Each of your feet has 26 bones, 42 muscles, 30 joints, and over 50 ligaments and tendons. These body parts work together and provide you with the ability to stand upright, walk, run, and jump.
Your feet play an essential role in your everyday life. Despite this fact, a lot of men tend to neglect their feet and don’t take proper care of them.
There are a few simple things you can do that can greatly benefit your feet. Thoroughly cleaning them in the shower, applying moisturizer, and wearing proper-fitting shoes can all promote healthy feet. Losing weight also provides several health benefits and will reduce the strain applied to your feet.
Getting a foot massage is not only a time to relax and relieve some of the stress of your day, it’s a great way to care for your feet. There are several health benefits of a foot massage that go beyond giving you time to decompress after a long day.
What are the Benefits of a Foot Massage?
There is a huge difference between simply having your feet rubbed and getting a professional massage. A real massage involves using a specific massage technique. Each different type of massage can provide separate benefits.
These are just a few examples of the possible techniques available for a foot massage:
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Therapeutic massages are focused on relaxing your muscles and joints.
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Aromatherapy massages use scented oils and music to further promote relaxation.
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Swedish massages use kneading and deep circular motions to remove knots in your muscles.
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Hot stone massages – similarly to the Swedish massage – involves using warmed-up stones against the feet.
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Sports massages are used to increase performance and flexibility in your feet muscles.
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Acupressure massages apply pressure to specific pressure points in your feet to increase your energy flow.
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Reflexology massages are similar to an acupressure massage and seek to improve internal organ function.
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Trigger point massages focus on a specific part of your foot and apply pressure using a sliding technique.
Each of these massages are focused on providing different benefits. Depending on the type of massage that you get, these are diverse potential benefits.
Increased blood circulation
The primary benefit of getting a foot massage is to enhance blood circulation to the feet. A sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet, and lack of exercise can lead to poor blood circulation.
Keep in mind that your feet are the farthest body part from your heart and brain. So, poor circulation will negatively impact your feet much faster than any part of your body.
Poor blood circulation can lead to symptoms such as pain, numbness, tingling, or coldness in your feet. In some cases, it can even be a contributing factor to erectile dysfunction.
A daily 10-minute foot massage can loosen up your blood vessels and get the blood flowing more consistently to your feet. The oxygen carried by your blood can improve the health of the bones, muscles, ligaments, joints, and tendons in your feet.
Higher sleep quality
A foot massage is an excellent precursor to a long nap or bedtime. The soothing effects of a foot massage can help your entire body relax and unwind.
Improved blood flow can help to calm your nerves and let your heart rate slow down. The combination of these factors can allow you to fall asleep faster and stay in the REM sleep stage for longer.
Pain and ache relief
Massaging your feet is an easy way to help alleviate aches in your feet. But a foot massage can also help you get rid of aches in other parts of your body:
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Massaging the area to the outsides of your toes and down to the ankle is thought to help with backaches. The soles and top on your foot can also help alleviate pain in your back.
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Massaging your toes and their connective joints is thought to help you get rid of neck pain. You’ll need to be a bit firm and it will probably take about five minutes, but your neck should start feeling better.
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Massaging your ankles and loosening them up is thought to help to relieve migraines and soothe headaches. You’ll need to massage the whole ankle and stretch it out.
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Massaging the outside of your ankle bone and Achilles tendon is thought to help improve thigh, hip, and lower back pain.
Improved mood
Pretty much every type of massage will put you into a deep state of relaxation. That is normally enough to help you lower your stress levels and feel much better. However, some of the massage techniques place a special emphasis on improving your mood.
There are claims that reflexology is especially effective at reducing the effects of depression and anxiety. Frequent reflexology-based massages have been shown to help improve the mood of cancer patients undergoing treatments.
Injury prevention
Massaging your feet is a good way to manage pain from injuries and support your recovery. It can also help keep your muscles loose and prevent a future injury as well.
The key to preventing injuries is to keep your feet as strong and flexible as possible. A quick massage three to five times a week can help improve your blood circulation, loosen your muscles, and strengthen your joints.
Reduced blood pressure
High blood pressure is a growing concern for American adults and has become fairly common. There are several factors that contribute to high blood pressure including stress, unhealthy diet, genetics, and lifestyle.
High blood pressure can cause a lot of health problems. If you’re looking to improve your overall health, taking the steps to lower your blood pressure levels is necessary. Getting a 10-minute foot massage a few times a week can help to improve blood circulation and lower your blood pressure in the process.
Boosted immunity
Infections often use your feet as an entry point into your body. Your feet are especially susceptible to fungal infections like athlete’s foot and nail fungus. Be sure to always wear shoes when walking around in community showers, swimming pools, or locker rooms.
Regular foot massages improve the blood flow into your feet. That increase in oxygen can bring about more white blood cells that help your feet fight off fungal infections and other diseases.
Massages also help you to relax, which can reduce the amount of cortisol in your body. This stress hormone increases the amount of inflammation in your body weakens your immune system.
Early detection
Fungal infections are notoriously difficult to treat. It can take months and even years to eliminate fungus if you don’t catch it early. Regularly having your feet massaged will help you to identify the early warning signs of a fungal infection and help you treat it quickly.
You will also be able to take care of bunions, blisters, and calluses before they build up and become extra stubborn. Dealing with these skin issues quickly can prevent a lot of pain down the road.
How RexMD Can Help
Your feet are very important to your overall health and essential in your everyday life. Far too many people take their feet for granted and neglect them. Having your feet massaged regularly can provide a wide variety of health benefits that you probably never knew about.
Treat yourself to a foot massage today and get ready to feel like a new man. If you want to learn more about the benefits of foot massage, the Rex MD team is here to help. Rex MD’s parent company LifeMD can connect you to a licensed medical professional who can help you with all of your foot health concerns. Make an appointment today to receive virtual care that’ll help you to improve your foot health and your overall health, too.
