Month: April 2022

One of the things we offer at the Uufey store is the eight-piece Plantar Fasciitis Relief & Foot Pain Kit, which is designed to alleviate and correct foot conditions such as Plantar Fasciitis, bunions, and heel spurs, as well as provide support to the arch of the foot, and straighten or prevent overlapping of toes. In this blog, you will find advice and guides to using each piece of the kit to suit your needs.

The Pull Strap

The red and blue pull strap is ideal for expanding joint mobility and developing motor function, as well as spasm relief. It is also applicable to those with Plantar Fasciitis pain, foot drop and Achilles tendon rupture, and other foot conditions.

To use, simply place a big toe in either strap and gently stretch the toes against each other. It’s ideal to perform an increasing number of “reps”, starting with three stretches a day for a week or so, and increasing the amount when you feel comfortable.

Spiky Massage Ball

The brightly coloured spiky massage ball is designed to alleviate the pains of Plantar Fasciitis,  muscle knots, and soreness, and increase blood circulation in the feet.

For the massage ball, place it on the floor (preferably in front of a seat, but these exercises can be performed standing if preferred). Then roll the affected foot over the ball until relief.

Bunion Corrector Sleeves

These sleeves offer strong protection for the ankle and foot, reducing the risk of injuries and inflammation during workouts or daily activities, and increasing blood circulation. They can also be used to aid in recovery from other foot pains.

Made of breathable fabric, these sleeves can be worn every day with any shoes or socks, and their elasticity won’t restrict any movement.

Toe Correctors

For those with overlapping toes or those who suffer from toe friction, we have two sets of toe correctors. They can also provide pain relief from hammertoe, bunions, and other foot conditions.

Place them between or on the afflicted toes to keep them separate and reduce friction.

How can diabetes affect your feet?

Diabetes can cause a limited blood flow to the feet, sometimes this can result in weakness of the feet and makes sores difficult to heal. Symptoms of low blood flow can be numbness and pain, as well as dry skin and cold feet. Sometimes tingling may occur, and this may be a symptom of diabetic neuropathy, a type of nerve damage caused by a consistently high level of glucose in the bloodstream. Diabetic neuropathy is a serious medical condition so consistent numbness or tingling in the limbs should be taken seriously and advised by a medical practitioner.

If you have diabetes, to properly care for your feet you should:

• Have your diabetes reviewer refer you to a podiatrist if you experience numbness, tingling, cold feet, or foot pain.
• Keep feet clean and moisturized to avoid cracked skin and sores or wounds that could be difficult to heal.
• Wear comfortable shoes that don’t cause friction sores, calluses, or ulcers.
• Don’t walk on surfaces that may graze or wound the skin of the feet.
• See a podiatrist for other foot health issues that can escalate such as ingrown toenails, corns, or hard skin.

How to keep feet clean and minimize the chances of infected sores.

Foot baths not only help keep the feet clean and skin moisturised but can also help in inflammation reduction and an increase in blood flow to the feet. Diabetics can benefit from regular foot baths if dealing with the symptoms of diabetes. For the added benefit of its antifungal properties, 2-4 drops of tea tree oil can be added to a foot a bath to help keep feet and nails bacteria-free. If dry skin on the feet is an issue, Epsom salt or coarse sea salt can be added for an exfoliating effect. Always moisturise feet after a foot soak to protect the moisture barrier of the skin.

How to keep feet moisturised to avoid cracked skin.

Avoiding cracked skin is important for diabetic feet because cracked skin can lead to infections and sores that are hard to heal. Cracked skin is more common in feet that lack blood flow. By keeping feet moisturised you can reduce the chance of dry and cracked skin. To remove dry skin, consider using a pumice stone during a foot soak, then moisturise. Use a moisturiser that is thick and made for feet or hands as a facial or body lotion will be less moisturising because it is designed not to clog facial pores. Look for moisturisers with added moisturising properties such as Hyaluronic Acid that helps the skin to hold onto its moisture.

A foot massage with a moisturiser also helps to increase blood flow and to absorb the moisturiser into the feet. With a generous amount of moisturiser, apply all over and use the thumbs in upwards and outwards T-motions across the length of the foot to soothe muscles and stimulate blood flow to the area.

How to keep feet warm and dry.

Because of the chances of decreased blood flow in diabetic feet, the feet may become cold, sometimes going tingly or numb. Cold feet can cause discomfort, muscle cramps, and dry skin. To keep feet warm, wear insulating socks such as specialized thermal socks or thick wool socks, and wear slippers when walking on cold surfaces. Additionally, keeping feet dry can be beneficial for heat retention and to decrease the chances of sores from tender skin. Wearing boots or shoes that are designed with leather or suede over non-waterproof materials such as canvas can be beneficial if in a wet climate.

Footwear for diabetics.

Diabetic shoes should be well fitted, not too small or too large, to reduce the chances of corns, calluses, or blisters forming from friction and pressure. Signs of an ill-fitted shoe include redness, tenderness, and pain. Diabetic feet can sometimes be prone to swelling or inflammation, so a wide fit that does not constrict the feet may be a good option. Cushioning with an insole is also good for diabetic feet to help in pressure distribution to stop calluses from dry skin. Shoes such as flip-flops, backless shoes, and high heels are not advised as they can cause uneven weight and pressure distribution.

Here at Uufey shoes, we offer a range of wide-fit shoes and boots, with added cushioning from our orthotic inserts, that are ideal for sensitive feet. Our full leather, suede, and leather-lined shoes are a perfect choice of footwear to keep feet warm and dry, and thick rubber soles add height and stability without damaging high heels. Uufey shoes are designed with a wide fit and deep heel cups, giving sensitive feet stability, cushioning, and support.

According to the NHS  ‘A brisk 10-minute daily walk has lots of health benefits and counts towards your recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise’, therefore any walking is beneficial, if you don’t have the time in your day to fit in a full 30/60-minute walk, doing a quick and easy 10 minutes is still effective and very achievable.

Walking to improve our physical health

There are many reasons why walking daily is massively beneficial to our day–to–day life starting with weight loss, it’s proven walking 30 minutes a day helps reduce body fat, although walking may not be the most strenuous form of exercise, it is an effective way to get in shape and burn fat. While you cannot spot- reduce fat, walking can help reduce overall body fat (including belly fat), which, despite being the most dangerous type of fat, is also the easiest to lose!

As well as this walking 30 minutes daily can also help towards increasing cardio cardiovascular fitness, if you go at a brisk pace at least 3 miles per hour. This can also help strengthen our bones, walking at least three to five miles a week can help build your bone health.

Walking to improve our mental health

A daily exercise can help wonders with your mental health such as anxiety and depression, walking thirty minutes can help keep your anxiety at bay, just as chronic anxiety and stress release excess hormones that wreak havoc on your physical and mental well-being, exercise and walking, specifically release feel-good endorphins that serve as natural painkillers.

Not only this walking daily is great to help your, self–perception and self–esteem, as after exercise you, mainly tend to feel a lot more focused, alert and feel like you’re able to complete the tasks of your day more efficiently. A study found that walking was positively associated with better and improved sleep. The individuals who averaged the most steps during the month-long- study and who spent the most minutes being active reported significantly better sleep, on average than those who walked the least.

3 quick tips to prepare you for walking daily

1. Make sure you have the correct footwear as this will help towards the ultimate comfort whilst getting, your daily steps in which will make you enjoy your daily walks a lot more, as you’re not going to feel good walking in uncomfortable shoes and could result in serious foot conditions such as Plantar Fasciitis.
2. Be sure to warm up, starting out with a slow-paced walk then building up into a brisk walk won’t feel as hard when first starting to walk daily!
3. Make a playlist of all your favorite songs, this will help you enjoy your walk that little bit extra and get you in a good mood! Not only does music pump up our mood it is also proven to help improve our workout speed (quicker calorie burn). This is because we synch our stride with the music’s tempo or BPM (beats per minute). The faster the BPM the quicker you will go, which will then lead to more calories burned! To improve, as well as this, make sure you’re using the correct technique, walk at a steady pace, swing your arms freely and stand as straight as you can.