WellnessCouncil Being on your feet all day puts a strain on them. It is not just tiredness that makes your feet ache. Other reasons include:
- Obesity
- Abnormality in the feet such as flat feet or high arched feet
- Pregnancy
- Badly fitting shoes
With aching feet, all you need in the evening after a long day is to relax. And for that, there are seven different and proven ways to relax after a tiring day.
Elevate your feet to relax it.
Elevate Your Feet
When you get home, elevate your feet for about 15- 20 minutes. This takes pressure off the feet and veins, helping to reduce any swelling. Feet elevation also helps to improve circulation. Poor circulation is dangerous as it can lead to varicose veins and Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), which is a blood clot that can travel to your lungs and cause a life threatening condition called pulmonary embolism.
Get a Foot Massage
A foot massage goes a long way to alleviate the discomfort of aching feet. You have a choice between going for an occasional foot massage at a massage parlor or buying a foot massager. There are many foot massagers on the market providing different types of massage and features, for example:
- Foot kneading
- Air pressure massage
- Oscillating massage
- Shiatsu foot massage
- Heating
The decision you make on a foot massager depends solely on what you need for your feet.
If you are pregnant, take care when considering a foot massage. Research has shown that certain pressure points can cause uterine contractions, possibly leading to pre-term labor.
A professional practitioner, preferably one trained in working with pregnant women, should do your foot massage for you. The areas to avoid are located in the hollow areas under the anklebones. These points have a direct connection to the ovaries and uterus and massage should be light, if at all.
The different types of massage include:
- Swedish
- Hot stone
- Aromatherapy
- Shiatsu
- Deep tissue massage
Soak Your Feet
Immersing your feet in warm water is very relaxing. Adding Epsom salts is an even better way to sooth tired and achy feet. Epsom salt is a combination of sulfate and magnesium. It is a compound that works wonderfully well in flushing heavy metals and toxins from your skin cells, improving circulation, and easing joint pain and muscle cramps.
The sulfate gets rid of harmful substances, while pain relieving ions are released as your skin absorbs the magnesium, relaxing your nerves and muscles and regulating your ion levels.
Epsom salt kills foot odor, heals ingrown toenails and fungus and sooths dry skin.
Foot Workout
Exercising your feet at the end of the day can help to alleviate pain and discomfort. These exercises are tried and tested:
- Wrap a thick rubber exercise band around all your toes on each foot. Spread the toes, holding the stretch for several seconds. Repeat this exercise 10 times to relieve cramped feet after being bound by shoes all day.
- Scatter several pencils on the floor and try picking them up using your toes. This helps the toes stretch and can alleviate some aches and pains.
- Stand up and rise up on your toes, lifting your heels off the ground
- Draw circles in the air with your big toe, to rotate your ankles
- Do ankle pumps. Lie down and move your feet first pointing your toes toward your head, then pointing them downward
Roll your feet on a tennis or golf ball, or use a frozen bottle of water
Trim Calluses
Trimming any calluses or corns is good therapy for aching feet. The skin of calluses is usually dry and hard, and it creates pressure on the soles of your feet. This leads to cracks that might in turn bleed and get infected.
Soak your feet in warm water, dry them, and use an emery board or pumice stone on the dry skin. Apply a moisturizer and then wear socks, allowing the hydration to heal the feet.
