Self Massage For Your Feet And Your Body

Athletes have given themselves massages for years

. Massages are usually part of the training routine for professional and college athletes. You and I will schedule a massage when we need to repair some body part or we are on vacation and massages are part of the spa package.

An increasing number of people are giving themselves a massage especially those engaged in daily workouts. I massage my back and my calves almost daily and on some days, twice, using a foam roller.

The fact is devices for self massage are more prevalent today than even two years ago. A massage may sound like a luxury, but when made part of your training program, it really becomes a good habit.

There are now more than a dozen good products that can help you give yourself a massage. There are also videos on Utube that show you how to massage yourself just using your hands or with something as benign as a foam roller. Most small balls, including golf, tennis, baseball and lacrosse balls, can help unkink sore muscles by lying on them and rolling around.

Here is a massage you can use for your calf muscles. Standing, place one leg on a low chair or bench. Reach down and place your thumb and forefinger of one hand on the opposite side of the top of the heel. Squeeze your fingers and slowly raise your toes, flexing your foot. Lower the foot. Repeat twice and then move a half inch up your leg until you get to the back of your knee.

Rubbing your feet is an old practice. In Oriental medicine, body energy, or chi, is believed to flow lengthwise along energy meridians that end in our feet. A few contemporary therapeutic approaches, like zone therapy and foot reflexology, suggest there are points on your feet that correspond to every part of your body so that working on your feet is comparable to massaging your entire body.

Here is another self massage for your feet:

Position yourself so you can comfortably hold one of your feet in both hands. Using a massage oil or lotion, rub your feet and ankles all over. Massage your heel, the areas between your toes, the top and the bottom of your foot and your arch. With specific pressure from your thumb pad or the knuckle of your index finger, explore your toes and feet for areas of soreness. Gently massage those areas with a circular motion for 15 seconds or less. When you are finished, rub your foot all over as if you were smoothing the skin. Stretch your toes and rotate your ankle. Then begin on the other foot.

by: Ruthan Brodsky

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