This one is for all the ladies out there who are strutting around in heels and experiencing heel pain!
Whether it is for work, where you are dominating the office in your classic pump or on a Saturday night, cutting some shapes on the dance floor in your 4inch platforms, every girl knows that wearing heels is a commitment which often leads to some serious foot pain and more specifically heel pain. Pushing through the pain is a feeling every woman knows well. However, if a woman is ever overheard complaining about sore feet it is often greeted by the answer of “stop wearing heels”. You and I both know that is not a realistic solution as nothing makes your legs look longer and gives you that extra confidence boost like a good pair of heels does. Plus we can’t forget the extra height they give us.
But, I know a secret. A secret which can eliminate the pain of wearing heels and make foot pain a thing of the past. A secret in the form of four simple exercises which will build up the muscles in your feet to make them better at withstanding the pressure of wearing heels. These exercises help to align the bones in your feet and ankles which will hopefully reduce the pain you experience when wearing heels.
Exercise 1: Calf Raises
Start by standing with your feet shoulder width apart. Pushing up onto your toes, your heels should lift off the ground. Make sure you keep your weight on the centre of your foot, not rolling out to the outside edges. Now you should feel a stretch in your calf muscles. Stay up on your toes for 20 seconds then lower back to the ground. Repeat this 3 times.
Exercise 2: Single Leg Squat
Start with your feet shoulder width apart. Lift one foot off the ground, with your foot going behind your body. Bend the knee which is still touching the ground. Try not to bring the knee in-front of the toes of the same leg. Hold this position for 30 seconds then switch to the other side. Do this 3 times for each leg.
Exercise 3: Achilles Stretch
Start with your feet shoulder width apart. Grab hold of a solid platform (a railing or bench) which is roughly waist height. Move one foot behind the other bending the front knee slightly more than the back knee and lean into the platform. Hold this position feeling a stretch through the back of your ankle (Achilles) for 10 seconds and repeat on the other leg. Repeat this 3 times for each side.
Exercise 4: Toe Muscle Strengthening
Start by removing your shoes and planting your feet firmly on the ground. Raise your big toe whilst keeping your other toes on the ground. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Lower your big toe back onto the ground and then lift the other four toes. Hold this for 10 seconds. Do this 3 times for each foot.
The only pain that should be felt when wearing heels should come from the breaking hearts of the men watching us walk around in them. So now that you know the secret of how to reduce foot pain and more specifically heel pain you should be able to make it through your day or night without the distraction of sore feet from your heels. We all know shoes are a girl’s best friend, and best friends don’t hurt us every time we see or wear them.
More on the topic of heel pain.
