21 – Bending and stretching of the toes (Ashi no yubi kaeshi undō)¶
Name¶
Ashi no yubi kaeshi undō (足の指返し運動)
Bending and stretching of the toes
Romaji instruction¶
Hai, ashi no yubi motte.
Hold the toes.
Kaeshite.
Bend the toes.
Ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, shichi, hachi, kyū, jū.
Counting¶
Ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, shichi, hachi, kyū, jū
Description¶
The practitioner sits with one leg extended and the other leg bent.
The toes of the bent leg are held with the hand and bent in both directions in a controlled movement.
The movement is isolated to the toes without moving the whole foot.
The exercise is repeated ten times and is then performed on the opposite foot.
Purpose¶
- mobilize the toe joints
- improve mobility in the forefoot
- develop control in the foot
- prepare for load-bearing
Technical key points¶
- soft and controlled movement
- isolate the movement to the toes
- avoid jerking
- work through the full range of motion
Comment¶
This exercise develops control in the foot and concludes the mobilization.