Welcome to My World – Our Fabulous Feet!

Hello World!  Hope you’re all doing great today! Got back from my walk a little while ago & now I just finished watering the yard and my flower beds, and it is HOT out there!   Your feet is the topic for today… We only have two of them so we need to take care of them properly.

I’ve had Plantar Fasciitis a couple of times & I bet if you’re a walker or a runner, you’ve had it too.

My first bout with Plantar Fascitis was when I wore “old” as in almost 10 year old walking shoes – Way too old!

A bit of info about Plantar Fasciitis:

Plantar Fasciitis (heel pain) is caused by excessive stretching & overloading of the Plantar Fascia. The Plantar Fascia does not stretch – it is not supposed to.

Your Plantar is designed by nature not to stretch

so that it can provide the structural tension your foot needs to support the full weight of your body. Stretching does not help heal your Plantar Fasciitis; it puts strain on your Plantar, which can actually damage it further & make your situation worse. Plantar Fasciitis occurs when the thick band of tissue on the bottom of your foot is damaged from being overstretched or overused. Further stretching is only going to make your Plantar Fasciitis worse!

There isn’t much to do for it, except let it heal. Switch to another exercise for a week or so to give it time to heal; then return to running or walking, &, I cannot stress enough, to wear good shoes! I now put gel heel inserts into my walking shoes so this won’t recur.

I also want to share some info I found about pampering & taking care of your feet. What is more miserable than a foot ache? (Only thing I can think of is a toothache.)

Natural Remedies for Sore Feet

Whether you’re distance running or you have a job where you’re on your feet all day, sore feet at the end of your day is no joke. These are the natural remedies for sore feet that I use when my feet need a little TLC.

The natural remedies for sore feet below are meant for tired feet, not for treating a serious injury. If your foot pain is sudden & severe, do not try the natural remedies below. Your foot could be sprained or strained, or you could even have a stress fracture. If a few days of rest don’t bring your foot relief, it’s doctor time.

Natural Remedies for Sore Feet

Roller Massage:  You’ve probably seen those fancy foot rollers before, & they are fabulous for working our knots in the bottoms of your feet, especially your arches. The good news is that you don’t have to buy a roller,

 if you don’t want to. A tennis ball or old rolling pin will work in a pinch. Just don’t make a pie crust with that rolling pin once you’ve used it to massage your feet, okay?  🙂

Epsom Salt Bath

Add epsom salts to a tubful of hot water, & soak for as long as you like. The

warm water & soothing salts melt soreness away. You can soak in the bathtub or use a smaller tub that’s just the right size for soaking feet. I take Epsom salt baths regularly as it also helps me sleep.

Self Massage

A massage has real life health benefits, including foot massage. You can massage your feet while you’re in the tub, just before bed or even while watching TV. Grab some lotion or your favorite massage oil, & gently work on those sore muscles in your feet.

Gentle Foot Stretches

The point & flex & ankle rotations that Shubhra describes are so soothing when your feet are sore. Like she says, let your body be your guide as you slowly rotate & stretch your feet.

Seated Forward Bend

This is a less free form stretch than the one above, & it feels so good when your feet are sore.  Sit up straight with your feet out in front of you. Raise your arms over your head, & fold forward, keeping your feet flexed.

Yoga Squat

This gentle stretch releases tension in your Achilles heel & in the arches of

your feet. It feels amazing. There are many ways to learn the safe way to practice this healing posture.

Ice

If it was a particularly tough day, applying an ice pack to sore spots can give

some relief to your feet. It definitely helps me. soreness comes from swelling and ice relieves swelling. If you don’t have a cold pack in your freezer, a bag of frozen veggies wrapped in a dish towel will do the trick.

Elevation

This is another natural way to relieve your swelling, & it’s probably the easiest natural remedy for sore feet ever. Just lie down with your feet above your heart. If you’re  on the couch, that can mean propping your feet up on the arm while you lounge. In bed, you can use a pillow or two to prop your feet up.

 

Rest

This is a good practice to combine with whatever other natural remedies for sore feet that you choose. Soreness tends to come from overuse, so give your feet a break, if you can!

Change Your Shoes

Supportive shoes can go a long way when it comes to relieving foot pain. If you can’t wear running shoes to your job, it’s worth investing in some inserts for your work shoes & swapping out those high heels for flats. A little bit of extra cushion & arch support goes a long way, baby.

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I use gel inserts in most of my shoes, usually just the heel inserts; otherwise, with a full insert you may need to go up a shoe size. They really feel good, and your feet will thank you! Pampering your feet is a good thing. Just think of the number of hours each day that you use them. They need a break!

I hope you got some good information from reading this. Let me know by leaving a comment below as I’d love to hear from you…

Have a great healthy day!