How do your feet feel right now? Most of us may say, “They feel fine”. Let’s see how they are when they are activated. When sitting, try to circle your feet clockwise a few times, then counter-clockwise. Alternate pointing your toes up towards the sky and then towards the ground. Are you starting to get a sense of them now? Do you feel any pulling, aching or sense of tension during any of those movements? Do you have a full range of motion? We don’t often tune-in to how our feet feel – that is, until they start to really hurt. Those little exercises above are a great way to check in with our feet and also work out over a hundred muscles, tendons and ligaments found in the feet. Another exercise you might enjoy is to place a towel on the ground and, while sitting barefoot, use your toes to pull the towel towards you.

Why is it important for our feet to be fit? It is very likely that you are walking well over 5,000 steps a day – that’s the low side for the average Canadian. We ask a lot of our feet and yet we rarely give them much attention. Don’t until yours hurt. There is more you can do for your feet on a daily basis to ensure you are optimizing your future mobility.

Take a few minutes every day to look for cuts, blisters, bruises, sores, infected toenails or swelling. Use a small mirror if bending over is a problem, or ask someone for help. Checking your feet every day can stop little problems before they get big. Know the state of your foot’s health and follow up with the appropriate treatment or practitioner.

Wash your feet every day. Use warm water. Don’t soak them longer than 10 minutes, or your skin will get dry and start to crack. It is especially important not to over soak if you are diabetic; short washes are better if this applies to you. Remember always to dry well between your toes.

Keep your feet soft and smooth. Use unscented cream on the tops and bottoms of your feet, especially if the skin is dry and/or cracked. Cracked skin on your feet could lead to pain when walking, bleeding or possible infection.

Wipe off excess cream and don’t apply between your toes. Extra moisture between the toes can invite fungal growth. Let’s face it, some guests are not welcome! Alternatively, you can use talcum powder if your feet tend to sweat a lot.

Wear comfortable shoes and socks. Many people have foot problems because their shoes don’t fit, don’t give proper support or don’t have enough grip on the ground. (A good tip is to shop for shoes mid-day as feet tend to be swollen by the evening). Socks help keep your feet dry. Wear a clean pair every day. Avoid socks with ridges or an elastic at the top as they can irritate or restrict circulation.

Now that you’ve checked in with your feet, please let me introduce myself. My name is Nicole and I am a certified reflexologist. I massage feet and use a gentle pressure point release system to ease tensions in them. I will be writing an article here monthly, so I hope you will continue to join me to learn more about how to care for your feet.

Nicole Costello
Centreline Reflexology & Foot Massage
centerline.reflexology@gmail.com

See all articles by Nicole Costello