it is the time of year for foot pain

every year i have two cycles of people coming in with foot pain. when the weather gets warm and the flip flops come out; and again in the fall when the other shoes (the water proof kind) go back on.

here are some tips to avoid the dreaded foot pain.

first of all don't wear those crappy shoes... wait! this was a post to educate not lecture. sorry. but really if shoes cost less than $5 or is made of bright foam. just saying...

1) roll out your feet. purchase yourself a nice $5-15 foot roller and treat you feet at the beginning and the end of the day to a good 2 minute foot rub. yes you can multi-task while doing this, like check you email, or brush your teeth.

2) soak 'em in hot water and epsom salts. epsom salts are magnesium and magnesium helps heal sore and achy muscles. so does hot water. forget the foot bath! stick your whole self in.

3) ankle circles. i will never get tired of promoting this simple and VERY effective stretch. ankle circles stretch both lower leg and foot muscles. do them often as you transition into your summer shoes. by often i mean at least 10 rotations each direction 4 times a day.

4) calf stretches. most summer shoes have little to no heel. if you have spent the winter in heels your calf muscles are going to be mad at you if you don't stretch them out. twice a day for best results.

5) get yourself some castor oil, mix in a nice amount of your favorite scent and some other oil if you don't like it sticky (my favorite is avocado) and give yourself a nice little foot massage. This is the perfect way to maximize time spent watching you-tube or the boob-tube (do people still refer to tv's as the boob tube? obvious cool people don't) spend extra time on your arches cause they will be the most sad. also between the toes cause they will all of a sudden have lots of room and that might be scary for them toes.

*both avocado and castor oil can be found in the beauty section of whole foods and PCC. castor oils is like magnesium in that it helps breakdown and heal damaged tissue. both oils are very hydrating and can help prevent icky cracked heel and summer calluses.

and as a bonus you can visit your local reflexologist (preferably me :D) for a quarterly tune up. because no self massage will ever feel as good as a professional reflexology treatment. and really preventing foot pain... getting education on developing problems so you can maintain your exercise program and/or avoid surgeries or orthodics. plus relaxation or an un-iterupted nap. i'd say that's worth $75. i'd almost say it was priceless