Tips For Happy Feet (and Reducing Stress)

Our feet are important!  They allow us to walk tin the woods, dance at a wedding and shop in the mall.

The average person takes 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day, which adds up to about 115,000 miles over a lifetime. That’s enough to go around the circumference of the earth four times. FootFacts

Moving is essential for overall health.  Being active has been shown to have many health benefits, both physically and mentally.  It may even help you live longer. HealthLine

Tips to Keep Your Feet Happy and Healthy

• Move around while standing - Standing in one spot is far more tiring than walking because the demands are being made on the same few muscles for a longer length of time.  FootFacts
  
  
• Wash feet often - There are 250,000 sweat glands in a pair of feet.  Sweat glands in the feet excrete as much as a half-pint of moisture a day which can harbor order-causing bacteria.  FootFacts  

• Walk to exercise feet - Exercising your feet on a regular basis not only improves overall foot health, but may also reduce your risk for injury. HarvardHealth With over 26 bones, 33 joints, and five ligaments, there are many structures that can be injured in the foot. VeryWellHealth

• See a doctor for reocurring foot pain - Foot ailments can become your first sign of more serious medical problems. Your feet mirror your general health, so conditions like arthritis, diabetes, nerve and circulatory disorders can show their initial symptoms in your feet. FootFacts

• Fix Plantar Fasciitis by massaging feet before getting up in the morning - 10% of the US population is affected by Plantar Fasciitis which is irritation of a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot.  VeryWellHealth  Pain in the foot when you get out of bed and when you stand after sitting for a while are classic symptoms.  If massage doesn't help see a doctor.  RunnersWorld

• Reduce stress through your feet -  Reflexology, therapeutic message soles, foot detoxification and essential oils are great ways to reduce stress after a long day. 

Reflexology - is the application of pressure to areas on the feet.  Reflexology is relaxing and may help alleviate stress.  The theory behind reflexology is that areas of the foot correspond to organs and systems of the body.  Pressure applied to the foot is believed to bring relaxation and healing to the corresponding area of the body. MayoClinic  

Therapeutic Message Soles - are insoles which are placed in in your shoes to stimulate  pressure pressure points on your feet while you walk.  I use Magna Power Insoles and they message my feet while I walk!

Foot Detoxification - claims to remove toxins from your body via the soles of the feet by soaking in an ionic foot bath or sticking special adhesive pads to the bottoms of your feet.  While there is no scientific evidence to show foot detox will reduce toxin levels in the body a foot soak is an excellent method for stress relief and improving circulation in your feet. LiveStrong, HealthLine

Essential Oils - massaging essential oils on your feet can promote relaxation and a good nights sleep.