MAY 31, 2011

The Most Hardworking And Neglected Part Of The Human Body

Posted by Dorothy under Community Interests, Natural Highs, Wellness1 comment

From the moment you get out of bed in the morning, your house awakens to the sound of your footsteps. Before you even leave the house to get to work, you would have easily taken about 30 steps. Then when you have stepped into your protective shoes ( or so you think ), off you go to start your busy day.

How often have you thought about your harworking feet when they hold you up all day and take you everywhere you need to go? Are you sensitive to their aches and pains? Do you know what to do to keep them healthy? With so much focus on keeping our face spot free and hands smooth, most of us neglect and forget to think that our feet should be given more attention because of the role they play in our daily live.

Here are few tips to keep your feet happy:

1) Reflexology

A treatment where pressure is used on points and nerve endings on the feet to encourage good energy flow. Such points are linked to muscles and organs of our body, therefore stimulation of these points aid in relieving muscle fatigue and clear energy blockages. These treatments are normally offered at spas or beauty centres. Simple steps can also be learned to give yourself or your loved one a short routine which can help to release daily tensions.

2) Foot Scrub and Bath

If you are living close to a beach, this can easily be done while relaxing by the beach. Grab some sand and gently scrub your feet in a circular motion. When you are done, head to the sea and soak your feet in it. To replicate this at home, you can easily get manufactured foot scrubs at the pharmacy or body care stores. As for the foot bath, prepare some luke warm water, add some cooking salt and walla, have a good dip.

3) Toe and Feet Exercises

We often neglect to stretch our toes and feet, resulting in the decrease of full range of motion at the joints. These exercises are so simple to do that people often over look their benefits. Here are 4 exercises which can easily be done anytime, whether you are sitting or laying in bed. There are also 3 ways to do them.

i)      Start with the Right first then Left

ii)     Proceed with feet together

iii)    Finally keep both feet separately and move them at the same time

a) Ankle Rotation

In a clockwise motion, slowly circle the right foot from the ankle ( 8 x )
Then switch for anti clockwise motion ( 8 x )

b) Ankle Bending

Bend the Right foot backwards from the ankle joint, bringing your toes closer to the knee.
Then move the foot forward, stretching the toes forward to touch the floor.

c) Toe Bending

Keep your Right foot flexed, with the toes relaxed and pointing up to the ceiling.
Keeping the ankle relaxed, move the toes backward and forward.

d) Separating of Toes – this has to be done with both feet flattened on the ground

Lift the toes of the Right foot, then stretch the toes away from each other, one at a time, starting from the little toe to the big toe, place them down on the ground.

4) Viparita Karani ( Legs Up Against The Wall pose )

When you get into bed at night, before you fall asleep, prop your legs up the wall, keeping your butt against the wall. This releases the blood pressure in the legs, taking away all the stress in the legs, giving a light and relaxing feeling. It also helps to reduce varicose veins and relaxes the muscles of the legs.

5) Proper and Comfortable Foot Wear

One of the most common feet problems are due to improper foot wear. Ladies in high heels are the most damaging, not only to the feet, but also hips. These days, there are quite a number of shoe manufacturers who make shoes with the intention of comfort and feet health in mind. The few simple rules to keep in mind when buying shoes are that the sole supports the impact of walking, the size fits well without cramming the toes and for ladies, killer 5 inch heels make you look sexy but that is not how your feet and hips will feel!!

6) Let Your Feet Breathe At Work

A lot of people these days who commute to work via public transport and have to walk quite a fair bit are wise enough to be seen in their trainers on the way to work. Once they reach the office, they will look smart again in their working shoes. On the other hand, you can also have a pair of open toed shoes or flip flops under your desk so you can switch to it when you are sitting at your table, allowing your feet to breathe so that you do not end up with stinky feet and callouses at the end of the day. ( I am pretty sure no one will take a peek under your desk )

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