spreaders in no matter what...

If you have yet to try out the Joy-A-Toes toe spreaders, there is no better time than the present. At home I wear my spreaders around the house, while I make dinner, fold laundry, check emails etc... I love the spreaders so much that occasionally I will even put my socks over them and wear them to sleep (hahaha). They are great to practice yoga in, although sometimes they are a bit distracting because they come out of place, my favorite place to wear them is simply around the house. You can buy them at Downward Dog Yoga, get them in small to start, unless your feet are freakishly big.

The spreaders help widen the feet, which is key because most shoes that are worn these days have a 'toe crunching effect' meaning they squeeze the feet more than they encourage spreading. The spreaders allow total toe spreading and they encourage the natural arches of the feet to engage and strengthen. There are little exercises you can do with the spreaders as well to activate the smaller muscles in the feet.

1. Put in the spreaders and begin to squeeze the toes towards each other to activate the tiny muscles both in between the toes and around the metatarsal joints. Repeat this 10 times or more, each time squeezing the toes a bit tighter together.
2. Put the spreaders in and come to standing with the feet together so the big toes are touching and the heels are together. Then begin to rise up onto the balls of the feet (metatarsal joints). As you lift the heels keep the heels together so the ankles don't buckle out to the sides. Keep spreading the toes and keep grounding the tips of the toes into the ground. This one can be tough at first, but it really starts to awaken all the tiny muscles.
3. Put in the spreaders and lie on your back with your legs up in the air so you can see your feet. Then begin to point and flex the feet, as you point the feet squeeze the toes towards each other, as you flex the feet try to spread them as much as possible, then reverse! 

These are just a couple exercises you can do with your spreaders to begin to wake up the feet. I have been wearing mine all the time even in Mexico, some people think I'm crazy but thats ok! I have yet to break them out on the beach, I would hate to lose one in the ocean! Good thing they float hahaha. Last summer Diane Bruni was wearing them at the cottage during her epic 4 hr yoga practice, after yoga she decided to go for a dip in the lake, jumped in and next thing we knew spreaders were floating to the top. And thats how we found out that indeed spreaders float.

xoxo kby