Try our 7 easy ways to improve your feet
1 FOOTWEAR FOCUS
Avoid the trap of wearing the same shoes every day, and always alternate heels with flats. We lose some of the cushioning fat on the balls of our feet as we age, so opt for shock-absorbing soles and buy proper sports shoes for exercise. The wrong shoes can lead to sprained ankles, torn ligaments, leg pain and other joint or muscle problems.
2 FLEXIBLE FEET
Stand upright and, while holding on to a chair for support, repeatedly rise on to your tiptoes and hold for a few seconds before lowering yourself again. Repeat the exercise a few times. When sitting, straighten your legs and point your toes to the ground, and slowly rotate your ankles as if drawing large circles with your big toes. Finish by walking around your home in bare feet.
3 COTTON ON
There are 250,000 sweat glands in each foot and perspiration creates the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive, so when the weather is warm pick socks made from a breathable fabric, such as cotton, to keep your feet dry. Leather shoes or mesh fabrics are a great additional option to allow air to circulate freely.
4 NAIL IT!
The College of Podiatry recommends applying moisturising cream over the foot every night if your skin is dry. Use a cream which contains urea (such as Ureka, £5.95 from www. feetlife.co.uk) on cracked heels. Firstly, remove hard skin with a pumice stone and trim nails.
5 TIMING IS EVERYTHING
Only shop for shoes in the afternoon when your feet will have swollen to their biggest, and make sure you take the socks or tights you are likely to wear with those shoes. This avoids the risk of wearing too-tight shoes which can worsen bunions, distort toe shape and cause painful corns.
6 EXPERT TOUCH
We are all more prone to foot problems like corns and blisters in later life as our skin becomes thinner, so the over-sixties are advised to see a chiropodist every six months. Ask your GP for a recommendation (it is free on the NHS in some areas if you have health conditions like diabetes).
7 COLD COMFORT
To ease tired, swollen feet, keep a small plastic bottle of water in the fridge and use it to roll under the arch of your feet – one at a time. Apply as much pressure as you can to massage those arches, then put your feet up (ideally higher than your heart) to ease any swelling that might have accumulated.