There are many problems which can affect our feet. We are on them for a lot of the day, us ladies often squeeze them into shoes that are far from comfortable and we do regular exercise on them. It makes sense therefore that we dedicate some time to looking after our feet that we rely on so much. Although only a small minority of people are born with foot problems, many of us develop them throughout our lives due to lack of good care.
Our feet contain a whopping 52 bones which is 25% of the body’s total number of bones! Our feet absorb about five times the body weight in pressure every day, so it really is time that we started taking proper care of them.
Some typical foot problems include athlete’s foot, cuts and sores, ingrown toenails, bunions, calluses and warts amongst others. Most of these issues are preventable with a good foot care regime. Simply inspecting your feet on a daily basis is a good start. People with diabetes should take particular care to do this as sometimes cuts may turn into something more serious as healing properties are often compromised due to the condition.
Selecting the right foot care
Make sure your shoes and socks are well fitting, they shouldn’t be too tight or indeed too loose. However, there are people with feet that are different sizes, if this is the case, it’s better to go for shoes that will fit the larger foot.
Women should try to avoid wearing high heels as often as possible as they are generally not good for foot health. If you must wear high heels try to remove them as often as possible throughout the day or evening and put them up to rest them whenever you can, this will help blood flow to them. Also give them a good wriggle every now and again.
Get walking
Walking in the right shoes and socks is great for both your feet and overall health. If you can, buy socks that absorb sweat as these are great for keeping fungal infections at bay. Be sure to change your socks every day to avoid infections such as athlete’s foot and consider using a foot powder to minimise sweating. Shoes made from leather or canvass are great for feet as they allow them to breathe.
Keep your feet clean
As with the rest of your body, keeping your feet clean will improve your chances of keeping them healthy. Wash your feet every day and ensure you dry them well. Keep your toenails short and clean and avoid cutting at corners as this is how ingrown toe nails are caused.
Remove dead skin and massage your feet
Soak your feet in warm water and then scrub them with a loofah to remove rough skin. Get a foot massage as often as you can and if possible treat yourself to a pedicure every now and again.
If you suffer from conditions such as athlete’s foot, tendinitis and calluses there are many great foot care products on the market to cater for them. However, we recommend asking your doctor for guidance on how to treat tendinitis and calluses.
Looking after your feet should become part of your daily routine, they are a very important part of your body and worth taking proper care of!
