Cause we need to keep those tootsies ship-shape!

I found this article in today's Vancouver Sun. The first part is almost an attack on wearing high heels and fancy shoes, but the second part details a few stretches and exercises that you can do to undo any damage caused by wearing the daring footwear we love so much.

While I disagree that wearing high heels is so bad that you should never do it, I think that being conscious of your foot health is a really good idea, and we should all do a little more for ours, cause without them, we really wouldn't have a leg to stand on. And then what would we do with all those hard earned stilettos?

I've pulled the stretches for you below, so you can get the benefits without the discouragement. If you want to read the rest, you can do so here. Thanks to Karen Gram for the tips!

Calf Stretch: Put your hands on a wall, place one foot in front of the other and keeping both heels on the ground, bend the front knee until you can feel the stretch in your back calf. Hold 30 seconds. A second calf stretch can be done on stairs; hang one heel off the stair until you can feel the stretch. Hold 30 seconds. Switch.

"A calf stretch is what anyone who wears any shoes should do, because even your general athletic shoe is technically 1½-2 inches (3.8-5 cm) in the heel, so that is a high heel, too," says Bowman. "So calf stretch, calf stretch, calf stretch."

Toe spread: Sit in a chair and rest your feet on an ottoman or low table. Spread your toes so that there is a space between each one. Repeat. (if you can't do this, start with wearing pedicure spacers).

Toe lift: Standing straight, lift your big toes off the ground while keeping all the other toes on the ground. Then lift the other toes one by one.

Tennis ball massage: While seated, roll a tennis ball under your feet to stretch your plantar fascia. If your feet are inflamed or tired, roll your foot over a bottle of water that has been frozen.