Most people outside the fields of sports and physical therapy and rehabilitation may not have heard of Foot rests. This equipment, however, may prove to be one of the most useful devices that you can use for improving your body’s fitness and health. Read on for more information about it…

What does a foot rocker do?

A Foot Rocker or calf stretcher is a piece of equipment that will help in exercising your foot and calf muscles. Using the rocker, a person can stand with their weight and begin stretching on a regular basis. The foot rocker is tilted a bit so that the toes of the person will be pointing upwards.

How does a foot rocker work?

A foot rocker will be able to help a person make stretches. How is this done? The design of a foot rocker makes it easy for the person to move their feet back and forth. Good stretching of the hamstring, calf and foot muscles help in easing the tension and pain that you may be experiencing.

Using a foot rocker has also been known to be beneficial to the Achilles tendon. Athletes especially, will be given a competitive advantage if their Achilles tendon’s flexibility is improved. The range of motion the feet and calf can do will also be enhanced.

How to use a foot rocker?

Most foot rockers come with instructions when they are brought in physical or online stores. Usually the instructions that are included detail simple exercises. But for those that are considering adding a little spice in their stretching, the following steps may help:

1.Have one of your feet step on the foot rocker while you are standing upright.
2.Start the usual forward and backward motion that is done on the foot rocker. While doing this slowly, try to keep the weight over the top.
3.Do this for at least ten minutes so that the muscles in your lower extremities will be exercised and stretched.

Another option for using the foot rocker is as follows:

1.Fit one of your feet in the ProStretch Plus foot rocker.
2.Place both of your hands on a wall.
3.Do the slow backwards and forwards motion of the foot rocker. Your leg must be straight while doing this. Let the ankle pivot while you feel a slight tension. Put a 30-second interval between each swaying motion.

Types and models of foot rockers:

There are multiple foot rocker products in the market right now. The following are only some of them:

• Medi-Dyne ProStretch Flexibility Exerciser. This product has high reviews but it is one of the more expensive options.
• ProStretch also has its own two-foot models, which enable the user to move their feet in opposite directions at the same time. The company also has a model where both feet can be stretched at the same time and direction.

Equipment profile:

The ProStretch Plus Calf Stretcher and Foot Rocker is made from plastic that is molded into a semi-circular shape. It has an adjustable heel rest, which makes it possible to increase the degree of the stretching. It is engineered to be stronger and lighter so that it will be easier to stretch using the equipment.

The design of the rocker gives the user complete control as to how much the stretch they want to experience. This means that the user can start with a small stretch and then proceed progressively from there. It also possesses a removable toe lift so that the muscles and tendons can be stretched effectively.

Who needs foot rockers?

Foot rockers are beneficial to many people. There are, however, a few sectors that will benefit the most from the use of these devices:

• Athletes. Due to their active lifestyle, it may be normal already for athletes to expect injuries during games. There are, however, ways to avoid this. Using foot rockers is one of these ways. Foot rockers help stretch the calf, hamstring and feet muscles so that they will already be used to extreme movement in the future. This is especially helpful for those suffering from slight pain in their Achilles and plantar fasciitis tendon.
• Fitness junkies. No matter what fitness regime you are engaging in, there are chances that
• Those engaging in physical therapy and rehabilitation. If you are enrolled in a physical therapy and rehabilitation session, most likely, you will need to exercise and stretch your calves and feet soon. Foot rockers are great help in this department.

Pros and cons:

There are a lot of benefits that the ProStretch Plus foot rocker can bring. Some of them are:

• It optimizes calf, ankle and thigh stretching exercises.
• ProStretch Plus has a good reputation as a company among those in physical rehabilitation.
• The rocker is not expensive and is known for its ease to use.
• The ProStretch Plus foot rocker is small and does not need much room for the person using to need much room.
  Just like almost any product, there are, of course, cons like:
• The ProStretch Plus is not really safe unless you are wearing shoes.
• Stretching too much and injuring is a real possibility if the person is not following instructions.
• The foot rest was not really designed for people with huge feet. It may not be effective for those that have feet size 11 and above.
  Things to remember
• ProStretch foot rocker should not be used if the injury in the foot or calf is still severe and has not recovered too much yet.
• The foot rocker is not supposed to be done when there is still inflammation.
• The product is designed so that when you use it while wearing shoes, it will not slip around too much.

The features of the ProStretch foot rocker enable it to help in stretching the muscles in your lower extremities. But before you start using it, it may be best to consult your doctor first to see if the use of a foot rocker would be good for you.