Helping Clients Ease Achy Feet This Christmas
Dec 10
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Using Tennis Ball / Spiky Ball Release to Support the Plantar Fascia, Posterior Chain and Ease Achy Feet
During the festive season, many clients arrive in class feeling tired, achy, and stiff — and often the root cause is right at the bottom of the body: The feet. Long shopping trips, more time standing, heavier bags, and rigid winter footwear all place extra load on the plantar fascia, which can quietly influence the entire posterior chain.
This simple foot-release technique using a tennis ball or spiky ball is an excellent tool for Pilates instructors to incorporate into warm-ups, cool-downs, or December-themed classes.
Understanding the Plantar Fascia
The plantar fascia is a thick, fibrous band running from the heel to the base of the toes. Its key roles include:
Supporting the arches
Helping the foot absorb shock
Linking foot mechanics to the ankle, calves, hamstrings, and even the pelvis
When it becomes tight especially after long shopping days or many hours in winter boots the tension doesn’t stay local. It can travel up the entire posterior chain, affecting:
Calf flexibility
Knee alignment
Hamstring tension
Pelvic positioning
Lower back comfort
This is why releasing the feet can have such a powerful, whole-body effect.
Foot Release Sequence
Use a tennis ball, spiky ball, or massage ball to ease achy feet.
Tip: 👣 Before You Begin: Build Client Awareness
Before starting the foot release, take a moment to help clients tune in to how their body feels. This not only builds awareness but makes the difference after the release much more noticeable.
1. Walk and Notice Invite clients to take a short walk around the room. Ask them to notice:
How the feet meet the floor
Any heaviness, tightness, or stiffness
Whether one foot feels different to the other
This gives them a clear “before” picture.
2. Roll Down Assessment Next, guide them into a gentle roll down. Encourage them to check in with:
Tightness in the lower back
Pulling or tension through the backs of the legs
How freely the spine moves
Where their fingertips naturally reach toward the floor
Ask them to mark this spot mentally. Let them know you’ll retest this after the foot release so they can feel the difference through the entire posterior chain.
1. Gentle Warm-Up (10–15 seconds)
Invite clients to place the ball under the arch and roll slowly front-to-back.Focus on waking up the tissues rather than pressing hard.
2. Pause on Tender Points (20–30 seconds)
Get clients to find a “sticky spot” and soften their weight into the ball. Explain that this helps hydrate the fascia and release held tension.
3. Longitudinal Release (20–30 seconds)
Roll from heel to toes following the line of the plantar fascia. Cue a steady breath and relaxed shoulders.
4. Side-to-Side Mobilisation (15–20 seconds)
Rolling across the width of the arch helps mobilise smaller intrinsic foot muscles.Great for balance training too.
5. Switch Feet
Encourage clients to compare the first foot to the second the contrast is a great teaching moment.
What Clients Typically Feel Afterwards
Many clients report:
A lighter, more grounded step
Increased ankle and calf mobility
Reduced hamstring tension
A sense of length in the spine
Improved posture without forcing it
This is a perfect opportunity to highlight how foot mechanics influence the entire kinetic chain — a key Pilates teaching principle.
How Instructors Can Use This in December Classes
As a warm-up to improve standing alignment before Reformer or matwork
As a mini festive “treat” sequence in mixed-level classes
Before balance challenges
As homework for clients who stand all day or are active Christmas shoppers
You can even frame it as part of a “Christmas Self-Care Toolkit” your clients can take home.
Instructor Takeaway
Teaching clients to release the plantar fascia is a small but highly effective way to:
Improve overall movement quality
Support the posterior chain
Reduce persistent foot, calf, or lower back discomfort
Deepen client awareness of whole-body connections
And during December, it’s often exactly the reset their body needs.
