What is the first thing you think about when you hear the word “feet”? I know I’m someone who works with feet all the time, but don’t try to impress me. What was your gut feeling or the first word that came to mind when you heard the word “feet”? I’ll tell you what some of the answers were that I received when I asked this question. Here we go: tired, ticklish, dirty, stinky, sore and EWWW!! Does this sound about right? Did any of these match what you thought? Let’s be honest – feet don’t always get the credit they deserve. In fact if we talked to our friends like we talk to our feet, we probably wouldn’t have very many of them! So let’s work a little bit on our relationship with our feet. Our feet are the foundation of our body. The connection between how our feet feel and our corresponding
We Love Our Feet! Or Do We?
health is truly real! Just take a minute and think where you would be without your fabulous feet! For some people this is a reality, but for most of us it isn’t something we can not even imagine because we are so used to having them and using them on a daily basis. I know for me I take it for granted that when I get out of bed in the morning and stand up, my feet will be there to support me. Think of all the things our feet do for us as we go through the day. And when our feet get sore or tired do we listen to them? Or do we just demand that they keep on going? Instead of bullying our feet by calling them names (dirty, stinky, tired, etc.) or ignoring them, let’s show them a little more love. As I continue on in this blogpost I will give you a few simple ideas of things you can do to show your feet a little extra TLC.
1. Rub Your Feet
Show your feet a little extra care by rubbing them. Take your shoes off and pay attention to them. Learn what they feel like. Are there achy areas? Do the sore areas change from day to day? Just take some time and get to know your feet. Do you want to go the extra mile? Then get a little lotion (magnesium lotion is one of my favorites!) and a few drops of essential oil and rub those in while you are exploring your feet.
2. Soak Your Feet
Give your feet a chance to actually have a break. Sit down, relax and give them a good soak. I love soaking my feet in warm water (well it would probably be considered pretty hot – I like it as hot as I can stand!!) and some magnesium chloride oil. Get creative – put in a few drops of your favorite essential oil, some bath salts or epsom salt. I had someone tell me the other day that even adding just 1 tsp. of sea salt to a foot bath aids in the relaxation of the feet. Do you like bath bombs? How about adding one to a foot soak? How often do we take the time to just sit? Sometimes I realize that I’ve gone all day without really taking the time to give me feet a proper rest. This is great for the mind and rest of the body as well as the feet, so take a load off and soak your tootsies!
3. Do Some Foot Exercises or Stretching
It doesn’t have to be long or painful to exercise and stretch your feet. Here are a couple ideas to get you started. One thing you can do is take the fingers of your opposite hand and thread them between your toes as far as you can. Then just hold it for awhile. Gradually you should be able to put your fingers further through your toes to stretch them more. Another option if you don’t necessarily like touching your feet is to get a set of yoga toes (just do a google search – they are colored flexible material that goes between each toe) and those can stretch your toes for you while you are sitting (or probably while you’re walking around too – but use it as a reason to put your feet up for a minute!). Another idea is to get a tennis ball and roll your foot over the top of it with even pressure. If that isn’t enough for you then try a golf ball! Something else you may have heard of that is worth looking into is the MELT method for hands and feet. (If you are in the Aberdeen, SD are Heidi is the expert in our area on this subject https://www.facebook.com/MELT-Method-with-Heidi-1505262179736725/) The balls and exercises that come with that are great to exercise your feet and get some total body benefits as well!
These are just a few simple, cheap and easy ways to show your feet a little extra love. My challenge to you is to take the month of February and consciously make time everyday to do something extra for your feet. You’ll be amazed at how your feet feel, but I think you’ll be even more amazed at how you feel overall. There is a foot/body connection and when our feet feel good the rest of will too! And don’t be afraid of doing a little talking to those feet and toes. Shower them with some good words like irreplaceable, grateful, sweet, stable, clean, healthy, energized…you get the picture!
