Happy Summer Feet

Happy summer feet

Ah, summer! What a treat for our feet: trading our usual, tight shoes for airy sandals or flipflops, feeling sunshine and hopefully a little dose of beach sand on our skin makes our feet so happy, doesn’t it? And there are a few more things you can do to add to the summer bliss.

Did you know that the soles of your feet are connected to seemingly unrelated areas of your body via fascia? There are bands of connective tissue that run from the soles of the feet along the back sides of your legs, all the way up your back to your shoulders, scalp, and forehead. Therefore a nice foot massage or simple exercises to release the fascia on the bottom of your foot can help with things like neck tension and increase overall wellbeing. At the very least it is going to make your feet feel fabulous!

Get the ball rolling

So try this:

Take a little ball (the size of a tennis ball or smaller is fine – it should be firm though and keep its shape when you apply pressure) and, while standing, put the ball underneath the sole of one foot.
Gently roll the ball back and forth on the floor with the sole of your foot. You can hold onto the wall or a chair to help with balance if you need to.
Experiment with how much weight you put onto the ball to get a nice massage.
After moving along a couple of times, place the ball right underneath the center of the sole of your foot, shift your weight onto the ball and take 4 to 5 slow, deep breaths while holding this position. Yes, this will probably feel uncomfortable at first but the feeling afterwards will be worth it!
And don’t forget to repeat the exercises on the other side.

Another little tip:

A couple of times a day, let your feet enjoy their shoe-less freedom and wiggle your toes to keep circulation and energy flowing.

Relax and refresh

For some extra relaxation you can create little spa moments for your feet: A nice peppermint scrub will not only make the skin feel soft and silky; the cooling and enlivening qualities of peppermint will keep your feet fresh on hot summer days.

Or try my favorite essential oil blend for a relaxing foot massage:

Take a couple of drops of fractionated coconut oil, jojoba or the carrier oil of your choice.
Add 2 drops each of Lavender, Ylang Ylang, and Bergamot essential oils.
Gently massage tops and soles of feet.