| Our feet have no equals. We stand on them, walk,
run, and jump on them. An average person walks more than 2 thousand kilometers every year.
With 26 bones, 19 muscles, and dozens of ligaments and tendons as its 'bytes', the
human foot is a wonderful technological marvel. In spite of its structure, we fail our
feet by an uncaring attitude. No wonder they sometimes put us in a spot of bother, and
make us dance to their tune. Small steps of thoughtfulness and care keep the feet happy
and running fit.
Keep your feet clean
It is important to keep your feet clean at all times. Wash them every day, at least
twice, with soap and water. If you have dry feet, make sure to apply white petroleum jelly
after cleaning the feet in the night. Ensure that the space between the toes is clean and
dry. During the rainy reason, apply talcum powder on your feet. Always change your socks
after a day's wear. Wear cotton socks instead of nylon ones.
Exercise your feet regularly
Simple exercise is what your feet need on a regular basis. Stretch your legs in front
of your body and then rotate your feet. Also, alternatively spreading and curling your
toes, and then flexing and pointing the whole foot, act wonders with your feet.
Bare foot walking
The best exercise for feet is to walk barefoot. Though walking should not be done
on hard surfaces, doing this over uneven terrain is best.
Toe nails
Always keep your toenails short and clean. Trim them on regular intervals. Make sure
that you cut the nails straight. If you cut the edge, the nail may grow into the flesh at
the sides, causing intense pain.
Buy shoes for comfort
Your feet deserves excellent footwear. The first step in this direction is finding out
the correct size of your feet. Your footwear should be of exact fit. Designer footwear or
an expensive one does not guarantee good fitting. Your shoes are meant to protect them and
not harm them. Make sure that the footwear you buy is a comfortable pair, and can be worn
for long periods (especially for women who are working and need to wear them throughout
the day).
While buying shoes, you should take the following precautions:
- The shoes you buy should be at least ½ an inch longer than your foot.
- Buy shoes in the evenings, when your feet are tired and are slightly swollen.
- Try out both the shoes before buying the pair. This should be done as in some people,
one foot is bigger than the other.
- Make sure that the footwear is not bigger than the required size. For this you can stand
on your toes, if the heel slides off, the pair is unsuitable.
- Do not listen to the salesman when he say's that the footwear will loosen up after use.
Do not cramp your toes!
- Choose a design that is comfortable to wear. Too narrow footwear will make your
feet ache and are also not healthy.
- Buy shoes with lower heels, as they distribute your weight equally on your toes and
heels. Too high heels lead to heel aches and also backaches in a large number of
people.
- Make sure that the footwear you buy is flexible and not hard. You will be comfortable with footwears
that allows you to bend your toes easily.
How to conquer foot pain
Heel pain is the most common complaint. Some of the causes are
arthritis, tendinitis, bursitis, heel spurs, and plantar fasciitis. Also exercising too hard, wearing the
wrong type of shoes, or probably standing too long on your feet, can cause foot
pain. Though the pain can be cured easily at home, you should consult the doctor if there are other symptoms like tingling, numbness, leg cramps, or fever.
- To get rid of the pain, pamper your feet a little. Soak them in warm water (add a little
salt to the water) for about 10 minutes. This loosens up the muscles and relives from
pain. it should be then followed with a gentle massage of the feet.
- Exercise your feet daily. Follow a simple exercising schedule (explained above) and
just see the results!
- Wear shoes that fit snugly to your feet. Both loose and tight footwear can cause you
harm.
- If you are overweight, cut down your calorie intake. Excess
weight is bound to stress your feet and other joints as well.
- For quick pain relief, try an anti-inflammatory like aspirin. Then put up your feet and
relax.
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