Yes, foot stretching. As yogis, we stretch everything else, so why not our precious feet, too?
You may have felt uncomfortable after paddling for 30-60 minutes. While paddling works out many of our muscles, let’s be honest — we often complain about our feet after a long paddle.
We can feel our toes numbing, our heels aching, and our ankles hurting. SUP yogis spend a lot more time on their hands or heads to relieve the pain in their feet.
Warm up your feet with these four-foot stretches before you get on your SUPY board. You can also use them to do some yoga during your SUPY adventure.
Rockin’ Toes
You can stretch your soles by going from your toes to your heels 15 times. This is an easy way to do so while you are chatting with your paddle buddies.
Rotate your ankles in both directions ten times if you’re on land.
Awkward Pose
Stand with your feet at hip width or close to it, bend your knees so that you can see your toes, stand on your toes, and squeeze your ankles together.
Your new paddle buddies will laugh at you because your feet and ankles will feel less painful than theirs. This is called “Extended Chair Pose or Awkward Pose” in yoga.
You can also use it to warm up your core and quads for your paddle. Your tummy should be tucked in to support your spine and encourage engagement. Swing your arms from front to rear to warm your shoulders.
Modified Hero
This is a delicious ankle stretch! Sit in the “Japanese Seat” and lean on your forearms or hands, depending on how wide your quadriceps are. If you feel shooting pains in your knees, then carefully back out.
Slowly lift your legs off the floor while holding your weight on your arms. This will help to stretch the tendons at the front of your feet. This is SUP Yoga’s variation of the “Saddle Pose.” You can also lift your chest and drop your head to stretch your chest and shoulders out.
Turbo Dog Pose or Dolphin Pose
Now, on your hands and knees, grab the board with both hands. To open your bottom feet, press your hands into your floor and rock back your seat onto your heels.
It feels great halfway through your paddle. Hover your knees 3 inches off the board, and press your palms or forearms into the board. This will intensify your core, leg, and shoulder work. Send your tailbone up into the big blue sky with your knees bent.
You’re ready to go! Your feet are now warmed up, and you can paddle around the world or the lake right in front of your face.
After you have paddled, repeat #3 for a few seconds before docking. Try pressing your knees down again and lifting your hips to reverse the paddler’s posture. The best way to finish a paddle, sun-drenched and upside-down!
