In one of the opening scenes of the movie Pulp Fiction, Samuel L Jackson and John Travolta spend quite a bit of time talking about a good foot massage. Now, if you haven’t watched that film, I beg you to do so. It is one of the best movies to ever come out of Hollywood.
Unfortunately for our feet, we care the least for them, even though they do a lot for us. They support us all day. We need them for a good jog to keep healthy. And to show how unappreciated we are, they are trapped in uncomfortable shoes almost all day, every day.
To be fair, some people, once in a while, go to beauty salons to take care of their feet. This though is restricted to washing and pedicure. Most times, a good foot massage is never part of the menu when it comes to taking care of feet.
Like in the movie Pulp Fiction, we could talk about the deep meanings of giving your partner or a lady a good foot massage. But knowing the importance and benefits might be a better motivation to making it a part of your routine.
So what are the benefits of massaging your feet regularly?
1. Good foot massage improves blood flow
More and more these days, we find ourselves sitting in one place for long periods. If we are not at our desks working, we are at home watching TV endlessly only to take a break to get some food.
This lack of adequate exercise and tight shoes impairs blood circulation in the body.
Massaging the foot for at least 10 minutes daily would reverse the adverse effects of our sedentary lifestyle. People suffering from diseases linked to poor distribution of blood around the body would benefit a lot from a good foot massage. Even diabetes patients would benefit from it.
2. Prevents foot injuries
Massaging the feet is the single most important exercise targeting that part of the body. And like all exercises, foot massage helps keep that part of the body very healthy.
In that respect, a regular foot massage can prevent injuries to the feet and ankles as it keeps the feet in top physical condition. So all those ankles sprains and niggling foot injuries can easily be prevented if you massage your feet regularly.
3. It is relaxing
Numerous studies have shown that massaging the foot for at least 10 minutes helps people to relax. The immediate benefits of this are
- Reduces or acts as a stress reliever
- Better sleep at night or relief from insomnia
- Reduces anxiety and depression
4. Blood pressure
Anything that is able to reduce stress, anxiety and induce us to sleep can only be good for our blood pressure.
High blood pressure can have a number of causes in both sexes. This makes it a problem that is hard to cure. Prevention, therefore, is mostly advocated as the best way to tackle the problem.
A regular good foot massage would surely improve your mood, and lower anxiety, leading to a reduction or alleviation of blood pressure.
5. Alleviates headaches and migraines
You might wonder at the relationship between the foot and the head. After all, both are at extreme points of the body.
However, given the way all parts of the body are interconnected, it shouldn’t be surprising that what affects the feet can also affect the head directly.
If you suffer constant headaches or migraines, foot massages might just do the trick for you. This is important if all other remedies have failed up to this point.
Studies on patients with these problems showed that a majority of them reported relief from headaches and migraines after undergoing foot massage therapy.
And a significant number of them even had to stop taking their medication to treat the problem. That is how effective massaging the foot can be.
6. Swelling of the legs
Swelling of the legs can be due to any number of reasons including accumulation of fluid due to pregnancy and sitting down for too long.
In pregnant women, fluid retention in the last trimester causes the feet to swell. This can be alleviated by simply massaging the foot everyday combine with the right diet and enough rest.
For swelling as a result of other causes, managing the foot is one of the first line treatments given to victims.
7. It puts you in the mood
In that Pulp Fiction movie, the talk about a good foot massage was how it was related to seduction. The conclusion was if you have your technique right, a good foot massage is one of the most sensuous things to do.
So with the right atmosphere, good music, scented candles, you can get your partner in the mood for a good roll in the hay. After all, massaging the foot can easily lead to massaging some erogenous zones close to the feet.
Clearly, a good foot massage can have both physical and mental benefits for you. The good thing is, it is not even hard to get.
Hopefully, very soon, we would show you how to give a very good foot massage. So you won’t have to spend tons of money getting it from the pros.
But if you can afford it, go ahead and get it from a professional.
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Cheers.
