SMR – Page 8 – Alexander Method of SMR

Toe Alignment in Footwear for Foot Health

If you are anything like me, you have struggled with toe, foot, and calf issues for years. It came to my attention at 19 years of age that my shoes were NOT the right size for my feet. I joined the United States Marine Corps,and amongst the moments of shear terror, aggression, and exhaustion I learned a few things that weren't specifically about killing my enemy. One very important lesson I learned on day one: my footwear had been too small for my feet for most of my life.

I was wearing a size 9 shoe when I entered MCRD San Diego to begin my Marine Corps training. They collect all your personal clothing, wallet, jewelry, etc. when you enter and issue you all the clothing, toiletries, and other personal effects you will use while on your 13-week journey to becoming a killing machine. When they issued me size 10.5 boots I responded "I wear size 9," to which they responded "WHO THE F*&% HAS BEEN PUTTING YOU IN SHOES TOO SMALL FOR YOUR FEET?!?!?!"

That was 25 year ago, and it has taken me the majority of that time to undo the severe restriction of ROM and function in my feet and toes that was a product of "binding" my feet in footwear a size-and-a-half too small for the majority of my formative years. Amazing how hard it can be to overcome a few years of poor choices...

About ten years ago I began wearing Nike Free shoes.
Not only were they SUPER comfortable (like wearing a sock and walking on marshmallows), they could roll up into a ball or move in all the amazing ways a foot is supposed to be able to!

That lead to "zero-drop" shoes like my Merrell Trail Gloves. I still own 5 pairs of these and LOVE them!

Which then lead me to Vibram Five Fingers. Pictured here are the Treksport Sandals, my FAVORITE of the Five Finger lineup!

And I've experimented along the way with numerous massage tools, compression garments and tools, toe spreaders, toe exercise devices, etc. While still continuing to work on my toe and foot function, the work has paid off. I no longer experience severe calf and foot cramps. I have MUCH better hopping endurance than I ever had in my youth. I can walk barefoot on stone pebbles now (which I could not do when I was ten years old). I was also able to resolve significant nerve pain in my toes without surgery or drugs. Below is a short video from one of the influences along my journey to happier feet. Please take a moment to watch and learn what you can do in your free time to help yourself have set of "happy feet."

Core Concepts

We utilized the following concepts to build the Alexander Method of SMR.

These physiologic processes, laws, and principles provide the foundational concepts to fully understand how to approach self-care in the safest, most effective manner possible.

We provide definitions and descriptions of the concepts below, as well as link to external sites when possible to offer more resources.

If we can help you understand the relationship of these concepts to each other and how to use them in managing your muscle issues, do not hesitate to call on us. You can sign up for one of our upcoming certifications at SMRCerts or email us at info@smrtips.com.

We are here to help you get more out of your self-care efforts!

Davis's Law

soft tissue models along...

lines of stress; tight stays tight, weak stays weak (shortened stays shortened, overstretched stays overstretched). A person with rounded shoulders exhibits this...the pecs are shortened and tight while the rhomboids are overstretched and weak.

In other words, how and what you do with your body will determine what you will be able to do in the future, because your muscles and other soft tissues will literally grow to accommodate the stuff you do throughout the day. Don't work on being more flexible and you will grow less flexible over time.

Although not immediately apparent, this is the most influential factor controlling your ability to move properly as you age.

Autogenic Inhibition

is a process whereby a sensor in the tendon (golgi tendon organ or GTO) sends a signal to...

the brain to release the sensor in the attached muscle (muscle spindles).

The GTO is triggered by a constant level of just the right amount of tension for just the right amount of time. For most people, this period of time is at least 20 seconds, but can be substantially longer.

Static stretching and self-myofascial release both elicit this response. This is partly why slower SMR techniques tend to produce a more profound result.

Stretch Reflex

the knee-jerk response your thigh does when...

the doctor gently whacks your knee. The muscle spindles are “hard-wired” to your spinal cord to react to muscle fibers being stretched too quickly. This is also the reason your muscle will cramp when you apply too much pressure too quickly to a knot when doing SMR.

Relative Flexibility

using a combination of joints to accomplish...

a movement goal when one or more joints lack full functional range of motion. (e.g., allowing your heels to rise off the ground and your chest to face down during a deep squat due to poor soleus and psoas flexibility; raising your hips to reach something overhead because you can’t raise your arms completely up to your ears, etc.)

Reciprocal Inhibition

the process of one muscle activating (agonist) and causing...

the opposite muscle (antagonist) to release.

Dynamic flexibility elicits this response, which in a way can be considered the opposite of autogenic inhibition (in which sensors in a tendon "turn off" the same muscle they are connected to).

Alternating between high kicks and butt kicks with the heels is a good example of using either side of the thigh to help loosen the other side.

Arndt-Shultz Rule

(formerly Arndt-Shultz Law), relax and take...

it slowly; weak stimuli activate physiological responses, while very strong stimuli inhibit physiological responses.

Although the dominant theme of pharmacologist Hugo Shulz and Dr Rudolf Arndt's work is centered on poisons and toxins, the physiologic responses are somewhat consistent when looking at physical stresses to the body as well as chemical ones.

Doing deep tissue work on yourself slowly and gently using leverage, gravity, and torque is more effective than using force.

Law of Facilitation

the path of...

least resistance; when a nerve impulse has passed through a certain set of neurons, it will tend to use that same path in the future. Each time the signal passes this same path the resistance is less.

This is why old injuries tend to get re-aggravated with less stimulus.

It is also why the more often you get massaged, the easier it is to relax a tight muscle.

adds-roll-2a--gallery — 22nd Extended -- The Cricket

Use this SMR exercise AFTER the Quads Roll.

This SMR exercise is a variation of the Adductors Roll movement to address all of the muscle mass along the insides of your thighs. You may find this exercise easier.

If the Adductors Roll is too intense to work with, then practice the Cricket to more gently work out the "junk" in your inner thighs. It may take a month or two to help your muscles along to become healthy enough to handle the second Primary technique (which is the preferred standard SMR technique for the adductors).

If you have tightness or discomfort of the hip or the inside of your knees, then this exercise is likely to help.

For written instructions, click here.

(Video coming soon!)

Click here to see the rest of the SMR Techniques.

Be sure to post your questions and comments below. We want to provide the best instruction to help you recover from your workouts.

**All information is provided for educational purposes only. You should consult your doctor before attempting any exercises you read on this page or any page on this website.**

Prone Adductor Press

Use this SMR exercise AFTER the Quads Roll, and the Adductors Roll.

This SMR exercise is to address the deeper knots in your adductors. This technique can be especially effective at addressing the Pectineus muscle very close to your pubic bone, which is a very difficult muscle to release through stretching alone.

If you have tightness or discomfort of the hip or the inside of your knee, then this exercise is likely to help.

For written instructions, click here.

For our downloadable video instruction, click here (Updated video coming soon!)

Click here to see the rest of the Extended Movements.

Shin Floor Press

This technique is potentially the deepest SMR technique for the shins but intensity is more controllable than the shin wall roll or other shin techniques. Use this SMR exercise to more deeply address the anterior tibialis and especially the extensor hallucis longus & extensor digitorum longus muscles of the front side of your lower leg.

If you have tightness/discomfort along the front of your shin or the front of your ankle during running or jumping activities (or following these activities), then this technique is for you!

This SMR technique is especially helpful at addressing some of the muscles that contribute to shin splints and general calf/ankle pain.

For written instructions, click here.

For video instructions (3:36), click here. (Updated video coming soon!)

Click here to see the rest of the Extended Movements.

Shin Floor Roll

This technique is a bit more intense than the shin wall roll. Use this SMR exercise to more deeply address the anterior tibialis, extensor hallucis longus, extensor digitorum longus muscles of the front side of your lower leg.

If you have tightness/discomfort along the front of your shin or the front of your ankle during running or jumping activities (or following these activities), then this technique is for you!

This SMR technique is especially helpful at addressing some of the muscles that contribute to shin splints and general calf/ankle pain.

For written instructions, click here.

For video instructions (3:34), click here. (Updated video coming soon!)

Click here to see the rest of the Extended Movements.

Shin Wall Roll

Use this SMR exercise to address the anterior tibialis, extensor hallucis longus, extensor digitorum longus muscles of the front side of your lower leg.

If you have tightness/discomfort along the front of your shin or the front of your ankle during running or jumping activities (or following these activities), then this technique is for you!

This SMR technique is especially helpful at addressing some of the muscles that contribute to shin splints and general calf/ankle pain.

For written instructions, click here.

Video instructions coming soon.

Click here to see the rest of the Extended Movements.

Shin Wall Press

Practice this SMR technique AFTER the Shin Wall Roll which will provide a general sense of relief from tension in the shins.

Use this SMR exercise to address the anterior tibialis, and especially the deeper extensor hallucis longus and extensor digitorum longus muscles of the front side of your lower leg.

If you have tightness/discomfort along the front of your shin or the front of your ankle during running or jumping activities (or following these activities), then this technique is for you!

This SMR technique is especially helpful at addressing some of the muscles that contribute to shin splints and general calf/ankle pain.

For written instructions, click here.

Video instructions coming soon.

Click here to see the rest of the Extended Movements.

Peroneals Floor Press

Use this SMR exercise to address the peroneus longus & peroneus brevis muscles of the outer side of your lower leg.

If you have tightness/discomfort along the outside of your calves, outer ankle, or along the pinky-side of your foot during running or jumping activities (or following these activities), then this technique is for you!

This SMR technique is especially helpful at addressing some of the muscles that contribute to plantar fasciitis and general ankle/outer foot pain.

For written instructions, click here.

For video instructions (2:46), click here. (Updated video coming soon!)

Click here to see the rest of the Extended Movements.

Peroneals Floor Roll

For written instructions, click here.

For video instructions (2:10), click here. (Updated video coming soon!)

Click here to see the rest of the Extended Movements.