Teaching can be a real grind midway through the season. One thing I have heard many teachers tell me is that their feet, ankles and shins start to really kill them once the months start to pile on. You are on your feet for a long period of time. Jumping, turning or just dancing around. I have some great exercises that really help relieve tension in the feet especially the arches, Achilles and shins.

Working closely with an orthopedic doctor he also has helped me understand how our Achilles tendon also can contribute to aching feet. Tight Achilles can restrict your foot flexibility causing your arch to have increased pressure. This will make your foot take more of a pounding.  Also shin splints are another area of concern especially if your studio floor is not adequately suspended.

Tip #1: Find time in every class to stretch yourself. Join in whenever you can. Be careful that you have adequately warmed up so you do not stretch without previously raising your core temperature. Pay close attention to stretching your feet, calves and shins. Suffering from aching feet, calves and shins are common ailments for a lot of teachers.

Here are some very effective exercises that you can do in as little as five minutes:

So below I have three simple but highly effective exercises that we use at our studio.

They can make a big difference to keeping you pain free!

(A) Calf Stretch, Get close to a wall and stand about a foot away. Take one leg and put the ball of your foot on a wall with your heel on the floor. Now slowly bend your knee. This is a great stretch and should be done at the end of every class if you can fit it in. Hold it for about 30 seconds each leg.

(B) Foot stretch, Take your shoes off and work your toes in opposite directions. Next place some pencils on the floor and pick them up with your toes.

(C) Shin and Ankle stretch, Get close to a wall and stand about a foot away. Stand on one leg, take your other leg and cross it over the leg you are standing on. Now take the foot of the leg you just crossed over and point it and place it on the floor on the outside of your standing leg. Slowly bend the standing leg, at the same time bend the other knee. Keep pressing forward to feel the stretch in the shin and top of the foot and ankle.

You may even want to incorporate these into your class work. This way you can join in when your dancers are performing these exercises.

Tip #2: If you have a recurring pain or problem don't wait, go and see your doctor. Dancers have a tendency to just work through the pain when it may be that you can alleviate the problem with just a little therapy or medicine. Avoid getting to the point where you are in a lot of pain all the time or it will zap your energy both physically and mentally.

Hopefully you will have a pain free year. Just keep in mind that you are not a machine and that you need to take care of yourself so that you will get the best results. Another great idea is to try to get a foot and leg massage every couple of months. Go ahead and reward yourself for a job well done, you deserve it!