Keep your feet healthy with special care so they can carry you painlessly through busy days. Banish foot pain and fatigue to put your best feet forward!
Do your feet hurt? Are they aching at the end of your day from you being on them too long? Maybe they’re not a pretty sight with rough and dry skin, corns or calluses. When your feet don’t get the pampering they deserve, you really won’t feel — or look — your best. Pay attention to your feet and give them some special care that will help you put your best feet forward!
Walking
It sounds counter-productive to recommend walking to help tired feet, but walking has many benefits including helping to maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight puts additional strain on your feet and the rest of your body. Walking regularly, in properly supportive athletic shoes, will improve your overall health and aid your circulation. Walking is specifically good for the feet. It strengthens the foot muscles and conditions them to withstand any unusual strains so they are less likely to be injured. It moves the joints without abusing them, so is helpful to people with arthritis and stiffness from conditions like gout and bunions. Because walking is a weight-bearing excercise, it strengthens the bones in the feet and is a way to help prevent developing severe problems like osteoporosis. Regular walking can increase bone mass — crucial as we age — which can lessen the chance of fractures from brittle bones.
Right fit
Ok, we’re women and we love shoes! They are often our passion — and sometimes our worst enemy! We want pretty shoes without sacrificing comfort, but some shoes are meant for “show” and not for running around town all day. Stiletto heels or any heel higher that three inches redistributes weight so that 90 per cent of it rests on the front of the foot. This extraordinary pressure can cause calluses to form on the ball of the foot and strains the tendons in the foot arch. Pointy-toe shoes squeeze the toes together and may lead to the discomfort of corns and bunions, even increasing the likelihood of hammertoes. Over time, your foot gets used to what type of shoe you typically wear — if it’s always flats, you could develop arch pain and tendinitis. Alternate shoe heights to give your feet a break!
Extra care
Deal consistently with any foot problems. Use moisturizing products on your feet regularly to keep the skin smooth and soft. To treat itchy, dry skin, look for products that contain 10 per cent lactic acid. For a deep overnight softening and moisturizing treatment, slather on petroleum jelly and sleep in socks. For foot comfort and support, purchase insoles for your shoes that provide extra padding, or look for arch-support inserts and heel pads. The extra cushioning will make you feel like you’re walking on air!
Don’t forget a pretty pedi for your toes when you’re putting that best foot forward!
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