Our toes are one of the many parts of our bodies that we truly take for granted — until they get injured. They help us balance, stand and walk, among the countless other movements we do each day.

The exercises below are great yoga stretches that give our toes a little TLC.

Do these exercises daily if your toes need some extra pampering. If you have any injuries to your legs or feet, please check with your physician first.

1. Tall Mountain pose

The first exercise is done while standing and will warm up and stretch your feet and challenge your balance. Stand with your bare feet hip width apart with your second toes pointing forward. Engage the muscles on the back of your lower legs and the front of your upper legs. Draw your belly button up and in toward your spine, and also engage the pelvic floor muscles. This should feel like you are stopping the flow of urine. Lengthen up through the crown of your head, standing tall and allowing your shoulders to relax down and in toward your spine. Once you have this nice posture, hold it and raise both arms above your head. Focus your eyes on a defined point, and lift your heels without losing the engagement of your legs and core and without moving your eyes from that point. Hold here and breathe for about five breaths.

2. Hero pose

Start upright on your knees with the bottom of your toes on the mat. Reach back to stretch your toes apart slightly from each other on both feet. Once you have some space between your toes, sit upright and rest your hips back onto your heels, stretching tall up through the crown of your head. Stay here, breathing for about five breaths, then draw forward out of the pose and wiggle your toes. Breathing in this position will feel like a challenge, but it shouldn't feel like you are injuring your toes. Listen to your body and adjust as needed. Your toes should feel some pressure, for sure, but not pain.

3. Fingers in toes stretch

This exercise is done while seated either in a chair or on the floor. Cross your right ankle over your left knee. Wiggle a finger in between each toe. This sometimes doesn't feel possible at first but just keep working at it and get your fingers in there as best you can. Once your fingers are in place, lightly squeeze them together on your toes, holding the squeeze and getting about five full breaths. Then release the squeeze with your fingers and begin to squeeze your toes together on your fingers for another five full breaths. Repeat the finger squeeze, and then the toe squeeze again. Then remove your fingers and wiggle your toes.

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