Five Ways to Pamper Your Feet

Today we focus on your FEET. Don't laugh, ok? These two lower parts of your body have had the pressure of moving you around for the past 50 years, over smooth or rough surfaces, in dry and damp conditions, when you were thin or fat .... Yes, our feet have worked hard for us and although they are a strong and complex anatomical structure, they still need that extra step (no pun intended) in footcare to make them even more resilient.

So today it's time to look at how to treat your feet much better ... pamper them so they will continue to support you over the next few decades.Taking care of our feet is not just about cutting our toenails or performing a quick foot scrub when bathing. Apparently there's a lot more and some of our experienced kawans will show you some ways if you are clueless.


(1) Be wise in choosing your shoes

I personally believe comfort comes first, and that no part of your body should suffer for the sake of fashion. And I've seen some crazy shoes over the years. For ladies, the tight-fitting super high-heeled shoes may be in vogue this season, but such footwear could only hurt your toes and bones. Whether men or ladies, we should be wise in choosing our shoes.

Here's what shoe experts say:
*  Your feet shouldn't feel cramped inside your footwear.
*  Make sure that the toes have enough space to move around inside closed shoes.
Blisters, corns, calluses, and even toe problems can arise from frequently wearing ill-fitting footwear.

But there is also another (more radical) group that says that the shoe itself is the problem, not the solution. These people say we'd all be better off bare-footed. I'm not qualified to comment but you may want to check out this very interesting article that was published in New York Magazine not long ago, and decide for yourself.

(2)  Foot soaks

A foot soak or foot bath is a wonderful way to repay your feet. After a long day (especially if you are on your feet a lot), soak them in a basin of warm water with sea salts and essential oils.

A salt foot bath relaxes the feet and takes away any swelling. Essential oils like eucalyptus and peppermint can reinvigorate your senses, while lavender and chamomile could help you relax.

And here's a trick for those with sweaty feet, I'm told that soaking them in warm water with tea bags could help minimize sweating. The tannic acid from the tea could also help get rid of any foul smell that is emanating from your feet.


(3)  Go for the occasional foot massage

There is a distinction between foot massage and foot reflexology. Foot massage just focuses on rubbing and manipulation of parts of your foot, and making you feel good. Foot massage usually makes no further health claims. However, according to the principles of reflexology, different parts of the foot correspond to different parts of the body. (I think there is a link to a reflexology site somewhere). For instance, a toe massage can potentially ease sinus pain, while applying pressure on the arch soothes a tummy ache, etc.

Well, I'll let our buddies Jensen, Norbert, Edward and Jude show you how it should be done. Maybe they can even tell you where to go for the best foot massages.


(4) Fish Therapy

Ahh, fish therapy or fish spa is more advanced and recent service, lah! I'm curious about it but have never actually gone for this myself. I don't think you can get this treatment everywhere, though I think more outlets are opening up. Hmmm, I wonder if the SPCA has any view on this ... or maybe fishes don't come under their purview. LOL

Well let's hear from the gents (above) who have gone for this form of pampering, and have them comment on how it felt.

And for added fun, maybe later Dato' AM can also share with you a Lat cartoon related to this kind of treatment ;-)


(5) Real Men get Pedicures?

Masculinity is a farce in society. Many men still have an impression that pedicures may implicate one as “gay” or "effeminate" (siau chia, in Hokkien), and that it is not the “right” thing to do. I'm not talking about those pedicures that leave roses or other floral designs on your nails, but more the cleaning and tidying up of your feet. And it's probably not a good idea to wait till your foot looks like this ...

Well, I guess it depends on the individual to make up his mind on whether or not pedicures are for him. At 50, some would have reached a point in life where they are more comfortable in their own skin, and do not care about the misperceptions of others. Or they may find that they're too old to learn new tricks.


In this posting, I'm only including five ways to pamper your feet. I'm sure there are many other great ways that I missed out. So hurry up, those who know do share your experiences with everyone. What are you all waiting for? Got those feet moving !