Knee, Ankle and Feet Pain? Yoga Has The Answer
For people who are sedentary, the knees, ankles and feet can become real trouble spots, complaining of knee stiffness and feet pains and cramps. These areas tend to receive less exercise than any other part of the body, mainly because people don’t realise that they need to be exercised or if they do, how to go about it. They don’t understand the various ways in which the joints can or need to move to exercise them fully.
Problems with the knees, ankle and feet can frequently be helped by yoga exercises. Once you begin to practise the specific exercises, you will be able to determine the truth of this for yourself. Inflexibility and stiffness in these areas should be taken seriously, otherwise the problem could become chronic. Even arthritis has responded in a positive way when slow, methodical yoga positions are applied.
To take away stiffness from the knees and strengthen the feet, the knees, feet and toes must be placed in particular positions. These positions must be held in place for a period of time. Yoga exercises are thorough in methodically giving the joints a workout as well as the muscles.
In many types of exercise systems and sports, the muscles move in erratic, mainly fixed patterns which may strengthen some muscles but leave others underdeveloped.
The toes can be exercised by slowly standing on the toes, raising the heels and slowly swinging the body to the right and left. This strengthens the ankles and the feet.
Knees and thighs can be stretched by sitting upright, placing the soles of the feet together and moving them towards the body as far as is comfortable. The hands should grab the feet and pull them up slightly while the knees relax.
Perhaps the best known yoga position is the lotus which involves crossing the legs. The simple crossed leg position is the best place for people who are sedentary, unfit or overweight. The full lotus can be achieved only with much practise but the half lotus is achievable in time. This involves sitting on the floor and placing the left heel as close to the body as possible with the sole against the right thigh. The right foot is then placed on top of the left thigh. This exercise is wonderful for the knees, ankle and feet.
Of course none of these positions should be attempted without instruction from a properly trained yoga teacher.