How to Give Yourself a Foot Massage
- Cloud Massage Brand Team
Feet get a bad rap sometimes. They aren’t as dexterous as our nimble hands, are (rarely) viewed as objects of attraction by others, and they are accused of “smelling bad”. But, neglect these fleshy friends at your own peril! If you take your feet for granted you might find yourself in a world of pain. In short, if you develop severe foot pain it will affect your day, and every day after until the foot pain is fixed.
Luckily, this pain can be avoided with just a little attention, care, and self massage tips from us here at Cloud Massage. If you tend to your feet regularly, you can prevent foot pain from occurring before it starts. Many tools can aid you in your foot care journey, such as a massage machine.
To truly take care of your feet, however, you must understand the required techniques. And, you guessed it - we’re going to learn all about the ins and outs of how to give yourself a foot massage: The why’s, the advantages, and the methods! We’ll even give you the scoop on the best foot massage machines to use on your journey to foot freedom!
Let’s get started!
Why Give Yourself a Foot Massage?
Oh, there are so many reasons! Aside from it being a great way to take a break from the humdrum of societies’ crushing expectations, learning how to give yourself a foot massage can improve several aspects of your life! Here are just a few examples why you should give yourself a foot massage:
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Improves Circulation
Our feet are often neglected and, if neglected enough, can develop pretty poor circulation. Giving yourself a self care massage on your feet is a great way to keep that blood pumping!
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Reduces Tension
Give yourself a self foot massage for pressure points that are causing you a great deal of ache or tension, and see long-lasting results!
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Stimulates Muscles
Keep those foot muscles active! Many of us lead a pretty sedentary lifestyle, and sometimes our feet can be a little underused. Keep them active and stimulated with a self massage!
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Eases Pain Quickly
The best benefit (in my opinion) is that a self care massage for your feet rids them of pain pretty quickly. Even if it’s temporary, a break from foot pain can make your whole day!
How to Give Yourself a Foot Massage
Time to get to the ambiance. Here are the basic steps on how to give yourself a foot massage of a lifetime:
- Sit in a relaxing chair or couch. Somewhere that you (and your body) feel particularly comfortable, and can lean back on.
- Pour some oil or skin lotion into your hand, and coat the foot. After that, you’ll want to begin massaging (we’ll go over some methods in just a bit).
- Begin adding more pressure. Don’t overdo it, only do what you’re comfortable with!
- Repeat on the other side, and you’re good to go!
Most Common Foot Massage Methods
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Warmup Twisting
Time to warm up our extremities. For this exercise, you’ll want to warm up your feet by placing your palms on either side of the foot, gently pull the ride side forward and the left side back, and switch. Repeat for about a minute on each foot.
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Heel Squeezing
The heels cannot be forgotten! If they are supporting too much of your body weight while you walk the consequences can be disastrous. This advanced technique can be a little tricky to do by yourself, but with a little determination you can learn to self massage quite quickly.
You’ll want to grasp the heel with one hand while simultaneously supporting the top of the foot with your opposite hand. Press firmly on your heel using your thumb, then alternatively release and apply pressure continually.
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Foot Spreading
This self massage will give your tense and cramped foot some relief. Its goal is to stretch your foot muscles to avoid cramping and prevent foot pain.
Here’s what you do: Place a hand on one side of your target foot. Place your other hand on the other side. Gently pull on each side and release. Do this for several minutes. Your feet will thank you.
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Arch Rubbing
The arch of the feet is the source of foot pain for many, especially if you are cursed with flat arches like me. This self care massage will tend to your arches like flowers in a beloved garden.
The trick is this: Hold the top of your desired foot and massage the arch using the thumb on your other hand. Start with your thumb at the heel, and rub down to the ball of your foot. Begin the process again starting at the ball, and make your way to the arch. Repeat. If you feel ticklish, don’t panic. That’s just the self foot massage technique doing its job.
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Instep Rubbing
The top, or “instep” of the foot can often misbehave and cause foot pain. This massage remedy will attend to its needs as well as your own! Support the front of your foot while using your other thumb to massage the instep. Move your thumb across the instep until you reach your heel. Then move your thumb back up to where it began. Don’t move your thumb too fast.
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Toe Bends
This is one of the most overlooked self foot massage techniques. The toes have a thankless task, having been rendered semi-vestigial by Lady Evolution. They instinctively remember the days when they were vital to the grasping of branches and other dexterous tasks, but now only are required to be motionless and imprisoned in socks. Give them a reprieve with this exercise. Support your heel using your hand, while gently using your other hand to bend the toes back. Return them to their original position, then bend them again, slightly harder this time. Keep bending them, gradually increasing the pressure each round.
And with that, you have learned how to give yourself a foot massage! Now that you have the fundamentals down, you are ready for the next step. Use the tools of our modern age to enhance your techniques to a level once thought impossible.
You are ready for these tools. Your feet are also ready for them.
The Benefits of Foot & Leg Massagers
For those of us who are looking for something a little more automatic, boy do we have the thing for you! There are countless benefits to getting yourself a foot massage machine:
- Lowers High Blood Pressure
- Fights Depression
- Relieves Menstrual Pain
- Keeps Feet Muscles Healthy
Alright, so now maybe you’re interested, but stumped on where to get one of these amazing devices. Well, we’ve got you covered there, too.
For a shiatsu massager that lets you melt the stress away after a hard day at work, we recommend this Shiatsu Foot & Leg Massager Machine! It’s perfect for instant pain relief, it helps with diabetic neuropathy as well as plantar fasciitis, and can even aid athletes recovering from injury.
If you’re looking for a device that goes beyond the feet, try out this Cloud Massage Premium Percussion Massage Gun. It uses percussive therapy to relieve pain from anywhere on the body, remove knots, and aid recovery. It’s super quiet, super smooth, and super relaxing!
Final Thoughts
Foot pain is preventable! If your feet are treated with care, they will repay you a thousandfold and serve you for many years to come. I’ve given you what knowledge I have on how to give yourself a foot massage, but if you want more information about foot massage benefits and techniques, simply turn to our website. When you are finally ready to show what you have learned, look at our high quality massage machines!
Now get relaxin’!
Contributing Writer: Aurora Detor