After a tiring day at the office, or a hectic weekend of walking or shopping, nothing beats giving your feet a relaxing workout to relieve the stress and pain. You can give yourself a foot massage in the privacy and comfort of your room or do it with your partner.

You’ll never regret knowing how to do a foot massage. Turn this affordable and all-natural stress reliever into an occasion to spend quality time alone or with your partner.

A one-hour foot massage can help you sleep better, get rejuvenated, and be ready for another hectic day at the office.

Why not start tonight? Here’s how.

What You Need

For a good foot massage, prepare the following:

• Two towels: One to wipe your hands and another to place under the feet to be massaged. Prevents oil or cream from staining the bed or the carpet.

• Lotion, cream, or oil: Health and fitness shops have products specifically for massage therapy. Lotions and creams are both oil and water mixtures, and creams are thicker than lotions.

• Foot massage creams are rich and work better to soften foot growths like calluses and corns and hardened skin. Get scented creams or lotions.

• Mint or eucalyptus scented creams or lotions are best for maximum refreshing effect on tired feet. A cheaper alternative is to buy essence of mint or eucalyptus and mix your own by placing some drops in some unscented massage cream or lotion.

• You may also use baby lotion or baby oil, but these are not as long lasting as massage lotions and creams. Just keep on dabbing the baby oil or lotion on your hands to keep them from drying out as the massage progresses.

• Nail cutter, trimming scissors, or pumice stone: You may want to trim your nails or smooth out some toes. Running your hands on your feet can help you find areas that need trimming. Keep these tools handy so you don’t have to stand up during the massage to get them.

• Massage position: You can massage your foot sitting down, with one leg on top of the other. If you are giving your partner a foot message, you can support her knee or foot on top of your thighs. Or you can place her feet close to the edge of the bed and on top of a pillow (don’t forget the towel), with you seated facing her. Look for a position that’s comfortable for you both.

Getting Started

Clean your feet (15 minutes): Soak both feet in a warm water solution (add Epsom salts for greater relief) for around fifteen minutes. After soaking, wash the feet with mild soap, making sure you remove the dirt and old skin. Then thoroughly wipe the feet dry, especially the area between the toes. Now, you’re ready. Put some cream or lotion on your hands and begin.

Start with one foot (4 minutes): Put three drops of cream on one foot and rub it gently in. Start with the top of the foot, going from the toes to the ankle, then shift to the bottom of the foot, from the heel, through the sole, and under the toes, rubbing the cream in until the whole foot is softened. Dab more cream if needed to make the hands slide smoothly.

Rub the top one more time (4 minutes): Repeat the process. But this time, grab the foot with both hands so that the thumbs are on top of the foot and the fingers are rubbing the sole. Using the thumb, make long strokes between the upper tendons of the foot, moving from the ankle to the toes. Apply enough pressure so it’s not ticklish, but don’t rub so hard that the foot is crushed.

Rub the sole (3 minutes): With the thumb, make circular motions to rub the sole. Start with the toes and move to the heel. Keep the pressure of the circles you make steady and even. Use a bit more firmness on your heels; the skin there is tighter. Repeat as often as you want, giving a few extra strokes to any area where there is pain – the ball of the foot, or the arch, or perhaps around your ankles. Don’t dig too deeply. You can relieve cramping in the arch by gently stretching your foot with your hands.

Go back to the toes (3 minutes): After the sole, go to the toes. Massage with gentle, circular motions, stretching each toe gently as you rub. Give each toe a little exercise by rotating them three times in one direction, then three times in the other direction. Make sure to do these very gently. Don’t rotate too hard or you might break some bones.

Take a break (2 minutes): After fifteen minutes, your hands start accumulating energy and stress. If you feel it, shake the energy from your hands by shaking the hands loosely until you feel the tension being released. Rub your hands gently before you go back for the final movement. In the meantime, let the foot rest for two minutes before the climax.

Twist the foot (2 minutes): Using both your hands, grab the foot and let your hands slide in opposite directions to give the foot a slight twisting motion. Don’t overdo it. Twist it gently, slowly at first, gaining speed, but do it gently, not too fast, or this might result in a twisted ankle. Twist the foot loosely with your hands. Use lots of cream to keep the foot sliding and feeling wonderful.

Finish it up (2 minutes): Finish the massage by vigorously rubbing from the top of the foot, moving from the top of the toes to the ankle, then rubbing the sole, moving from the bottom of the toes to the heel. Then, at a more leisurely pace, massage gently the whole foot, holding it with both hands, absorbing any stress and tension, and moving from the ankle and heel to the toes.

And voila, you’re done. Wipe away the cream and let the foot dry.

Now repeat the same moves with the other foot.

Following these instructions, you can massage both feet in 55 minutes. If you’re doing the foot massage alone, why not listen to some cool music or watch your favorite show?

Once you’re done, avoid washing your hands immediately after giving a massage. Just wipe them dry with the towel to remove the cream or lotion.

Slip your feet into heavy cotton socks or just tuck into bed for a good night’s sleep. You’ll be so relaxed you wouldn’t want to do anything else.

A Final Note

A foot massage should help remove pain and tension from your feet. If you continue to feel pain, or the pain gets worse, see your doctor or podiatrist for advice or treatment.