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You wake up in the morning, sit up and stretch, ready to start your day. But when you swing out of bed and hit the floor, you feet say, “No way!” They’re stiff and painful, and you can’t walk without hobbling. What gives? You could be suffering from plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the plantar fascia. While this condition is painful, yoga offers some nice plantar fasciitis stretches to help you recover.
What is plantar fasciitis?
Your feet have thick bands of tissue that run along the sole, connecting your heel bone to the toes. These bands, the plantar fascia, are a part of the intricate anatomy of the foot that assists the ligaments and the muscles in maintaining the arches at the sole of the foot.
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Boat Pose is a balancing posture that strongly works your core. Your hip flexors and quadriceps are engaged to lift and hold your legs in the air, while your abdominals stabilize the pelvis and torso, keeping you from falling over while in the pose. The adductors are also engaged to keep your legs parallel.
Sit on the floor with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle in front of you, feet parallel and facing forward. Rest on your tailbone and place your hands down by your hips, fingers facing your heels. On an exhalation, press down into your hands and rock back slightly, with your feet about 10 inches off the ground. Keep your back straight and lengthen through your torso.