A foot massage that relieves tension and improves mood

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Detailed instructions with a bunch of photos and videos.

Why do a foot massage

1. Massage relieves stress by decreasing adrenaline, norepinephrine and cortisol levels.
2. Helps fight pain by reducing the activation of pain receptors in muscles.
3. Helps fight inflammation by reducing cytokines.
4. Accelerates blood flow in muscles and tissues, improves lymph outflow.

When you can't massage your feet

Skip massage if you have:

1. Skin diseases.
2. Skin damage: wounds, burns, frostbite.
3. Acute inflammatory process.
4. Thrombosis.
5. Phlebeurysm.
6. Bleeding tendency.

How to choose a cream or oil for massage

There are several classic options: creams "Alice", "Nega", "Ballet". They have been used for a very long time, are cheap, do not cause allergies even in children and provide good sliding of hands on the skin. Johnson's Baby colorless oil will also work. It is even used for babies, which means it does not cause allergies or irritation.

If you prefer natural oils, choose ones that don't clog your pores too much:

• shi;
• hemp;
• argan;
• almond;
• avocado;
• jojoba;
• grape seeds.

You can also add fragrant essential oils to them: for 10 grams of base oil, 4 drops of essential oil.

How to give a foot massage to yourself or another person

Life hacker has collected the techniques of classic massage: it relaxes muscles well and improves blood circulation.

Some movements will be difficult to use for self-massage - just skip them and do what is comfortable to do.

Usually massage therapists spend 30-60 seconds for each movement. But you can adjust the time based on the sensations.

Warming up

For about a minute, stroke the leg from the calf to the thigh, grabbing the gluteal muscles, and back.

Foot massage

Rub the instep of the foot with your thumb from toe to heel.

Knead the foot with your fingers, resting your palms on the back. It is convenient to do it both for another person and for yourself.

Rub each finger gently.

Calf muscle massage

Rub your shins with the palm of your hand.

Slide your thumbs and palm in a straight line from ankle to knee.

Make circular motions with both palms.

Massage of thighs and buttocks

Rub your thigh with your palm in a circular motion from the knee to the buttock.

Knead your thigh with both hands. Imagine kneading dough.

Rub your thigh with your knuckles. Do not press hard on your inner thigh.

Knead the thigh in double circular motions.

Grasp the leg with both hands and slide from the knee to the buttock.

Make "nettles": slide your hands up and down alternately.

When the leg warms up, try tapping it with the edge of your hand or with the palm of your boat.

Finish with the stroking massage you started with.

In this collection - videos from which the movements are taken. You can just copy the entire work of the masseurs.

How to self-massage feet with balls and rollers

Massage with a tennis ball or special massage rollers and balls provides a deep effect on muscles and connective tissue, warms up and relaxes clogged muscles.

Rollers for massage can be bought in a sports store or ordered on AliExpress. There you can also find massage balls, single or double, or just buy balls for tennis.

Remember a few rules for self-massage using massage rollers and balls:

1. Roll your body slowly.
2. Do not roll your joints.
3. Spend at least two minutes on each muscle group.
4. If you feel pain or severe discomfort, reduce the pressure. In addition, if pain is felt at a specific point, you may not act on it directly, but roll out nearby areas.

Massage the front of the thigh (quads)

Place your hands on your forearms, place the roller under the front of your legs and lean on it with your whole body. Roll the front of your legs from knee to hip.

Back of the thigh massage

Roll the back of your leg from knee to hip. To enhance the effect, cross your legs.

Inner thigh massage

Bend your leg and place the roller under your inner thigh.

Massage of the gluteal muscles

Sit on the roller with your hands on the floor. Place the lower leg of the left leg on the knee of the right one and roll out the right gluteus muscle. Then switch legs and roll out the left side.

Calf massage

Sit on the floor, place the roller under your calves, lift yourself up on your arms and roll out your muscles. To enhance the effect, cross your legs - this will increase the pressure on the roller.

Foot massage

Take off your shoes and step on the massager. Roll it under the foot, pressing down with your body weight. You can use the same massager or buy special foot models.