[jitterbugbaby]

Last summer, I went through a course of physical therapy after seeing an orthopedist about a recurring pain in the ball of my feet when walking. What I discovered is that my calves are tight because of how I walk. This results in me putting more weight on a specific spot on the ball of my feet than it's intended to handle.

In addition to the orthotics I got, the other thing keeping the pain away is some very satisfying calf stretches.

For anyone who walks a lot during the day, especially in heels (which means your calves are always tight to keep you stabilized), I'd highly recommend these stretches at the beginning and/or the end of the day.

There are a couple versions, depending on how much stretch you want.

1. Lunges. Put one leg behind you in a lunge, making sure to keep the front knee bent at no more than a right angle. Press the back heel down toward the floor until you feel the stretch.

2. Against the wall (straight leg). Stand facing a wall. Lift the toes of one foot up so they're resting against the wall while the heel of that foot is on the ground. Keeping that leg straight, push toward the wall until you feel a stretch.

3. Against the wall (bent leg). Same as option 2, but instead of keeping the leg straight, bend the knee. This deepens the stretch.