits.

Be Accountable. Feeling alone can derail any progress, so set up a support system to keep you on track. Your friend, partner, or spouse can be great coaches when you’re faced with making a decision that could have negative impact on your health. Cook with this person, workout with this person, go out to eat with this person and yes, it’s okay to BE THAT PERSON.

Relax. At the end of the day don’t beat yourself up if you mess up a little here and there. Remind yourself of your goals, and remember one day you’ll be glad you indulged from time to time. Hey, we’re only human!

If all of this still sounds unrealistic to you, remember we start our Inspire30 on February 1st, where we provide the outside-of-the-shop accountability that many of us need in the wellness and diet departments. Get signed up with your Shop buds and let’s get 2015 off to a good start!

Keep up the good work!

Coach Andrew

If you have a question for the coaches, or if you want to find out more about Inspire 30, email info@danesbodyshop.com!