The support
We raise and lower our heels to strengthen our feet and gain stability when standing.
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If you feel pain, stop. If you have a recent injury or surgery, check with your doctor before you start.
The steps, in writing
Stand behind the chair with your hands resting on the back.
Lift your heels off the floor, rising slowly.
Count to five: one, two, three, four, five.
Lower your heels calmly.
Repeat, raising and lowering at your own pace.
Safety notes
- Keep the chair in front of you so you can hold on at all times.
- If you feel dizzy or have pain in your feet, stop and rest.
- Do the movements slowly, with no rush.
What you need
- a sturdy chair without wheels
Every step counts
This movement has levels: seated, holding a chair, and standing. Start at yours and stay there as long as you like — level 1 is already a complete practice, not a token version.
- Level 1 · Seated— On a firm chair, feet flat on the floorOn a firm chair, feet flat on the floor
- Level 2 · Holding a chair— Standing, holding on to a firm chairStanding, holding on to a firm chair← this video
- Level 3 · Standing— Standing, with support nearby just in caseStanding, with support nearby just in case
This exercise works on the support of our feet, which are the base of everything we do standing up. With a simple repetition of raising and lowering the heels, we gain strength and confidence when walking.
What Frank says
Translated from Frank’s Spanish narration.
Exercise three: the support. Our feet. We raise our heels. One, two, three, four, five. We lower them. Now raising and lowering. One, two, three.
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Exercise 4
Looking at the ground
Bending your knees while looking down to practise the movement of squatting with control.
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Exercise 1
A little kindness for your body
A gentle warm-up where we run our hands over our body to wake up each part and breathe calmly.
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Want to go deeper?
The complete method is in My Yoga Process, Frank Calber’s book.