FOOTNOTES and FOOT PROBLEMS ...
Healthy Feet
Treat yourself ...
Begin by sitting down and treating your feet to a warm, soapy footpath to soften the hard skin.
Treat yourself ...
Begin by sitting down and treating your feet to a warm, soapy footpath to soften the hard skin.
- Dry feet thoroughly, paying special attention to the areas between the toes - damp skin is liable to crack and is prone to infections.
- Cut toenails straight across and not too short. Chopping corners will encourage ingrown toenails - simply file them if you have to.
- Remove hard skin to give young skin underneath nourishment.
- Massage upwards from toes to ankles, following the direction of the blood flow.
- Finally, for all day freshness, use talcum powder, a specialised foot powder or deodorant.
Exercise to strengthen flagging foot muscles
- Imagine toes are stuck to the floor. Grip with your toes and try to pull your foot away. Repeat this several times with each foot.
- To improve arch support, sit on the floor and bend knees so that the soles of your feet meet. Without separating them, slide your legs along the floor and try to straighten them ... eventually, they will get there!
- To improve the circulation and tone up your muscles, simply wriggle the toes of each foot separately for a minute at a time. Repeat whenever you have the opportunity.
Shoe Tips for Happy Feet
- A shoe that fits well can prevent many common foot problems.
- Shop for shoes at the end of the day when your feet have swollen from hours of standing and walking. Buy sports shoes within an hour of exercising.
- Do not try to buy shoes that are not comfortable. They won't get any better.
- Make sure that there is one-centimetre space from the tip of your longest toe to the end of the shoe.
- Try on both shoes. Your feet are not identical. The pair of the shoe that feels fine on one foot may not fit the other.
- Recognise when workout shoes are worn out. Put your shoes on a counter top and look at them from behind. If they are rolling inwards or outwards, or the tread is worn down, replace them. They are no longer given you adequate support or shock absorption.
- Avoid women's shoes with a heal of more than five centimetres in height. If you have had pain in the ball of your foot, stick with heals of two centimetres or lower.
Foot Problems
Athletes Foot - Use a medication. Beware of warm damp areas - bathrooms, swimming pools
and sport shoes.
Ball of Foot Pain - Change to flat shoes that have a wider fit for your toes.
Blisters - Keep feet dry and wear socks to ease the friction.
Bunions - Change to less tight shoes.
Calluses - Soften with oil and sand them daily to prevent thickening.
Corns - Soften the corn with oil and gently sand with a pumice stone.
Hammertoes - Make sure shoes are not too tight over the toe area.
Hurting Heels - Stretch your feet as often as 8 times a day.
Insoles - Use insoles to prevent stress and strain in foot muscles, bones and ligaments.
Odour - Change shoes frequently. Use foot sprays.
Tired Feet - Exercise your feet regularly.
Toenail Problems - Keep the nail cut and filed down as much as possible.
and sport shoes.
Ball of Foot Pain - Change to flat shoes that have a wider fit for your toes.
Blisters - Keep feet dry and wear socks to ease the friction.
Bunions - Change to less tight shoes.
Calluses - Soften with oil and sand them daily to prevent thickening.
Corns - Soften the corn with oil and gently sand with a pumice stone.
Hammertoes - Make sure shoes are not too tight over the toe area.
Hurting Heels - Stretch your feet as often as 8 times a day.
Insoles - Use insoles to prevent stress and strain in foot muscles, bones and ligaments.
Odour - Change shoes frequently. Use foot sprays.
Tired Feet - Exercise your feet regularly.
Toenail Problems - Keep the nail cut and filed down as much as possible.