Heel dig stretch: how to do it
In short
Your heel rests forward on the floor with your toes up, to stretch gently along the back of your thigh. Think of digging your heel into soft sand. Works: legs and lower back.
How to do it
- Sit tall near the front edge of a sturdy chair, feet flat.
- Slide your right foot forward until your leg is nearly straight, with your knee soft. Rest your heel on the floor with your toes up.
- Place your hands on your left thigh.
- Breathe out and hinge forward a little from your hips, with a flat back, until you feel a gentle pull.
- Hold for 4 slow breaths. Switch legs and move your hands to your other thigh.
As you go
- Lead with your chest, not your head.
- Keep your knee a little bent.
- Breathe out as you hinge. Keep breathing.
What it works
- Works
- legs and lower back
- Position
- Seated on a chair
- Have nearby
- a sturdy chair
- Effort
- Gentle
An easier and a harder version
Easier
Bend your knee more and hinge a smaller way.
Harder
Hold for 6 breaths, or slide your heel a little farther away. Do not fold deeper.
Take care
- Sensitive back: hinge only a little, chest lifted.
- Sensitive knees: keep your knee bent.
- Low bone density: keep your back long and do not round it.
- Hip replacement: keep the hinge very small, or skip it, as your surgeon or therapist advises.
Where it is in the plans
In our walking plan: 16 of 28 days, first on day 2, Soft knees.
| Plan | Days | First time | How much, that day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking plan | 16 of 28 days: 2 to 4, 7 to 8, 12 to 14, 16, 18 to 19, 21 to 22, 24 to 25 and 28 | Day 2, week 1: Soft knees | 1 min 10 s |
| Walking plan, round 2 | every day of the 28 | Day 1, week 1: Stronger roots | 1 min 45 s |
| Chair plan | 10 of 28 days: 8, 13 to 15, 17, 20 to 22 and 24 to 25 | Day 8, week 2: Back of the legs | 2 min 30 s |
| Chair plan, round 2 | 9 of 28 days: 1, 4, 7 to 8, 12, 15, 17, 20 and 27 | Day 1, week 1: Round 2 begins | 1 min 35 s |
| Week | Day | How much | The plan's note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 1 min 10 s | Sit near the front edge of the chair. Hinge from the hips with a flat back. |
| 2 | 8 | 1 min 10 s | Sit near the front edge of the chair. Hinge from the hips with a flat back. |
| 3 | 16 | 1 min | Sit near the front edge. Hinge from the hips with a flat back. |
| 4 | 22 | 1 min | Sit near the front edge. Hinge from the hips with a flat back. |
In the plan, this move plays as a looping video with a spoken cue.
Heel dig stretch: day 2 of a 28-day walking plan
Short daily sessions at home, a step harder as you get stronger.
What the guidelines say
Any amount of activity is better than none, and all activity counts.
World Health Organization, Physical activity, fact sheet
Stop if anything hurts, or if you feel dizzy, short of breath or chest pressure.
General information, not medical advice.
28-day walking planSee the plan