1292 Care of the feet
Date: Sun, 18 May 2003 23:29:35 +1200
From: "bob.ramsey-turner" <bob.ramsey-turner@QUICKSILVER.NET.NZ>
Subject: Care of the feet
A subject I cannot recall being discussed at Tango-L "Care of Feet"
I,ve just driven back from New Zealands annual Tango Festival weekend in the lovely wine growing (yes I know one doesn't grow wine, but thats how =
the locals describe it) area of Marinborough NZ, about one hours drive north of Wellington and about 10 hours drive south of where I live, =
which is north of Auckland.
Well, it was a great 4 day week end with most people taking 3 workshops of 1.5 hours each day then dancing half the night, I,m sure thats what =
happens at other such events.
Problem, my feet feel like they've been beaten raw, and many other participants mentioned the same problem.
So my friends, lets have some heavy discussion about caring of these unlovely appendages that dancers can't do without.
I was aware that I would have to treat them rather well, considering the excessive use they were going to get. I showered three times a day took =
a lot of care washing and drying the feet, changing my socks three times a day. I don't have blisters or raw spots, but the feet are very tender.
How do people manage when they are taking part in the extended pilgrimages to Bs As ?
With kind regards
Bob Ramsey-Turner
Date: Sun, 18 May 2003 07:33:40 -0700
From: Rick FromPortland <pruneshrub04@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Care of the feet
Bob,
I get a good quality pair of black walking shoes, trace out the outline of the each shoe on some 1/8" leather I bought from a local leather outfit, glue each piece on the bottom of the shoe with construction adhesive (liquid nails or ?) &/or contact cement. I can dance for these for hours & hours, day after day. Feet always feel great, year in & out...
Rick
Date: Sun, 18 May 2003 10:26:04 -0500
From: Bibi Wong <bibibwong@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Care of the feet
To Bob,
"I don't have blisters or raw spots, but the feet are very tender"
I don't think shower frequently will address your tender feet. Your
condition may suggest that the nerve of your feet are simply overload,
a.k.a. "out of shape".
From my 30 years plus of dancing whatever in my way, I heard a lot of "trade
secrets" to which my friends or I swear by.
They address either building the stamina, or the physiological comfort
during dancing, or pre-post dancing pampering, or purely psychological
remedies:
---------------------------
- Check the overall heatlh condition; diabetes will create burning and
numbing senseation to the feet.
- Create a dance/excercise routine to dance more frequently and longer to
bring the stamina to the next level. Zooming from laying idle to
dance-around-the-clock will shock to the body, especially to the feet.
- Create excercises to strengthen the foot muscles. e.g. Using the toes to
grab the floor and move in straightline.
- Wear comfortable shoes; let the toes spread for balance. For ladies,
wear the heels that is most stablized.
- Wear soft sole shoes if dancer know how to land their feet gently each
step. If the technique has not been acquired, try shoes with soft padded
base but still try soft soles. Very hard soles while may create false
comfort level that the shoes are sterdy, the dancer may form the bad habit
of pounding the feet.
- Occasionally massage with mint oil that gives penetrating and cooling
senseation.
- Massage with Bengay (?? sp) the massage cream for sportsmen.
- Walk on massage toys (usually wooden), sand, or use foot spa jet.
- Replace soft carpet with sissel (pronounce as cy-sal) rugs around the
house and walk around without shoes. Sissels are made from straw like
materials, woven and give good massage to the bottom of the feet.
- Wax therapy, which was said to remove pain from joint.
- Acupunture to allow chi to flow better and reduce pain.
- During the dance, take the shoes off and put it back on again.
- During the dance, take the shoes off and stretch/wiggle the toes and feet.
- During the dance, when the feet are uncomfortable, resist the high and
stop dancing. Change shoes if they help.
- Tie shoe lace "backward", the open ends towards the toe, as the toes need
more leg room and the ankle needs more snug fit.
- Tie each shoe with a two-lace system; one for the row towards the ankle,
one for the rest.
- Put talcum powder on the toes and inside the shoes before one wears the
shoe to absorb moisture which prevents the toes to move freely.
- Check the floor condition and wear the type of shoes accordingly. Sticky
floor with rough suede sole for dancers who anticipate to pivot alot will
cause tired feet.
- After dancing, soak in very very hot water and massage afterwards.
- After dancing, put ice on "hot" feet. Raise feet up.
- After dancing, use alternating hot and cold treatment.
- Meditate!!
BB
Date: Mon, 19 May 2003 00:59:52 +0900
From: astrid <astrid@RUBY.PLALA.OR.JP>
Subject: Re: Care of the feet
Bob wrote:
>A subject I cannot recall being discussed at Tango-L "Care of Feet"
>I was aware that I would have to treat them rather well, considering the
excessive use they were going to get.
>How do people manage when they are taking part in the extended pilgrimages
to Bs As ?
Actually it is not true, that it has never been discussed. I have raised the
issue several times, (and was not the first one, there is stuff in the
archive too) got lots of helpful answers, and a couple of heavy complaints
from men, who said they were bored to death reading about ladies' sore feet,
advice on shoes and such. I still think, once your feet are damaged from too
much dancing and not enough care, you are screwed as a dancer, period.
Anyone who wants my private collection of good advice for feet, is welcome
to write to me, I will forward it.
The following I have also mentioned before, but once again:
The way I survived the tango week in Cancun last time (where it was so hot
and humid, too, that my feet seemed to get bigger, and my shoes tighter
every day) was by alternating between several different pairs of dancing
shoes, and dance sneakers in between (thank you, Nancy, for telling me to do
this, at the time). Every time I felt, I could not take it any longer, I
would change into my comfy dance sneakers for a while, flat, and with hugely
padded soles (by Bloch),and then, after having recovered a bit, after 30
minutes or so, change back into my heels for dancing more elegantly.
After an afternoon of three classes of 1,5 hours each, I would take a bath
with peppermint bath salt, have dinner and go to the milonga. Before
bedtime, I'd rub tiger balm all over my feet. In the morning, after
breakfast, I'd make my regular trip to "salon de bellezza" at the hotel, and
get a massage, as not just my feet, but my legs and back got sore too after
a few days. Then I'd take a relaxing swim in the pool, and dive back into
the lesson marathon in the afternoon.
I was one of the very few who never had to miss a lesson, and never spent a
day in bed sick. (half of the men were out flat after 4 days, with heat
stroke, food poisoning, the flu and whatnot.) The women had to dance less,
and seemed a little tougher anyway.
Over the last year, reflexology salons have been opening up everywhere in
Tokyo, so I have been getting weekly foot massages, which seem to improve
overall health and immunity too, besides curing the worst of my "Monday
syndrome".
Astrid
Date: Sun, 18 May 2003 12:07:03 -0400
From: DanceScape <info@DANCESCAPE.COM>
Subject: Re: Care of the feet
Hello,
We just read this wonderful post about Foot Care Tips.
Could we have your authorization to include this in our dancer's forum tips
at www.dancescape.com/mydancefriends ? There is a section entitled,
"Callouses" in the "Health, Fitness & Safety" for dancers section and these
tips would help our dance community members.
Many thanks for any feedback/authorization -- we would give recognition at
www.dancescape.com/mydancefriends
Regards,
DanceScape
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, May 18, 2003 11:26 AM
Subject: [TANGO-L] Care of the feet
> To Bob,
>
> "I don't have blisters or raw spots, but the feet are very tender"
>
> I don't think shower frequently will address your tender feet. Your
> condition may suggest that the nerve of your feet are simply overload,
> a.k.a. "out of shape".
>
> From my 30 years plus of dancing whatever in my way, I heard a lot of
"trade
> secrets" to which my friends or I swear by.
>
> They address either building the stamina, or the physiological comfort
> during dancing, or pre-post dancing pampering, or purely psychological
> remedies:
> ---------------------------
>
> - Check the overall heatlh condition; diabetes will create burning and
> numbing senseation to the feet.
>
> - Create a dance/excercise routine to dance more frequently and longer to
> bring the stamina to the next level. Zooming from laying idle to
> dance-around-the-clock will shock to the body, especially to the feet.
>
> - Create excercises to strengthen the foot muscles. e.g. Using the toes
to
> grab the floor and move in straightline.
>
> - Wear comfortable shoes; let the toes spread for balance. For ladies,
> wear the heels that is most stablized.
>
> - Wear soft sole shoes if dancer know how to land their feet gently each
> step. If the technique has not been acquired, try shoes with soft padded
> base but still try soft soles. Very hard soles while may create false
> comfort level that the shoes are sterdy, the dancer may form the bad habit
> of pounding the feet.
>
> - Occasionally massage with mint oil that gives penetrating and cooling
> senseation.
>
> - Massage with Bengay (?? sp) the massage cream for sportsmen.
>
> - Walk on massage toys (usually wooden), sand, or use foot spa jet.
>
> - Replace soft carpet with sissel (pronounce as cy-sal) rugs around the
> house and walk around without shoes. Sissels are made from straw like
> materials, woven and give good massage to the bottom of the feet.
>
> - Wax therapy, which was said to remove pain from joint.
>
> - Acupunture to allow chi to flow better and reduce pain.
>
> - During the dance, take the shoes off and put it back on again.
>
> - During the dance, take the shoes off and stretch/wiggle the toes and
feet.
>
> - During the dance, when the feet are uncomfortable, resist the high and
> stop dancing. Change shoes if they help.
>
> - Tie shoe lace "backward", the open ends towards the toe, as the toes
need
> more leg room and the ankle needs more snug fit.
>
> - Tie each shoe with a two-lace system; one for the row towards the ankle,
> one for the rest.
>
> - Put talcum powder on the toes and inside the shoes before one wears the
> shoe to absorb moisture which prevents the toes to move freely.
>
> - Check the floor condition and wear the type of shoes accordingly.
Sticky
> floor with rough suede sole for dancers who anticipate to pivot alot will
> cause tired feet.
>
> - After dancing, soak in very very hot water and massage afterwards.
>
> - After dancing, put ice on "hot" feet. Raise feet up.
>
> - After dancing, use alternating hot and cold treatment.
>
> - Meditate!!
>
> BB
>
>
>
Date: Sun, 18 May 2003 15:00:35 -0700
From: sarah La Rocca <danzisima@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: care of the feet
Dear List:
I learned this foot remedy from a ballet dancer in the NYC Ballet years ago. It works like a charm: soak a towel in witch hazel and wrap it around your feet. The witch hazel removes the stinging from your feet very quickly.
It also is a good idea to keep your toe nails cut very short so they dont push against your shoes creating painful pressure.
And finally, the more time you spend on your feet the more your feet grow used to it.
Happy Trails!
Sarah la Rocca
Date: Sun, 18 May 2003 15:50:23 -0800
From: Dan Boccia <redfox@ALASKA.NET>
Subject: Re: care of the feet
Two more suggestions for how we can help our feet out:
1. Use them regularly. If we get off the couch and do a 4-day
weekend of dancing, we're gonna hurt. If we regularly walk, jog, run,
climb, cross-country ski, play tennis, racquetball, soccer or some other
sport that exercises our feet, we'll strengthen them and dancing won't
be so much of a problem. Oops, I left out dancing regularly, that will
work too, if we do it several times per week!
2. Learn how to place our feet on the floor in a relaxed manner.
If our feet are continually clawing at the floor or all contracted, they
are working WAY harder than they need to. A relaxed foot allows us to
connect better with the floor, and can be called upon for its strength
only when needed. A tense foot tends to result in a wobbly, rigid dance
that doesn't flow.
Dan
Date: Sun, 18 May 2003 19:00:03 -0600
From: Stephen Brown <Stephen.P.Brown@DAL.FRB.ORG>
Subject: Re: care of the feet
Some things that to do for tired feet after a long week/weekend of
dancing.
I put ice and a little bit of water in a plastic zip lock bag (1 gallon/3
liters) and put your feet on top of the bag.
Put ice and a little bit of water inside a glass bottle, roll your feet on
the bottle.
Use pads in your shoes. Hard neoprene pads (Spenco in the United States)
work better than softer pads.
Make sure that your dance shoes have arch support. If they do not, make
sure that your pads also provide arch support.
Do stretching exercises for the calf muscles, and for the hamstrings and
lower back.
--Steve
I plan to be doing all of these things in Miami at the Tango Fantasy.
Date: Mon, 19 May 2003 10:36:10 -0700
From: Rick FromPortland <pruneshrub04@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Care of the feet
I'm kinda curious who & how many people are looking at other people's footwear? I tend to not notice guys at all, unless I'm in a queue/receiving_line waiting to ask a woman to dance. I tend to look higher than the feet on the fairer gender. I feel really bad when a partner of mine sez that their feet are killing them. I then lead the dance differently, afraid that I'm going to make their feet a lot worse. I'm hypersensitive to dance ailments to the body, because I dance so much. Course I often error on the too practical side of things. But I would never sacrifice my feet or anything for aesthetic reasons...
R
