Aching feet can come in the way of your work and make you lose your concentration while you are working. This is especially of more concern if you are involved in professions that more hours of standing, such as a nurse, factory worker, or chef.
Here are a few tips to stop your feet from hurting at work.
10 tips to relieve aching feet
- Footbath
- Take a warm foot bath by soaking your feet in a basin of warm water or a foot spa for 5 to 10 minutes. This is one of the easiest and most effective home remedies that work for short-term pain relief in most cases of foot pain.
- You can add Epsom salt to warm water (one to two tablespoons into a gallon of warm water). For swollen feet, cold water will work better.
- Exercises
- Take breaks in between working hours
- Both prolonged standing and sitting are bad for your feet. Do not stand for long, take sitting breaks in between. Slow down a little. Move around a little after every 45 minutes if you have a desk job.
- Wear properly-fitting shoes
- Your feet change their shape as you age and so you need to keep checking if your shoes fit you well. Tight-fitting footwear can lead to multiple problems of the feet that include heel pain, deformed toes, bunions, corns, and calluses.
- Make sure you own multiple pairs of shoes. Keep changing shoes throughout the day, so that the shoes do not wear out faster.
- Ditch your footwear with high heels
- Heels might look stylish but you end up hurting your feet by putting stress on your calf muscles and balls of your feet. Even if you want to wear high heels, prefer wearing wedged heels to stilettos.
- Wear arch supports
- Trim calluses and corns
- Calluses and corns can put pressure on the bottom of your foot. To get relief from them, soak your feet in warm water for a few minutes. Dry them and follow this by rubbing a pumice stone or emery board on the hard spots. Apply moisturizing lotion and wear socks to lock in the moisture.
- Take care while trimming toenails
- Improper trimming of toenails can lead to a condition called ingrown toenails, which happen when the edge of your nail grows into the skin around the toe.
- To prevent ingrown toenails, cut your toenails straight across with clean, sharp nail scissors without rounding them to match the nail shape.
- Stay hydrated
- Dehydration can cause foot cramps. Make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially during exercising.
- Keep your weight under check
- Excess weight puts extra pressure on your feet and can cause aching feet. Even a gain of 20 pounds can increase your risk of developing foot pain. Hence, if you think you are gaining weight more than required for your height, resort to healthy diet practices and exercise to maintain a healthy weight.
- If walking and other activities make your feet hurt more, try a low-impact activity, such as swimming. You can talk to a podiatrist who will suggest footwear to wear during moderate to high-impact exercises.
QUESTION
All ___________ have flat feet. See AnswerHealth Solutions From Our Sponsors
Medically Reviewed on 5/5/2022
References
Image Source: iStock Image
Leifer M. 7 Ways to Prevent Foot Pain. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/features/how-keep-feet-from-aching
Harvard Health Publishing. When walking makes your legs hurt. https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/when-walking-makes-your-legs-hurt
Leifer M. 7 Ways to Prevent Foot Pain. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/features/how-keep-feet-from-aching
Harvard Health Publishing. When walking makes your legs hurt. https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/when-walking-makes-your-legs-hurt
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