Get a foot massager for little to no money

For those who do not want or lack the desire to perform the fine art of foot massage by hand, there is the foot massager. These massagers range from those that require some manual (handheld) involvement to completely hands-free foot massage machines. There should be a foot massager to fit every budget, depending on how involved you want in the massage. There are also wonderful options that are FREE, or that cost very little, that nevertheless do the job very well. These are the focus of this article.

There is a great option for free foot massages depending on where you live. Foot massage paths can be found in many East Asian countries, these are paths that have been paved with protruding stones of various sizes and textures. Often these pathways are accompanied by a poster illustrating the various acupuncture/reflexology points on the foot. If you’re lucky enough to have access to that path, you can get a great free foot massage just by walking on the stones. It may also be possible to walk barefoot on various terrains such as a riverbed or anywhere you have access to where you live. It can be quite tortuous at first to walk a more challenging path (sharp and/or bumpy). I know from experience. My advice is to take it at your own pace, and be observant of the sensations you are experiencing. The discomfort you experience at first will give way to something much more pleasant as you relax and let gravity massage your feet with your own body weight. Nowadays, I really enjoy walking on the stone path and I can feel the stress leaving my body. It’s quite effective, actually. Not only do you get a massage, the stones under your feet also encourage proper posture because you find it much easier to walk down the path when your weight is evenly distributed. The way of massage works in a very interesting way.

There is a home version of this massage that lacks the fresh air and outdoor setting of the massage path, but is a good option for those who prefer to have something they can conveniently use in their own home. These are the foot massagers that sit on the floor and work by simply stepping on them. In Japan, homes often have half a cylinder of bamboo that one steps on to put pressure on different parts of the feet. This is a simple, convenient and effective way to massage your feet. A wide variety of objects can be used in this way. You can use some kind of ball, a pine cone, firewood, a log sawn in half; almost anything can be used for this purpose. There are also store-bought items that work the same way; these are usually frames fitted with rollers on which you run your feet. I tried one with some kind of pointy rollers, it was heaven for my feet! I prefer these products to have sharper surfaces as this seems to help identify areas of the foot that need attention. These are very good investments to get a great foot massage. They have the added benefit of not needing an external power source and are less likely to break or need replacement, as long as they’re not abused. I feel this, along with the massage path, are the best ways to self-administer a foot massage, as you let gravity and the weight of your body do all the work.

Another low-budget option is to use some sort of object as an extension of your hand to apply pressure. For example, you might want to use a club-shaped stick to hit points on your feet (I’m serious). A doctor who practices tuina (a form of Chinese massage that adheres to TCM principles) recommended hitting the kidney point many times (about 100 times on each foot) for health and longevity. I have my doubts about whether or not this works, but sometimes it feels good to hit the bottom of my feet. You obviously don’t want to overdo it.