Are you always battling blisters and pushing through foot pain? Yep, sometimes we take our feet for granted, dashing to the train, to work, to the gym without giving our comfort a second thought, and after a long day on the go, it isn’t until we sit down at night that we truly feel the damage we’ve done, and the blisters really kick in.

If you’re longing for relief, then know that three-quarters of people experience foot pain, so you’re definitely not alone. And this might reassure you even more; you don’t actually need a fancy spa or pedicure to get your feet feeling like a million dollars again. Instead, try this; here’s how to give your feet a treat with these 5 IDEAL tips.

GIVE THEM A PROPER WASH

Merely standing in the shower and letting the bubbles seep over your toes isn’t enough. Bend down and give your feet a good scrub regularly with soap or body wash. Clean out all the dirt underneath your nails and make sure you scrub well on your heels and between your toes. When you’re done, dry your feet thoroughly, and don’t change into socks, stockings or slippers if they’re still wet. A damp, hot place is the perfect environment for things like athletes foot, fungal infections, and plain old stinky feet, too. Avoid it!

TREAT YOURSELF TO A FOOT MASSAGE

If you’ve been on your feet all day, then a short foot massage can work wonders to relieve tension and make your tootsies feel brand new. From reducing anxiety to lowering blood pressure and improving circulation, there are many proven benefits of giving yourself (or better yet, receiving) a foot massage.

Equally effective, it is important to apply stretching into your daily routine if you have sore feet, as this can help ease tension and pain. Try toe curls, a toe stretch, or a tennis ball stretch; here you place a tennis ball between your fall and the floor and gently roll it back and forth, pressing down gently. This is particularly helpful as it combines the relief of a massage with the benefits of stretching.

WEAR SHOES THAT FIT

A half-size can be all the difference between the perfect fit and a heel full of blisters. Avoid rushing through your shoe shopping, especially if it’s footwear that you have to wear daily. If you’ve got wider feet, then don’t squeeze them into narrow flats or heels that will pinch your toes or too-long shoes that could cause you to trip. It goes without saying that cheap, poorly-made shoes can cause a lot of damage, so purchase good-quality, sturdy shoes, especially for everyday wear.

Consider a retailer like widefitshoes.co.uk that specialises in quality shoes for wide or flat feet that will support your arches, steady your heel and fit snugly around your toes without any pinching and rubbing. You’ll also find it easier to stand comfortably longer with these shoes if you are someone who has a very active lifestyle or job where you can hardly find the time to sit down.

ALTERNATE YOUR FOOTWEAR

Wearing the same shoes every day means you’re not giving them time to air out, and the constant use can trigger foot odour or nasty infections. If you’ve got particularly sweaty feet, then use footlets or stocking socks inside your ballet flats, so they don’t slip around and soak up your sweat. It also means your shoes won’t break down as quickly, and if you do have a blister-popping pair you just can’t bear to part with, you’ll give your feet time to recover.

GO EASY ON THE HEELS

High heels are fun, but everyday use can damage a woman’s feet. A pair of six-inch stilettos will wreak havoc on your posture, toes and cause tendon problems, so if you’re an addict for heels, then try to find shoes with a wider heel that gives you support (you should never feel like you’re teetering) that are no more than two inches in height. After a night in heels, give yourself time to put your feet up – numb toes mean the constant compression has affected your blood flow, so give your toes a rub and soak in warm water to get the blood pumping normally again.

Most of what we know about sleep has only been discovered in the past 25 years, but it’s fair to say we’ve made up for it. Scientists and researchers all over the globe are learning more and more about sleep every day (and night), teaching us things we never even dreamed about this process. (Excuse the pun).

The Sleep Matters Club powered by Dreams have put together this amazing list of 22 of the most interesting and surprising facts about sleep that you may not know.

12% of people dream entirely in black and white

Before colour television was introduced, only 15% of people dreamt in colour whilst older people dream in black and white more often than younger people. It’s all here in this study.

Two thirds of a cat’s life is spent asleep

This will come as no surprise to most cat owners. Usually found on your favourite seat or computer keyboard.But that’s nothing compared to snails. Here’s a couple of extra funny facts; a snail can sleep for three years straight, and on the other end of the spectrum, a giraffe needs less than two hour’s sleep a night!

A giraffe only needs 1.9 hours of sleep a day, whereas a brown bat needs 19.9 hours a day

See the amount of sleep other animals need here, including ferrets, cheetahs and three-toed sloths.

Humans spend 1/3 of their life sleeping

This obviously differs depending on the age of the human, but on average it’s around a third, which is quite a lot when you think about it.

The record for the longest period without sleep is 11 days

This was set by a Californian student named Randy Gardner in 1964. This is definitely not recommended, however, as Randy experienced extreme sleep deprivation and others have died staying awake for this long.

It’s not uncommon for deaf people to use sign language in their sleep

There are many instances where people have reported their deaf partners or children using sign language in their sleep.

Dysania is the state of finding it hard to get out of bed in the morning

We’ve all no doubt found it tricky getting out of bed every now and again, but those suffering from Dysania find it particularly difficult. It is most likely to be a form of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Parasomnia is a term that refers to unnatural movements during your sleep

Some people have even committed crime due to parasomnia, including sleep driving and even murder.

The sensation of falling when half asleep and jerking yourself awake is called ‘hypnic jerks’

No-one is totally sure why hypnic jerks occur but they are deemed to be perfectly healthy. However, they may be increased by anxiety, caffeine or physical activity close to bedtime. They are more frequent in young people and decrease as we get older.

It’s thought that up to 15% of the population are sleepwalkers

This is according to the National Sleep Foundation. It’s also a myth that you shouldn’t wake someone who is sleepwalking.

1 in 4 married couples sleep in separate beds

Dr Sarah Brewer told us why this might actually be a good thing.

Sleep deprivation will kill you more quickly than food deprivation

Neither are good for you, obviously, but this article claims that sleep is actually more important than food in the short term.

Those born blind experience dreams involving things such as emotion, sound and smell rather than sight

This is a topic that is really quite interesting and the timing of the blindness in a person’s life may impact what that person dreams about. There’s plenty more on this here.

Within 5 minutes of waking up, 50% of your dream is forgotten

After an additional 5 minutes, 90% of recollection is gone. Sigmund Freud believed this was because dreams represent our repressed thoughts and so our brain wants to get rid of them quickly. However, it’s much more likely due to our brains simply being used much more as soon as we’re awake and so we forget much of what we’ve dreamed about.

Pain tolerance is reduced by sleep deprivation

This study suggests that cutting a person’s sleep in half dramatically reduces pain threshold although it’s not 100% clear why.

41% of the British population sleep in the foetal position

This is from research done by Professor Chris Idzikowski, director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service, though 5 other sleeping positions have been identified: the log, yearner, starfish, soldier and free faller.

Sleep experts have discovered a direct link between people’s favourite sleeping positions and their personalities

This is also according to Professor Idzikowski, suggesting that those who sleep in the foetal position “may appear tough but are actually sensitive souls right to their core.” See what the Professor says about the other sleep positions.

Ideally, falling asleep at night should take you 10-15 minutes

If it takes you less than five minutes, chances are you are sleep deprived.

Humans are the only mammals that willingly delay sleep

How nice it must be to just be able to go to sleep whenever and wherever you are!

Sleeping on your front can aid digestion

Hands should apparently be positioned above the pillow so you’re in a ‘freefall’ position, whilst laying on your left side can apparently help reduce heartburn.

High earners (£65 – £75,000) get the best sleep

This comes from a report by The Sleep Council. I would certainly sleep better if I earned that much money!

Fear is said not to be the main emotion in nightmares

Instead, researchers have found that it’s most often feelings of sadness, guilt and confusion.

If we had a pound for every time we heard one of our girlfriends say ‘I want to tone up’ then we would be mega rich. We’ve even said it ourselves, but then fail to do anything about it. Enough. To help make the dream of toning up become a reality, with the help of  Sian Toal, a Ilu Fitwear  Ambassador and personal trainer specialising in body transformations, we’ve put together 10 ideal secrets for toning up. Thank us later!

Weight Train

You can’t ‘tone’ fat, only muscle will get firmer and more shapely if you resistance train.  This one is not just for the boys or your resident bodybuilders.  Weight training is how we build the shape we want.  Work at your own level but with challenging weights, don’t be scared of the dumbbells, they won’t bite but they will help you on the road to a hot firm body.  There are also many other benefits such as, boosted metabolism, reduced body fat, increased bone density and strength, improved posture, improved mobility and balance, improved sleep, increased self esteem, do I need to go on…..?

Address your nutrition

To look ‘toned’ and see nice muscle definition, body fat needs to be at a healthy level to be able to see your hard work.  Building muscles and then eating too much and gaining body fat will make you grow in a way you probably don’t want.  This is a three pronged attack, weight training, a cardio plan and the right nutrition.

Fuel your muscles with protein

Again, not just for the bodybuilders.  Aim to consume protein at each meal from sources such as lean meats, red meat, eggs and egg whites, whey protein, fish, legumes, nuts and dairy.  The Internet has hundreds of recipes and there are some fantastic health cooking books out there for inspiration. Carbs are not the devil either….too much of anything can cause weight gain.  Look at balancing out your meals and you know the drill: cut back on sugary foods, processed foods, alcohol, fizzy drinks and go for wholesome, fresh natural foods.

No fad diets

You cannot shortcut your way to your results without consequences.  Which is usually a few weeks of feeling miserable, with no energy and biting off peoples heads if they get near you with anything containing sugar…then putting all the weight back on after (and then some more on top). Be consistent, protein, fats and carbohydrates spread out over 3 meals and two snacks is a great place to start.

Read: 6 small, sustainable diet changes to help you eat healthier

Follow a plan

It helps you to not waste your workout time and enables you to see your progress over time. Think shorter more intense sessions and build up to 3-4 sessions per week. Don’t chain yourself to the treadmill or move home into the gym.

Join a weight based resistance class

Taking part in a class will help you to learn something new and also boosts motivation. Try Body Pump, Boxing, Circuit Training or perhaps a Crossfit class.

Learn how to lift properly

If you are unsure enlist the help of a Personal Trainer or Fitness Professional to help your learn good technique and intensity.  Some trainers run Buddy sessions where you can share the time with a friend, which can help in the long run if you decide to train together.

Track your progress

Use photographs, selfies, check how your clothing fits and perhaps look at having your Body Fat levels measured.  This will again help you keep motivated and see your hard work paying off.  Sometimes you can’t see the progress yourself.  You see your body everyday.  So approach this intelligently.  For example, you can drop inches in measurements, start to see and feel the body toning up but the scales can stay the same! This happens a lot when body fat comes down and muscle mass increases.

Supplements

Supplements are a big business and it’s quite easy to end up buying everything in the shop on the advice of a shop assistant trying to hit their commission that day. I believe in sticking to the basics.  A good multivitamin with magnesium and whey protein shakes for after training and those on the go snacks.  The rest I’d spend on good food to get your nutrients from.

Rest

Setting yourself an unrealistic target of training twice a day, everyday will usually leave you exhausted, grumpy and not getting very far. Often you can end up going backwards if you’re not sure what you’re doing. Leave that to the professionals (even they have scheduled rest).  Your body needs rest to allow the muscles to recover and grow.  Maybe book yourself a rewarding massage, have a healthy social life, see friends and family, tell them about your healthy lifestyle mission and get them on board. Maybe try an outdoor activity instead of the usual pub trip. If you are happy and enjoying life you are more likely to achieve the goals you set.

Brought to you by ILU FITWEAR

Maxi dresses are a perennial summer staple but can often be a sartorial minefield. Here are navabi’s (navabi.co.uk – link) top tips

Toughen up

Maxi dresses can sometimes err towards the more twee side. Why not toughen up a maxi dress with a leather jacket and trainers for a cool daytime look.

Elevate your look

Adding bright accessories to a plain maxi dress will instantly elevate your look and turn your dress from drab to fab.

Get the right shoes

Always try on your maxi dress with shoes, especially if it’s for a special occasion like a wedding. That way you can avoid the awkward scenario of your hem dragging along the floor.

Yes petite women can wear maxi dresses too!

It is a complete myth that short women can’t wear maxi dresses. If you are petite, billowy fabrics and voluminous cuts can drown your figure. Be mindful of this when shopping for maxis and opt for more streamlined silhouettes instead.

The classic boho look

Achieve a boho vibe by adding chunky colourful jewellery and flat strappy sandals.

Dress it up

Don’t just restrict the maxi dress to daytime, wear it at night too.  Simply add a pair of high strappy sandals and a fitted jacket.

A great cover up

The maxi dress doubles up as a great cover up for when you are on the beach.