Every day, we use our feet for walking, running, and jogging. Whether you are an athlete or a couch potato, you should take care of your feet every day.

 

Having clean and smooth feet is a good sign that you are healthy. If you don’t take care of it, fungi and bacteria will be present on your feet, and it may lead to skin diseases like athlete’s foot and callus.

 

Wearing proper shoes will also prevent you from having blisters. To have healthy feet, here are eight tips to keep your feet in good condition:

Wash your feet often

Doctors recommend that you need to wash your feet every day compared to having a shower.

 

Just like your armpits, your feet also sweat more than other parts of your body.  Rinse your feet with lukewarm water to wash off sweat, bacteria, and sock fuzzies, which stored in your feet all day long.

 

You can use gentle foot cleansers or antibacterial soaps. Then moisturize it with lotion and wear cotton socks.

 

If you didn’t wash it, a callus would form on the edges of your feet. Not only that, bacteria will store, and it will lead you to smelly feet.

 

So better to clean it regularly and check your hygiene.

Keep your feet clean and dry

In tropical areas, flooding is common when it is a rainy season. You won’t know where the flood water came from, and mud, bacteria, and fungi may be present in floodwaters. So you should rinse your feet and clean it always.

 

Some activities also keep your feet wet from sweat. With this, you should also clean your feet after heavy activities like hiking, running, and jumping. 

Examine your feet for problems

When you go swimming at the beach, you usually have small cuts due to sharp corals or shells while strolling in the sea. On the other hand, hiking gives you intense feet activity that could result in blisters and some cuts.

 

You should examine your feet regularly to prevent future problems. In fact, Stefan Edwards, a podiatric surgeon at The Foot Centre advises to schedule a consultation with a podiatrist as soon as you see any signs of foot problem.

 

If needed, you should visit your nearest doctor for a check – for bones and tissues – and externally – for skin care. Take note that prevention from illnesses is way better than curing it at the end.

Moisturize them every day

After cleaning and drying your foot, you need to moisturize it before going to bed.

 

You may opt to put lotion, foot cream or petroleum jelly. However, do not put moisturizers between your toes to prevent infection. It may lead to an athlete’s foot which is a foot problem.

 

Use an emery board for your toenails to prevent ingrown toenails.

Trim your toenails

You should cut your toenails once it is long enough to prevent bacteria from accumulating in your toenails.

 

Soak your feet first in lukewarm water for five to ten minutes to soften your nails. Wipe your feet and toenails. Use a nail clipper to cut your toenails – but not too short to avoid further accidents.

 

Avoid rounding the edges of your toenails to prevent it from becoming ingrown. 

Wear good shoes

You should know the arch of your feet to have proper footwear. If you feel irritated in your shoes, you might think of buying memory foam beds for your shoes. You may also ask some shoe stores if there are specific shoes for your feet.

 

Better note of your arch, width, length, and size of your feet. Put a little allowance on the shoes you will buy to have space for your feet to move.

 

If you purchased a good pair for you, regularly put some foot powder on your shoes to eliminate odor. If you will wash it, dry brush it and do not soak it because it will damage your shoes. 

 

Try to avoid high heeled shoes, platform shoes, and other extreme styles of shoes. These shoes can be for one-time use only such as parties and social gatherings.

 

You do not need to wear these shoes regularly as these shoes will only not injure your feet but also your legs.

Stretch your feet

You can do tiptoeing, leaning on stairs, or crunching your feet to exercise the tissues. If needed, you may visit a physical therapist to aid your feet stretching. 

Don’t share shoes

Never share shoes or borrow from others. Even if your friend or your family has healthy feet, their shoes somehow are not regularly sanitized.

 

Your feet may be sensitive to other shoes. Other than that, the accumulated sweat on other’s shoes can pass on your feet. 

Wrap Up

To take care of your feet, you should clean it dry and moisturize it with lotion or cream. Not only that, try to find your right pair of shoes to make your feet comfortable. Regularly check your feet also and do stretching. These tips will give you clean and fresh feet.