HAPPY FEET, HEALTHY LIFE!

18 Jul HAPPY FEET, HEALTHY LIFE!

Ahh the humble feet. These two extremities faithfully carry our body weight all day every day and get little recognition for their hard work.  We do not give our feet nearly the same attention that we give our face for example. Yet from the moment we step out of our bed in the morning until we fall back into bed at night, it is our feet that get us through the day.

Did you know that feet are in fact extremely sensitive? Each foot has about 7000 nerve endings, and 125,000 sweat glands producing about 8 oz of perspiration per day. The bones in the feet make up ¼ of all the bones in the body, and if you still do not think this is impressive, then consider that every step you take places a force equal to 3-4 times your body weight on the feet! That is a lot of pressure.

Back in the day before man wore shoes, we were more grounded and connected to the earth and its energy. The feet naturally and consistently received a mini Reflexology session as we walked on uneven grounds, on softer or harder grounds and even sensed various textures through the feet. The sensitive nerve endings, and pressure points in the feet were constantly getting stimulated and in turn the whole body was benefiting. However, all of that changed during the Industrial Revolution and the invention of shoes or (sensory deprivation chambers, as my yoga teacher likes to call them), when we lost all that particularly important connection.    

Today about 3 times more women then men suffer with foot pain because of the shoes they wear.  In Reflexology we believe that the feet are a microcosm of the body. So, if you wear shoes that are not fitting well, not only will your feet hurt, but some other part of your body will also suffer. By the end of the day, the fatigue, back pain, headache you may be feeling may have something to do with shoes that are too tight. Of course, there are other factors that can cause foot pain like aging, illness, gait, and weight gain, and other foot ailments like blisters, corns, calluses, numbness, bunions, and plantar fasciitis just to name a few.  But the bottom line is if you take care of your feet, not only will your feet take care of YOU, but your overall health will also benefit. This is where good foot care is important.

Think of your feet before they start to ache. Remember they are holding you up in that shower every morning, so clean them like you would any other part of your body. Dry them well especially between the toes. Check the toenails and have them looked at if needed. Stretch your toes, shift your weight from side to side and front to back to stretch your feet. Get them ready to go. Throughout the day as you sit at your desk or in that meeting remember to wiggle your toes in your shoes, point and flex your feet, and even rotate your ankles.  At the end of the day, take off your shoes, take a load off and put your feet up. Soak them, rub them, roll a tennis ball under your feet, or caress them with some of your favorite lotion.  These little gestures will go a long way in helping to maintain good foot health.  Finally, add a reflexology session at least once per month, for overall relaxation through the feet!