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6 Steps of a Healing & Relaxing Foot Massage
A quality foot massage can be both calming to your body, but have other lasting benefits as well. A good foot massage can actually cause your blood pressure to decrease. A good foot massage can actually jump start the blood circulation in your feet, sooth overworked foot muscles, sooth your longitudinal arches and undo muscle knots and tensions.
The following techniques for a good foot massage are described below.
- Stroking. This technique stimulates circulation and warms up the foot. On this technique, you hold the foot in on hand and stroke the foot with the other from the top of the toes and the way back down to the ankle. Repeat this step 3 to 5 times on each foot.
- Ankle Rotations. Ankle rotations relaxes the foot and loosens the joints. In this exercise you cup the foot behind the heel in one hand and hold it firmly. Use the other hand to roll the foot clockwise to loosen the muscles and ligaments. Roll the foot about 3-5 times and then roll the foot the other way counterclockwise. Repeat this exercise on each foot.
- Toe pulls and squeezes. This exercise is very calming to the foot muscles. Here, you grasp the foot behind the arch in one hand. With the other hand, start with the big toe and gently pull the toe away from the body. Gently, slowly, pull the toe from the base of the foot to the end of the toe, and back to the base of the foot. Squeeze your toe between your thumb and index finger during this exercise. Repeat this exercise on all of your toes.
- Toe Slides. Again cup the heel with one hand behind the ankle. With the index finger in the other hand, gently insert your finger between the toes and move the finger back and forth. Repeat this step3-5 times between each toe space.
- Arch Press. This exercise is designed to release tension in the longitudinal arches. In this step hold the foot in one hand and grasp it firmly. With the heel in the other hand, slide along the arch from the ball of the foot toward the heel and back again. Repeat 5 times on each foot.
- Stroking. This exercise is the same as step 1 described above. This is a good cool down exercise at the completion of your foot massage.
A good foot massage will relax your foot as well as your whole body after a long day on your feet. A good foot massage will help to undo tension in your toes, balls of your feet, ankles, and arches. A good foot massage will help to soften your feet and revitalize the tissues.
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Athletes Foot
