5 Things you can do to pamper your feet for the holidays

Covered in socks and shoes for most of the day, many of us probably don’t give our feet a second thought…..unless they start to hurt or ache.  You don’t have to wait until your feet become painful to take good care of them.  This busy time of year, with the hustle and bustle of the holidays, is often a time when we see more foot aches and injuries in our office.  Many of these problems can be avoided by taking good care of your feet.  A little pampering can go a long way in helping prevent problems. The American Podiatric Medical Association offers a list of tips to relieve holiday foot pain.  Austin Foot and Ankle Specialist want to highlight 5 things you can do for your feet to keep them happy this holiday season. 

1. Massage your feet.  They don’t have to hurt for you to rub and massage your feet.  Taking a few minutes to do so can help increase blood to the tissues and loosen any tightening that occurred through the day.
2. Moisturize.  Hydrating lotions and creams are good to keep skin healthy.  Thickened skin can crack easily leading to open wounds.  Applying daily moisturizers
3. Elevate.  A long day on your feet can cause excess fluid to remain in your feet and legs.  ‘Putting your feet up’ or elevating them above your heart is an easy way to get that excess fluid back into your circulatory system and keep it from causing problems.
4. Foot & Ankle Exercises.  You won’t even have to break a sweat to keep them in good shape.  While your legs are elevated, make circles with your feet and curl in and extend your toes. Repeat each of these 10 times to loosen up the tendons and ligaments that have tightened up throughout the day.
5. Smart Shoes. We know that certain shoes may make or break and outfit, but as we’ve advised before take caution with high heels.  If you plan on being up on your feet for most of the day, try to make sure your footwear choice offers lots of support and padding.

Please remember these easy tips as the holidays approach.  Remember, that we here at Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists want to you take good care of your feet year round.  Schedule a visit for regular check-ups or any concerns and pamper away!

Until next time, keep your feet and ankles happy and healthy Austin!