What are the benefits of soaking your feet every day? What is the best way to soak your feet?

Many people think that soaking your feet comfortably after a meal is a very good choice. Soaking your feet before going to bed is also a choice of many people. After soaking your feet, we all think that our bodies are warm, or it is very comfortable to watch TV or read books and newspapers while soaking your feet. Do you know if this is possible? Let's learn about it together!

Contents of this article

1. What are the benefits of soaking your feet every day?

2. What is the best way to soak your feet?

3. What should I pay attention to when soaking my feet?

What are the benefits of soaking your feet every day?

1. Promote blood circulation

According to traditional Chinese medicine, the feet are the farthest part of the body from the heart, and because they are at the bottom of the body, they bear the heaviest burden. The ancients said that the feet are the second heart of the human body, and are also the most likely to cause poor blood circulation. Medical books record that "human feet are like the roots of a tree. When a tree withers, the roots will wither first, and when a person gets old, the feet will wither first." For people with cold hands and feet, soaking feet is the best way to promote blood circulation.

2. Stimulate the acupuncture points, reflex areas and meridians of the feet

Foot massage can reflect whether there is any problem with the liver corresponding to the acupuncture points on the feet. When doing foot massage, when the masseur presses our feet, we will feel pain and soreness, but after the massage, we will feel relaxed. There are 6 main meridians on the soles of the feet. Soaking the feet can stimulate these six meridians and help promote blood circulation.

3. Improve sleep and eliminate insomnia

Persistent foot soaking can also help improve sleep. Soaking your feet in 43-degree Celsius water for 30 minutes can reduce the lactic acid in the blood. In addition, the feet are rich in nerve endings and capillaries, and soaking your feet in hot water can have a mild and good stimulating effect on the nerves and capillaries. This warm stimulation is reflected to the cerebral cortex and has an inhibitory effect on the cerebral cortex, thereby improving sleep and eliminating insomnia. Foot soaking can increase the blood flow rate and volume in the feet, thereby improving heart function, reducing heart load, promoting metabolism, and regulating meridians and qi and blood.

4. Auxiliary treatment of diseases

In ancient times, Chinese medicine paid great attention to foot care and used foot therapy to prevent and treat diseases. There is an old saying that rich people take tonics and poor people soak their feet, which shows the great effect of foot soaking. Modern people stay in air-conditioned rooms for a long time and like to eat cold food, so some people have more cold and dampness in their bodies, and soaking their feet can accelerate the excretion of coldness in the body.

What is the best foot bath?

1. Ginger

Ginger is a very common thing in our lives, but it can not only be eaten as a food, but also as a foot bath material. Did you know that ginger can remove coldness and make people's hands and feet no longer cold?

So people who are afraid of cold should pay attention. Using a piece of ginger to soak your feet will be much better than using plain water. The method is very simple. Just boil water with ginger and then use it to soak your feet.

2. Mugwort

According to the Compendium of Materia Medica, mugwort is a warm, bitter, non-toxic herb. It has the effects of restoring yang, regulating qi and blood, expelling dampness and cold, stopping bleeding and stabilizing pregnancy. It is also commonly used in acupuncture, so it is also called "medical herb". Soaking your feet in mugwort can also improve lung function, which is very beneficial for people with chronic bronchitis and those who are prone to coughing up white phlegm.

3. Cinnamon

Cinnamon bark, also known as cassia bark or cinnamon bark, is a common spice along with Sichuan peppercorns. They both have the effect of warming the kidney yang, and soaking your feet in them can help relieve edema caused by kidney disease. Nephrogenic edema is edema caused by kidney function problems or diseases. It usually first occurs in areas with loose tissues, such as the eyelids or face, and ankles. It is most obvious when you get up in the morning, and depression may appear when you press the skin of the edematous area with your fingers.

What should I pay attention to when soaking my feet?

1. It is not advisable to soak your feet immediately after a meal

Many people think that soaking your feet comfortably after a meal is a very good choice. However, it should be noted that since the stomach needs blood supply for digestion after a meal, soaking your feet will drain blood to other parts of the body. In order to avoid indigestion, it is recommended to soak your feet one hour after a meal.

2. Don’t go to bed immediately after soaking your feet

Soaking feet before going to bed is also the choice of many people. After soaking our feet, we all think that our body is warm, and we will cover ourselves with a quilt to keep warmer. In fact, after soaking our feet, the temperature has not fully reached the whole body. At this time, it is recommended to do some simple and easy massage on the feet and calves to allow the heat to spread to the whole body, which will keep you warmer when sleeping in winter.

3. Don’t read or watch TV while soaking your feet

It is very pleasant to watch TV or read books while soaking your feet, but it is actually not a good habit. When reading or watching TV, you need to concentrate, the brain needs to concentrate blood supply, and the feet are less sensitive to temperature. It is recommended to listen to some light music while soaking your feet to relax your body and mind.