Lifestyle Choices

Your poor feet! Walking, running, dancing, jogging, basketball and pogo sticks, stiletto heels and pointy toes—do they ever get a rest from all the abuse they’re forced to take? The tips below will help get your feet looking—and feeling—their very best, day or night. You don’t have to visit a fancy beauty salon to benefit from these footwise suggestions.

1. For swollen feet that are really beat, soak in cool salt water for five minutes. Dry carefully and moisturize.
2. To step up circulation, soak feet for five minutes in shallow footbath or tub of warm water; switch to cool, and keep soaking for an additional five minutes. You’ll be ready to dance the night away.
3. At-home exercise—Soles, toes, and arches all thrive on a healthy stretch. Bend over, placing hands and feet flat on the floor, keeping your knees locked and buttocks high. Think of your body as an inverted V. Rise up and down on your toes twenty times. Rest, then repeat. Also try picking up small round objects with your toes, such as marbles or smooth stones. Experts agree that walking barefoot (where it’s clean and safe, of course!) is excellent exercise for feet and lower legs. Try kicking off your sandals on the beach and walking for a mile or so along the sand. Then dip your tootsies in the surf for a quick and refreshing pick-me-up!
4. Foot massage. Give yourself this relaxing treat, recommended by a foot-care expert: Sit with left foot resting on right thigh. Coat hands with creamy lotion or oil. Stroke calf muscle with thumb and fingers, squeezing as you work from the ankle upward. Next, squeeze the Achilles tendon gently. Then, with your thumb, massage the arch of your foot in a circular motion. With fingers slightly apart, stroke the sole of the foot, pressing down gently but firmly. Grasp toes and push them forward and back. Repeat with other foot.
5. Moisturizing foot masks and scrubs. Perspiration, added to the constant friction caused by feet rubbing against shoes can make skin cracked, dry, and painful. Try these soothing, smoothing, at-home treatments. Mix two mashed avocados with several drops of lemon juice and two tablespoons of honey. Slather on feet generously. Encase each foot in a plastic bag and elevate legs for at least ten minutes. Rinse, and finish with moisturizer. Another great way to slough off dead skin cells iswith the following foot scrub. In a small bowl, mix one cup finely chopped almonds (use your mom’s blender or food processor) with one half cup honey and a dash of milk. Massage feet vigorously with scrub. Rinse, pat dry, finish with rich moisturizing cream.
6. Wintertime overnight treatment. When the temperature drops, this a terrific and toasty treat for great-looking feet. After bath or shower, dry feet well. Slather petroleum jelly on soles of feet, insteps, toes, and heels. Don thick cotton athletic socks and your favorite flannel nightgown, and it’s off to dreamland. In the morning, wake to silky soft, supple-skinned feet.
7. For keeping feet their healthiest: Avoid athlete’s foot and ringworm by wearing inexpensive rubber thongs or slippers at public locker rooms, gyms, and swimming pools. Don’t go barefoot anywhere you see stagnant water or dirty surfaces. To fight foot odor, wash your feet thoroughly with warm water, soap, and a scrub brush at least once daily. Dry well; check between toes for hidden moisture. (You can even “spot- dry” with your hairdryer if need be.) Finish with a cooling, absorbent powder. Stick to socks that are all or mostly cotton, to let feet breathe.

The Perfect Pedicure

Follow these simple steps for the neatest, sweetest feet in town!

1. SOAK your feet in warm, sudsy water for five to ten minutes to soften skin, cleanse, relax.
2. SMOOTH rough skin on heels and ankles, balls of feet and toes by sloughing gently with a pumice stone.
3. TRIM nails straight across neatly with a nail clipper. Don’t trim shorter than the ends of your toes.
4. FILE rough, ragged edges with an emery board for a smooth finish, taking care to taper the corners so that they don’t irritate neighboring toes.
5. PUSH back cuticles with an orange stick swathed in cotton. Also use it to clean under nails and in corners.
6. MASSAGE feet with a softening cream or lotion; try a scented one for fun!
7. REMOVE residue of cream on toenails with a cotton ball soaked in polish remover.
8. SEPARATE toes with tissues twisted in and out between them, cotton balls, or plastic pedicure pads (sold at drug and department stores and cosmetic counters).
9. APPLY base coat to toes; let dry.
10. POLISH with two coats of your favorite color, letting dry fully between coats. Don’t glop polish on. Begin at center and work outward, spreading polish thinly and evenly over nail surface. Tip from the pros: Chubby toes look slimmer when you leave a narrow, unpolished border along sides of nails; for too-long toes, leave your “margin” along the baseof nails.
11. FINISH with a clear, glossy top coat.

For a fashionable French pedicure, follow steps 1 through 8 above, then apply a clear base over entire surface of nails, white polish on tips only, and finish with two top coats—sheer pink, then clear. Try a French manicure too—great with a summer tan!

Shoe Savvy

Learn to flatter your feet by the shoe styles you select. Not all styles are becoming to all foot types. Check below and find out how to display your feet to their best advantage.

Wide feet look their prettiest in shoes or sandals with a wide, nontapering, nonpointed style that is open and not constricting. Flexible straps are a must, as are soft, supple leathers that give where you need it most.

Narrow feet look their best in closed styles, so they don’t appear “lost.” Straps should be sturdy, supportive so that feet won’t lift out of shoes as you walk.

High or low insteps need styles without potentially constricting straps to avoid gaping or pulling while you walk.

Heavy ankles look—and feel—slimmer in sling-back shoes or low-cut pumps, which accentuate the line of the foot, not the ankle. Straps across the instep are a no-no for you!

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• Feet and Legs Problems and Solutions Detection
• Feet Need Exercise Too
• It is all about Shoes
• Caring for Your Hands, Knees, Elbows, and Feet