In the winter mornings, soaking feet in warm water is also a way for the elderly to stay healthy. The key is how you soak them. Pay attention to these four points to maintain good health. Let's take a look together!
Soaking feet in the morning is also beneficial for the elderly
1. Choose the right foot soaking tub
It is best for the elderly to choose a deep wooden tub for soaking feet in the morning. This way, more water, higher temperature, and longer soaking time can be achieved.
Otherwise, soaking feet in a random tub with some water will not have any effect.
2. Use a heating device
The foot soaking tubs available in the market do not come with a heating device. Sometimes, when we feel the water is getting cold, we have to add hot water to the tub.
Therefore, before soaking feet, it is advisable to prepare more hot water bottles filled with hot water.
3. Maintain the optimal water temperature
Pay attention to the water temperature for soaking feet, as it should not be too hot or too cold. Generally, a water temperature of 38°C-43°C is suitable.
4. Soaking time should be appropriate
The soaking time for the elderly is also important. It is recommended to soak feet for 30-45 minutes, once a day or every other day.
Although foot soaking has good health effects on shoulder, back, waist, leg joint pain, insomnia, itchy skin, coughing, and asthma, etc., it is important to control the soaking time based on individual physical condition and diseases. Prolonged soaking in hot water does not have any benefits for overall health.
Three points to note for morning health care for the elderly
1. Avoid exercising too early in the morning
Exercising outdoors too early in the morning when the light is dim and the temperature is low can easily lead to falls or catching a cold, which can trigger diseases such as cold, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, or stroke in the elderly.
Therefore, elderly people should exercise in the morning after the sun rises and pay attention to keeping warm.
It is best to perform some preparatory activities before exercising, such as stretching, bending, and squatting to warm up the muscles.
2. Avoid eating too early in the morning
Some elderly people eat breakfast at five or six in the morning, which is not good for the digestive system.
During sleep at night, the secretion of digestive juices and gastrointestinal motility are still active. Eating breakfast too early means forcing the digestive system to continue working excessively, which can increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract. It is better to have breakfast around seven or eight o'clock.
3. Avoid going back to sleep after drinking water
During morning exercise, the movement of muscles and bones accelerates, and blood circulation also increases accordingly.
If you go back to bed and rest immediately after exercising, it will cause the venous blood containing a large amount of metabolic waste and carbon dioxide to accumulate in muscles, ligaments, joints, skin, and other tissues. This reduces the amount of blood returning to the heart, which can lead to ischemia and hypoxia in organs such as the heart, brain, liver, and kidneys, making it unfavorable for the recovery of cardiopulmonary function.
