Our feet can literally take us to our desired destination.
Yet, they are the part of our body that are least taken care of. We go to salons to have hair treatments. We use expensive creams for our face. We slather our body with rich lotion for our skin to be moisturized.
Because we spend less time and effort on our feet, they sometimes suffer. They get dry and flaky.
We also have habits that cause foot pain. Though they are not life threatening, foot pain can cause discomfort.
How do we eliminate this from happening?
Follow these fitness tips below to avoid and relieve foot pain.
- Stay hydrated
Have you experienced too much foot pain after a few minutes of walking?
Have you been woken up in the middle of the night by annoying foot cramps?
One of the causes of these discomforts is that your body is not getting the right amount of water that it needs.
Drinking 8-10 glasses of water do not only give health benefits but can also help in alleviating or eliminating foot pain.
Most of the sports magazine recommends drinking water and electrolytes, especially for those athletes that are undergoing intensive training.
Avoid muscle cramps and another form of foot pain by staying hydrated.
- Raise your heels
Working on your feet the whole day can put a strain on your sole. Imagine walking or standing on your feet for a few hours. You put all your weight on your feet and as soon as you remove y our shoes when you get home, you can feel pain in your sole.
A survey conducted in 2014 by American Pediatric Medical Association has shown that amongst 1,000 participants, half of them live with foot pain of some sorts.
To eliminate foot pain after a long day, make sure that you give your foot some rest. Elevating your feet will help decrease swelling. Place them on a stack of pillows or against the wall.
- Pamper your soles
Wouldn’t it be nice to come home to a relaxing foot spa after a long day at work?
Pampering your soles at the comfort of your living room is one of the most effective feet remedies in eliminating pain and discomfort.
These are some ideas on how to pamper your soles:
* Fill a bowl with hot water and add four drops each or rosemary and eucalyptus oil and 2 drops of peppermint oil. Soak your feet for 10 minutes.
* Brew a strong cup of peppermint tea. Add it to the water.
* Eliminate foot pain by soaking your tired feet in a warm-water footbath with 1 tablespoon of arnica tincture.
* Create a powerful massage oil by combining 3 tablespoons of sesame oil and three drops of clove oil. Massage the oil into your feet.
Pampering your feet does not only relieve pain but also gives you a moisturized and healthy soles.
- Give yourself a foot massage
Giving yourself a foot massage has plenty of benefits aside from pain relief. It provides stress relief and relaxation, results to better sleep, lowers blood pressure, improves circulation, alleviates migraines and headaches, improves skin and nail health, relieves symptoms of PMS and the list goes on.
Though having a foot massage done professionally sounds sweet, you always don’t have the time or the resources to book one. Treat yourself to a therapeutic foot massage at home instead.
How to:
* Sit comfortably and rest your foot on the opposite thigh.
* Rub a healthy amount of natural massage oil into your nails and skin. Massage your whole foot including arch, toes and heel.
* Press the knuckles of your hand into your foot and knead it to perform a deeper massage.
* Pull the toes back and forth gently.
* Repeat the process on the other foot.
If you live with your partner, it’s an excellent activity to pamper each other.
- Stretch sitting down
Foot pain is a natural consequence of being on your feet all day. Relieve pain by simple stretching exercises.
Stretch sitting down is a perfect stretching exercise for your tired feet. To do this, sit barefoot and cross your left leg. Your left ankle should rest on your right thigh.Stretch the tissues connecting to the heels by holding your toes and bending them back toward your skin.
Perform this stretch at least three times every day to provide relief to recurring foot pain.
- Roll a ball under your foot
Perform a do-it-yourself foot massage using a mini-massage ball to give your foot the treatment it deserves after a hard day.
You can use any size ball, depending on the intensity of the massage that you prefer. Smaller and firmer ball gives more pressure to the massage while softer or larger ball gives a gentler massage.
With your shoes off, place your mini-ball massage under the sole of your foot and begin to roll the ball around it. Put as much weight on your leg as you can.
- Wear shoes that fit
There’s this gorgeous pair of shoes that you’ve been eyeing for so long. You finally decided to buy it, and to your dismay, the last pair is a size smaller than yours. You love it so much so you decided to still buy it, even if wearing it hurts your feet.
While the design is important in choosing a pair of shoes, you should never compromise comfort over fashion. Wearing shoes that don’t fit will give you blisters and pain.
Give your feet the treatment and care they deserve. Do these effective tips to not just avoid foot pain but provide relief as well.