Ten Tips To Keep Your Feet Looking Great This Winter Season
We are all guilty. When we put away the flip flops until next year year and bring out our thick cozy socks for winter we often fail to remember our poor feet under those socks. It is funny how so few of us think about our feet until there is a complication and we can't walk that we understand how valuable our two feet are.
It need not be like that though, a couple of simple steps could keep your feet looking and feeling great throughout the year.
1. Keep your feet clean. If you can, wash your feet every night before sleeping. This eliminates any nasty bacteria lurking between your toes. Ensure to dry them thoroughly and moisturize with a good quality foot cream (not justbody lotion). If you do this at night try putting some cotton socks on to prevent the cream making your sheets sticky.
2. Wear shoes that fit. Sounds so obvious I know but around 70 % of the US population are wandering around in the wrong sized shoes. Get your feet measured frequently, many factors such as age, pregnancy, weight loss and gain influence the size or our feet so make sure to take this into account. Also when you hunt for shoes try to do so in the afternoon as this is when our feet are the most swollen. Finally, if they squeeze or hurt in the shop - Do not get them, regardless of how great they are, the pinching and rubbing will only worsen.
3. Wear sensible shoes! No, I do not mean the kind of shoes your grandmother would wear but shoes suitable for the purpose. In other words, no rock climbing in flip flops! Don't live and die in a single kind of shoe particularly stilettos and flip-flop designs. Both these type of shoe put pressures on your foot, ankles, knees, even hips and back as they re-position your center of balance which can cause issues if you constantly wear one style. Sport trainers can also cause fungal infections if you wear them daily. So try to vary it and wear shoes appropriate to what you are doing. Ladies, try to fluctuate the heel height also.
4. Keep it clean. Always wear a fresh pair of socks each day and if you can, try not to wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row. Always wear socks, no matter what the weather, if socks don't look right with the design of shoe you are wearing you can get the hidden sock liner type that are designed not to show outside of your shoe.
5. Remove hard skin and calluses frequentlywith a pumice stone.
6. Like the rest of your body, feet have muscles and need to be kept in shape. It goes without saying you can't give your feet a workout in the gym but walking helps. Try to go for regular walks, this will help your whole entire body not just your feet. If you feet ache after walking you may need some extra arch supports. Many retail stores have devices that can measure this and advise appropriate supports. Alternatively consult a podiatrist - prevention is always better than cure.
7. Foot baths. If you want a treat or more appropriately giving you feet a treat have a foot bath. This softens your skin and for best effects add some Epsom salt and/or essential oils.
8. Clip your toenails often, cutting them in a straight line. Keep them clean too.
9. Protect your feet from extreme hot and cold. Do not put your feet on anything exceptionally hot like hot water bottles or heating pads. You shouldn't put them right in front of a hearth or any type of heating. If you feet get cold in wintertime buy thermal insoles and wear socks to bed.
10. Keep the blood pumping. Keep the blood flow reaching your feet. When you have chance put your feet up (see now you have an excuse). Also wiggling your toes several minutes on a daily basis helps the blood reach the tip of your toes.
It need not be like that though, a couple of simple steps could keep your feet looking and feeling great throughout the year.
1. Keep your feet clean. If you can, wash your feet every night before sleeping. This eliminates any nasty bacteria lurking between your toes. Ensure to dry them thoroughly and moisturize with a good quality foot cream (not justbody lotion). If you do this at night try putting some cotton socks on to prevent the cream making your sheets sticky.
2. Wear shoes that fit. Sounds so obvious I know but around 70 % of the US population are wandering around in the wrong sized shoes. Get your feet measured frequently, many factors such as age, pregnancy, weight loss and gain influence the size or our feet so make sure to take this into account. Also when you hunt for shoes try to do so in the afternoon as this is when our feet are the most swollen. Finally, if they squeeze or hurt in the shop - Do not get them, regardless of how great they are, the pinching and rubbing will only worsen.
3. Wear sensible shoes! No, I do not mean the kind of shoes your grandmother would wear but shoes suitable for the purpose. In other words, no rock climbing in flip flops! Don't live and die in a single kind of shoe particularly stilettos and flip-flop designs. Both these type of shoe put pressures on your foot, ankles, knees, even hips and back as they re-position your center of balance which can cause issues if you constantly wear one style. Sport trainers can also cause fungal infections if you wear them daily. So try to vary it and wear shoes appropriate to what you are doing. Ladies, try to fluctuate the heel height also.
4. Keep it clean. Always wear a fresh pair of socks each day and if you can, try not to wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row. Always wear socks, no matter what the weather, if socks don't look right with the design of shoe you are wearing you can get the hidden sock liner type that are designed not to show outside of your shoe.
5. Remove hard skin and calluses frequentlywith a pumice stone.
6. Like the rest of your body, feet have muscles and need to be kept in shape. It goes without saying you can't give your feet a workout in the gym but walking helps. Try to go for regular walks, this will help your whole entire body not just your feet. If you feet ache after walking you may need some extra arch supports. Many retail stores have devices that can measure this and advise appropriate supports. Alternatively consult a podiatrist - prevention is always better than cure.
7. Foot baths. If you want a treat or more appropriately giving you feet a treat have a foot bath. This softens your skin and for best effects add some Epsom salt and/or essential oils.
8. Clip your toenails often, cutting them in a straight line. Keep them clean too.
9. Protect your feet from extreme hot and cold. Do not put your feet on anything exceptionally hot like hot water bottles or heating pads. You shouldn't put them right in front of a hearth or any type of heating. If you feet get cold in wintertime buy thermal insoles and wear socks to bed.
10. Keep the blood pumping. Keep the blood flow reaching your feet. When you have chance put your feet up (see now you have an excuse). Also wiggling your toes several minutes on a daily basis helps the blood reach the tip of your toes.
