Love or or hate them feet serve a purpose to most of us that we rarely acknowledge or repay. Your Feet get you from A to B, hold you up when your back is done, confine themselves to spaces that are too small, too tall, too tight, too sweaty, or just not right, all to please you. Do they holla back some times hell yeah, but so does your hands when they been out in the cold too long or your glutes scream after 2/3 straight days in the gym but we put rings on our fingers and sexy underwear over our butt cheeks whilst our feet scream 'What about me!'
This here article is an opportunity to pay homage to our feet and hopefully get you to reward yours a little more often. So, let's get to some facts and then remove the dead, dry and cracked skin from our foot back!
The big toe carries the biggest load of every step we take. Yeah, that's right, your big toe is like most Black women in society, it takes it all and then some. So as you know the pressure you feel on a daily, now apply that to your big toes. Those shoes our eyes love but our toes don't, we need to think twice, that moisturising to the ankle and go, we gotta stop dat, that extra weight we be out here saying we gonna shake off, whilst we eating dumplings two by two lol, you get the point. Our feet are working hard ladies.
When you walk 'pass da ting an den bup, da toe hit da ting, aaaahhhhh'! Theres a reason why we want to break something as the pain shoots through our bodies, toes are packed with nerve-ending receptors known as nociceptors. Nociceptors are super sensitive and so when 'you buss your toe', you’re actually igniting a bunch of those nerves all at the same time. They then send out signals to your brain who shouts out of your mouth $@£^&*, hehehehe!
Even though the big toe has comes with the title BIG, it is the only toe with two bones whereas the others have three. The majority of the big toe is made up of flesh and muscle.
That muscle like other muscles when flexed may be for a different use. I learnt that in the sensory part of our brains our big toes and our genitals, for us our lady bits, are neighbours. The messages sent to the brain from those parts of the body are right next to each other and so that foot massage that your bae is offering and you keep turning down because you consider you feet to be ugly (is it just me) maybe the tun up that you need to make a good evening, an explosive night, just sayin!
Last snippet, did you know that your feet have more sweat glands than any other part of your body, so all the money spent on body odour may need to be shared with foot odour products, and airing of shoes between wears lol. The skin on the soles of your feet is also the thickest skin on the body so on a serious note, let us take the time to understand our feet and not allow our soles to go without the due care and attention they deserve.
Thumb those toes: quick or slow but super easy foot massage for all ages
Get the lotion, cream or oil of your choice- try and use something that spreads as your hands warm up so you can go for longer without having to reapply
Put your foot up in front of you in a comfortable position, some will cross over one leg, others will flex forward in a sitting position, do what works for you to reach your foot.
Hold your foot firmly between both hands, on either side of the foot. With both thumbs on the top of the foot, placed opposite to each other at the top of your toes.
Apply as much or as little pressure (comfort zone is yours) and use your thumbs in a circular motion over each toe, starting with the big and little toe and then the next two and then your middle toe will have both thumbs at the same time (its greedy lol).
Continue down the foot from the outside of the foot to the inside of the foot when the thumbs meet, move down the foot some more and continue the pattern.
Don't forget the ankles, they will love you for the attention!
When the top of the foot is done, apply more of your product as required and do the same on the soles of your feet only this time rest your thumbs and use all of your fingers
Remember your achilles, it can be tender by this point with all of the arching of the foot, so be gentle. Also change your position if you become uncomfortable but do the whole of the foot and then move on to the next one.
The benefits of foot massage include, reduced pain, relaxation, better sleep, a way to mange emotions and for those looking for it a 'likkle' stimulation!
If you are really excited about your feet which by now I hope your are, why not make your own scrub. Follow the 'Thumb those toes' massage with the scrub and then soak in a bath of deep sea salt water. Rinse, pat dry, cut and file nails, moisturise and then paint those toes pretty. This is also a great activity to do with children or a kind act for one of your elders. So ladies, just to reiterate the point our feet deserve treats too!
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