9 Simple Ways to Practice Good Foot Care
Most of us don’t think about our feet much day-to-day. But the truth is, each step you take requires a variety of muscles, bones, tendons, and more! Your feet carry a lot of weight and responsibility to keep you moving—which is why good foot health is so important.
Here are some of the best ways to care for your feet and keep them healthy for many years to come.
1. Check Your Feet Regularly
Just like with other areas of your body, it’s beneficial to have regular foot checks to make sure they seem healthy. Plus, the state of your foot health can clue you into other issues. For example:
- Numb or tingling feet can be a sign of diabetes.
- Stiffness in the feet can mean arthritis.
- Having swollen feet can be a sign of various problems, such as heart disease, kidney disease, or high blood pressure.
Check your feet each day for any red spots, blisters, cuts, or swelling. Use a mirror to examine the bottoms or have someone else look at them for you.
If anything seems off with your feet, see a doctor as soon as possible to help you determine the cause and address the problem.
2. Wash Your Feet with Warm Water and Soap
To prevent infection or other problems, keep your feet washed regularly.
Wash them in warm water (not hot!) with non-toxic soap [link] every day, and be sure to dry them well—especially between the toes.
3. Keep Feet Skin Smooth and Moisturized
Skin on the feet can often get dry or cracked, leading to burning and/or itchiness. This is why staying moisturized is very important for healthy feet.
After washing (and in between washes), massage a thin layer of an all-natural skin lotion [link] over your feet. Be sure to include the tops, bottoms, and thick skin areas of your feet—just not between your toes.
Using an un-petroleum jelly or lanolin can also help naturally moisturize.
To smooth out rough spots like calluses and corns, use a pumice stone or foot file and intensive healing balm for dry and cracked skin.
4. Wear Shoes that Fit and are Actually Comfortable
It’s tempting to sacrifice foot health for fashion, but the long-term consequences aren’t worth it. Cramming your feet into uncomfortable and unnatural shoes can disrupt blood flow and lead to poor circulation, cuts, or bruises on the feet.
More often than not, wear shoes that actually fit you well and support your feet. Look for good arch support and soft materials that don’t cramp or hurt your feet.
5. If You Have Diabetes, Keep Them Under Control
As mentioned above, tingling or numbness in the feet can be a sign of diabetes. If you have diabetes (or it runs in your family), watch for these signs when you examine your foot health daily. And be diligent about keeping your blood sugar in a good range.
6. Encourage Proper Circulation to Your Feet
Many factors can cause poor circulation in your feet, so make sure your daily habits help rather than hinder. Here are some ways to keep blood flowing well to your feet:
- Avoid crossing your legs for long periods of time.
- If you sit for long stretches of time throughout the day, plan to get up and walk around for a few minutes every 20-30 minutes.
- When you’re sitting down, put your feet up.
- Two or three times a day, take five minutes to wiggle your toes and ankles around.
- Use a foot massager.
- Don’t smoke!
- Get regular exercise, especially walking and stretching.
7. Protect Your Feet from Hot and Cold
Too-hot or too-cold temperatures can be hard on your feet. If you’re planning to be at the beach or walking on hot pavement, wear shoes. Same goes for walking around when it’s cold, even at home.
7. Keep Toenails Trimmed Properly
Trim your toenails straight across with an emery board or nail file, and avoid cutting them too short.
9. Detox with Foot Pads
Korean food pads and patches have been used in natural health for hundreds of years to cleanse and detox the system through your feet. To cleanse, refresh, and invigorate, apply them to your feet and leave on while you sleep.
Your whole body needs constant care and attention—and that includes your feet! At Nature’s Ideal, we have an entire line of Foot Care products for every aspect of foot health. Browse our selection and choose your favorite products here.
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