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Tired, aching feet

Tired, aching feet and foot pain are very common, especially as we get older. Everyone can relate to having tired, aching feet after doing a lot of shopping or an entire day on their feet because of work.

Factors that play a role with aching feet...

- Age: as we age, the natural fat pad on the soles of the feet begin to thin, plus our feet widen and flatten. The skin on our feet also becomes dryer. Foot pain in older people may be the first sign of arthritis, diabetes, and circulatory disease.

- Gender: Women are at higher risk than men for severe foot pain, most likely because of high-heeled shoes. Severe foot pain appears to be a major cause of general disability in older women.Pregnant women have an increased risk of aching feet due to weight gain, swelling in their feet and ankles, and the release of certain hormones that cause ligaments to relax.

- Dehydration: your feet have approximately 250,000 sweat glands, and can excrete as much as a quarter of a litre of moisture each day. Therefore, it is important to remember to drink plenty of water, throughout the day.


The main symptom is a dull, aching pain in the feet. There can also be a sense of tiredness, heaviness and swelling in the feet and also the legs.

What causes tired, aching feet?

Research has shown that having fallen arches, or what is more accurately described as over-pronated feet, causes a person to use more energy in walking, resulting in a much greater degree of fatigue at the end of a day than people with normal feet. This theory was proven by a research project reported in the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association.

over-pronation causes aching feet

Strenuous walking or standing for long periods has an obvious effect on your feet. Other factors include ill fitting, poorly padded shoes, tight socks or stockings. Reduced blood circulation to the ankles and feet also causes tired aching feet.

Diseases: there are a number of systemic diseases that can lead to aching feet. For example, people may suffer from a diabetic foot, a condition where there is initially severe pain and then loss of sensation in the feet. Other diseases that could lead to foot pain in include arthritis.

Treatment and relief for tired, aching feet

- lay on the floor and put your feet up on like the couch or bed for about 15-20 minutes. This is a way of clearing the lymph modes and the water retention which would be a very common and very likely cause for aching feet.


- have your feet massaged regularly

- exercise the feet, as it can help to keep them healthy - it tones muscles, helps to strengthen the arches and stimulates blood circulation.

- wear orthotic insoles in your shoes. Footlogics orthotics control over-pronation and support your arches, taking away one of the major causes of tired, aching feet!

- try some foot exercises:

1. Rising on tiptoes
Stand with feet parallel and, holding on to a steady piece of furniture for support, rise slowly up and down on your tiptoes. This exercises the leg muscles and helps strengthen the foot muscles.

2. Extension of sole of the foot sitting down, extend and stretch the foot in as straight a line with the leg as possible.

3. Rotate the feet still sitting, extend feet one at a time and rotate slowly at the ankle, as if trying to draw the largest circle possible with the big toe. Do this first in one direction, then the other.

4. Mobilise the toes

Recommended orthotics for tired, aching feet: