Everyone’s feet pretty much take a pounding every single day. Feet have to continually support the entire body, no matter what you are doing. With this in mind, it’s vital that we all take good care of our feet and it’s foot care that is the subject of this article. Learn what you can do to look after your feet and ensure they are always in the best possible shape.
Ensure Your Shoes Are the Perfect Fit
One thing that is bound to lead to pain in the feet or developing ongoing foot problems is wearing shoes that simply don’t fit right. If you spend much of your time in shoes like these, they are bound to cause problems.
No matter what type of shoes you are buying only make the purchase if the shoe fits the size and shape of your feet well. If they don’t, skip them and look for shoes that do.
If you’re wearing high heels, take them off when you can throughout the day or evening to give your feet a break, as high heels tend to put loads of pressure on the feet due to the angle of the shoes.
It’s also not a good idea to wear thongs of shoes with no arch support for long periods, as you will develop sore or damaged feet after prolonged wear.
Wash Your Feet With Antibacterial Soap Each Day
This is especially important if you are wearing closed-in footwear or wearing socks with your shoes. Feet will naturally sweat and shoes and socks collect a build-up of dirt and grime as well. Damp and humid conditions inside socks and shoes provide a breeding ground for bacteria. This bacteria can lead to having those dreaded smelly feet.
One way you can keep your feet smelling their best is to wash them each day with an antibacterial soap. You should also change your socks regularly and wash your shoes periodically to avoid a build-up of bacteria and foot odour.
Also, choose shoes that allow your feet to breathe while you’re wearing them and also socks designed to wick away moisture.
How To Avoid Athlete’s Foot
Athlete’s Foot is a condition of the skin of the feet. It occurs when your feet get infected with a skin fungus from the dark and humid environment that closed-in shoes create. Athlete’s Foot can lead to dry and scaly skin, itching, burning, and even inflammation and blistering of the feet. It can also spread to other parts of your body.
Here are some quick tips to prevent Athlete’s Foot from occurring:
- Wash your feet every day with antibacterial soap
- Never walk barefoot in public places
- Make sure your feet are always perfectly dry before putting on shoes, in particular between the toes
- Add talcum powder to your socks and shoes to soak up sweat and moisture
- Wear breathable shoes or leather shoes
- Wear moisture-wicking socks and change them regularly
If you end up developing Athlete’s Foot, there are a number of creams on the market that work well in eradicating the condition. These creams can also be used on other parts of the body that may be affected by a fungus infection.
Have a Foot Massage
Whether you’re suffering from sore feet or not, it can be very beneficial for the health and well-being of your feet to have them massaged from time to time. If you have a partner or family member willing to give you a foot massage, all well and good but if you’re not that lucky, then paying a professional masseuse to do the job will be money well spent.
There is no price you can put on the health of your feet, so do whatever it takes to look after them. Periodic massages will help enormously.
Wear Insoles In Your Shoes
Adding shaped insoles to your shoes (any closed-in shoes) will give your feet and arches added support, as well as provide additional cushioning which will not only help your feet but the muscles and joints in your legs and entire body.
Always choose quality insoles that fit perfectly inside your shoes and insoles that are made of a substance or material that will benefit you the best. You can even buy heel insoles to give your heels added support and even add a little more height to your stature.
For people with problem feet and issues that need to be corrected, you may need to see a podiatrist. These trained professionals specialise in foot problems and will be able to prescribe custom-made orthotics for your feet to help correct any problems.
How To Relieve Foot Pain
The first and most obvious answer to relieving foot pain is getting off your feet for a while and giving them a well-deserved rest. Try and rest your feet as much as possible and take off your shoes when you do so.
Foot massaging was mentioned earlier and this will certainly help to relieve pain. You can even give your own feet quick massages at the end of each day to soothe them and loosen up the muscles and ligaments.
If the pain in your feet simply won’t abate, it could be due to swelling. Purchase some over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicine to help relieve the condition and take away the pain.
As mentioned in the previous point, adding insoles to your shoes will give your feet added support and cushioning that will help relieve and prevent foot pain.
Being overweight will certainly place more stress on your feet, so a diet and exercise program is the solution if you’re lugging around too much body fat.
The Takeaway
You should pay just as much attention to the health and care of your feet as any other part of the face or body, perhaps even more so. After all, if you develop issues with your feet, it’s going to affect your life on just about every level. Follow the tips in this article and look after those feet.
Sources:
https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/healthy-feet-tips
https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/podiatrist-facts#:~:text=Podiatrists%20are%20medical%20specialists%20who,or%20doctor%20of%20podiatric%20medicine.
