Tired, aching feet can affect the way you look, feel, and move, so massaging your feet to relieve them can benefit the whole body. For the self-massage sequence below use an oil blend that best suits the way you are feeling - four drops of lavender or peppermint oil in 10 ml of sunflower or sweet almond carrier oil is good for tired feet, while three drops of rosemary and two drops of chamomile in the same carrier will help swollen feet.
Rest your right foot on your left thigh. Support it with your right hand while your left hand strokes the sale and top of the foot from the toes up to the ankle, spreading the aromatic oil. Use your knuckles to ripple all around the sale. Then, using your thumbs, apply deep pressure to the sale of your foot.
Massage each toe by rubbing, squeezing, and gently rolling it between your fingers. Then pinch the tip of the nail. These movements stimulate the circulation and soothe the toes.
Support your foot with your left hand, and clasp your toes with your right hand. Gently stretch the toes backward and forward to release tension and increase flexibility.
Using your finger, squeeze around your ankle, the Achilles tendon, and the heel. Then rotate your ankle several times.
Sandwich the foot by placing one hand on top and the other under the base of your toes, and rotate your hands around the ball of your foot to increase flexibility.
Finish by stroking up from your toes toward your ankle.
Repeat steps 1-6 on your left foot.
Home health spa
Few of us can afford the luxury of going to a health spa but you will be surprised at how many of the treatments can be adapted for the comforts of your own home. The most simple form of hydrotherapy - although you may not think of it in this way - is taking a bath; this can be both relaxing and restoring. Hot and cold compresses, and steam baths for inhalation are also basic types of hydrotherapy.
Water affects the body in different ways according to its temperature. Hot water helps muscles to relax by raising the body's temperature; cold water helps to stimulate the circulation and reduce inflammation, and has an invigorating effect on the skin.
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