Whether you run regularly or just enjoy dancing, your feet are always with you. Even if you take good care of them, your feet will experience some wear and tear over time. This is when you need to care for your feet in order to keep them looking and feeling their best.
From preventing cracked heels and dry skin to keeping your toenails strong and healthy, read on for our insider’s guide on how to pamper your feet.
Count Your Steps
If you want to take care of your feet properly, the first thing you need to do is get an idea of how much you walk every day. Someone who barely walks will not need as much care as someone who walks thousands of steps in a day.
There are a number of ways to do this, but the easiest is to simply count your steps. While this doesn’t give you a precise number of footsteps, it does give you a solid idea of how much you walk every day. If you know you walk 10,000 steps a day, you know exactly what you need to do to take care of your feet.
Now, having an idea of your walking habits is one thing, but actually following through with it is another. Keeping track of how many steps you take every day is one thing, but walking those steps is something else entirely.
If you find that you are walking thousands of steps per day, a great pair of sneakers should help any pain in your feet along with a pair of custom orthotics. These can relieve pain in joints, improve posture, and more!
Keep Your Toenails Short and Clean
If your nails are long, they can get caught and ripped on things while you’re busy doing daily activities. This can lead to bleeding and infection, making your feet unhappy and unhealthy. Keeping your toenails short not only makes it easier to clean underneath your nails, but it can prevent accidental injuries.
Keep Up Cleanliness and Ingrown Toenails
It may seem like your big toenail is the only one you have, but your pinky toe is just as important. Make sure to wash your feet with soap every day, and you can prevent any odor or bacteria from building up.
Keeping your toenails clean and short can also prevent ingrown toenails. If you do experience an ingrown toenail, you may be able to take care of the problem yourself by carefully cutting the corners that are embedded.
Another way is by visiting a podiatrist. They specialize in taking care of these small problems and even have ways of removing ingrown toenails permanently.
Watch Out for Cracks and Calluses
Cracks and calluses are common in those who walk a lot. Even if you take care of your feet well, they’ll experience some wear and tear over time. Cracks and calluses are caused by the friction of walking, and they’re often just a part of the walking game.
However, if you want to keep your feet happy and healthy, you need to take care of them. Cracks can be treated with a foot cream or ointment, but calluses need to be peeled off. Peeling off a callus gently with a pumice stone will help you keep your feet smooth and soft.
Dry Skin Prevention Tip
One of the most common foot problems is dry skin. Dry skin can lead to peeling, infection, and even cracking. Keeping your feet moisturized will help you prevent this from happening, and you can do this with foot creams and foot baths.
Another way to keep your feet moisturized is to hydrate yourself with water. Drinking water allows you to moisturize your skin from the inside and out, and has plenty of other health benefits as well. You can even drink a cup of tea to hydrate while soaking your feet with epsom salt.
Exfoliating with a Pumice Stone
Exfoliating with a pumice stone is a great way to remove dead skin cells and prevent calluses and cracks. You can use a pumice stone to scrub your feet to remove dead skin cells and get rid of any roughness or calluses.
To do this, gently exfoliate your feet with the pumice stone, then rinse the area with warm water and pat dry. Follow up this scrub with a foot cream, and your feet will feel smooth and soft.
However, be careful not to scrub too hard or to overdo it. Exfoliating too often can result in rough skin or even ingrown toenails. Exfoliating every week is usually enough for your feet to get rid of dry skin and build up.
Take Foot Soaks Often
Having a foot soak or taking a shower with your feet up can help you keep your skin moisturized and prevent dry skin from developing. Foot soaks are a great way to cleanse your feet and relax. Using a foot soak allows you to use less water than taking a regular shower, so you don’t have to worry about wasting water.
Plus, foot soaks are great for relieving stress and relaxing your body. If you’re taking a shower with your feet up, make sure to use a body wash or shampoo that is designed for your feet. Foot soaps can be drying and leave your skin feeling rough and dry.
Wrapping Up
There are several things you can do to keep your feet in tip-top shape whether you are an avid runner, are on your feet all day, or just want to pamper yourself. If you want to take care of your feet, you need to keep them clean and moisturized. This can be done by exfoliating with a pumice stone and using foot creams and soaps.
Keeping your toenails short can prevent accidental injuries and ingrown toenails. Getting a great pair of custom orthotics with sneakers can also improve your foot and overall health. If you follow these steps, your feet will be happy.
