Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Foot Care

Foot Care - Our feet keep us standing and allow us to reach all kinds of places. It is only necessary that we keep in mind some words of advice regarding the care of our feet.

Choose comfort over vanity. It is certainly flattering for our height to wear high-heeled shoes or sandals. However, it also places undue pressure on our heels and ankles, which are elevated and stretched at an angle, respectively. In fact, varicose veins and early rheumatism are highly attributable to high-heeled shoes. Because of this, such footwear must be reserved only for formal events and other gatherings in which high-heeled shoes are quite required.

The material of the footwear must also be considered for evaluation. The general rule is for the shoes to allow the feet to “breathe,” or at least ensure that the sweat is not kept inside but absorbed by socks. In this case, cotton sneakers are preferable over leather pumps.
Soft, smooth materials such as velvet, wool, and fleece must be chosen over hard, textured ones such as snakeskin or synthetic leather.

Keep the feet clean. Before wearing socks, be sure to wash the feet and pat them dry so as not to keep the dirt inside. This will stop the germs from proliferating. Before going to sleep, wash your feet, apply lotion, and wear socks to keep them smooth and soft. Occasionally, go to a foot spa or make an improvised one at home, using lukewarm water, two tablespoons of shampoo, and five tablespoons of liquid soap to scrape off the dirt which cannot be removed by daily bathing. Get nails cleaned thoroughly once in a while by using nail brush and soap at home. However, be careful not to wash them immediately after a long day of wearing rubber shoes or high heels, and definitely not after a strenuous activity that tires out the feet, such as driving, jogging, or walking. The feet must be allowed to rest before washing.

Maintain good physical health. Exercise. It is healthy to walk briskly for at least ten minutes a day to ensure a regular flow of blood not just in your feet, but also in the whole body. Moreover, eating a healthy diet will ascertain calcium for the bones in your feet and protein for your muscles. Maintaining a good posture is also beneficial since it eases the feet’s burden of supporting your whole body weight.

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