Our feet work hard all day long. They carry us everywhere we go, whether it’s a leisurely walk outdoors, laps around the track or walking around the house as we do our everyday chores. The result – tired, aching feet at the end of the day.
Feet that feel heavy and sore can have several consequences. It makes it difficult to fall asleep. Staying asleep can also be a struggle. All this tossing and turning around at night means waking up feeling tired and irritable. Not a good start to the day.
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to ease the heavy, achy feeling and get a good night’s sleep so you wake up feeling refreshed, energized, and ready to go all over again the next day.
These natural remedies for aching feet will have you feeling great again. As you will see, all of these are incredibly simple and easy. And they don’t take a whole lot of time either. Just choose any one that suits you, keep whatever you need handy and you’re ready to give your tired, aching feet some much needed TLC.
Elevate Your Feet
When you’re standing, your feet bear all your weight. Keep your feet up for just 15 to 20 minutes takes the weight off your feet, giving you instant relief. It also increases the circulation in your legs and feet, reducing the pain and swelling.
This is so simple, there really is no excuse not to keep your feet up for at least a few minutes every day.
Soak Your Feet in a Basin, Alternating Between a Hot and Cold Foot Bath
When you put your foot in a hot bath, it dilates the blood vessels in your feet. Then when you put them in a cold bath, the cold water constricts the blood vessels. This alternate dilating and constricting boosts circulation and reduces the swelling and achiness in your feet.
Here’s how to do a hot and cold foot bath.
Fill one basin with cold water and another with warm water.
Sit comfortably and place your feet in the cold water for five minutes.
Remove your feet from the cold water and place them in the basin with hot water.
Alternate between hot and cold every five minutes for a total of thirty minutes for maximum effectiveness.
Use Himalayan Salt Detox Foot Tiles
Natural mineral salts have been shown to replenish the calcium, magnesium, and potassium in the body. Himalayan Salt Detox Foot Tiles are slipper-shaped slabs of pure natural mineral salt excavated from the Himalayas.
Placing your feet directly on the salt tiles for just 10 – 15 minutes daily offers tremendous benefits by facilitating the absorption of ions into the body. This helps soothe tired feet, while also lowering stress levels.
The detoxifying salts that make up these foot tiles also flush out impurities, which boosts respiratory health and reduces symptoms of asthma and allergies.
You can use the Himalayan Salt Detox Foot Tiles as is at room temperature, or you can use them for warm or cold therapy.
Warm therapy is especially useful for drawing away aches and pains after a long day on your feet. To get the benefits of warm therapy, heat the tiles in the oven for about 10 minutes at 175 degrees Fahrenheit. Check to make sure they are not too hot, then place feet on the tiles for 10-15 minutes.
Cold therapy is useful for easing swollen feet and ankles. To cool the tiles, place them in the refrigerator or the freezer. Remove and place your feet on them for 10-15 minutes.
Soak Your Feet in an Epsom Salt Bath
Magnesium is known to help reduce swelling and ease the pain. Epsom salts are made of magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, which makes them very effective for this purpose.
There are two ways you can use Epsom salt to reduce the swelling in your feet.
One way is to fill a basin with hot water, add Epsom salt, and soak just your feet for at least 20 minutes.
Alternately, if you are looking to relax your entire body, fill your bathtub with hot water, add Epsom salt, and soak your whole body for 45 minutes to an hour.
Soak Your Feet in An Essential Oil Bath
Add a few drops of essential oils to your Epsom salt bath will boost the power of the Epsom salts, helping to increase blood circulation and reduce swelling.
Peppermint, clove, eucalyptus, and rosemary are the best essential oils to soothe tired, aching feet. All of these essential oils increase blood flow in the feet and legs, which reduces the swelling and eases the fatigue.
This Epsom Salt Foot Soak recipe is easy to follow and is super effective for soothing aching feet.
Vinegar Soak is a Great Alternative
If you don’t have Epsom salts or essential oils in the house, a great alternative for a foot soak is vinegar. Vinegar helps to reduce inflammation and can be used in two ways.
One way is to fill a basin with hot water and add two tablespoons of vinegar and one tablespoon salt. Soak your feet for about twenty minutes.
The second say is to get two basins of water- one with hot water and the second with cold water. Add vinegar and salt to both basins. Soak a big enough towel in the hot mixture and squeeze out the excess liquid. Wrap the hot compress around your feet for five minutes. Repeat the same process using the cold mixture.
This process is effective because you are getting the benefits from the vinegar as well as from alternating hot and cold on your feet to maximize blood flow and reduce swelling and achiness.
Taking preventative measures, such as investing in a good pair of shoes can help minimize pain and swelling. If you do find your feet achy and swollen after a day out, these natural remedies are very effective at easing the pain and reducing the swelling.
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