How To Give A Great Foot Massage – Video Guide

Tips & Techniques From a Massage Therapy Instructor

If your special someone is on their feet all day long, chances are high that they could use a good foot rub. And who better to give them one than you? In our short massage video below learn foot massage techniques from Chris Roberts, a professional massage therapy instructor at Carrington College, and then use these expert tips to spoil your sweetheart. Your loved one will get to relax and, more importantly, their feet will thank you.

Foot Massage Instructions:

1. Find a soft, firm surface in your home that both you and your partner feel comfortable with. Any type of table or similar structure will work. Just make sure to lay down towels, blankets or other soft materials to increase your partner’s comfort level.
2. Have your partner lay flat on the surface on their back.
3. Begin the foot rub by applying massage oil to your hands. For the best results, avoid oils with strong fragrances and choose one like olive oil, grape seed or Jojoba.
4. First, apply a long, gliding stroke to the foot. This is similar in concept to a pulling technique. Cup your hands on either side of the foot and pull towards your body. Your thumbs should be gliding on the top of the foot and your fingers should be gliding on the bottom.
5. Apply pressure using your thumbs from the top of the foot all the way to the ankle. Feel free to apply firm pressure, even though you’re pressing directly on bones that are close to the surface of the skin.
6. Work each toe individually. Pinch all sides of each toe with a solid amount of pressure before moving onto the next. Pay equal attention to the top, bottom and sides of each one.
7. Use your knuckle to apply a deep, gliding technique to the bottom of the foot. Move your hand up and down the foot as needed.
8. Grip your partner’s foot in both hands and glide your hand from side to side. Apply a significant amount of pressure, but don’t be afraid to adjust based on their preferences.

Foot Massage Tips

• When working each individual toe, it is natural for your partner to feel a little ticklish. The harder you apply pressure, the less likely this is to occur.
• When ending a foot massage, feel free to do so using the same pulling technique that you began with. This is a great way to “come out” of the massage and calm down the nerves in a person’s foot before returning them to the world.

Massage Therapy Career Training

If you find that you really enjoy giving a good foot rub and would like to learn how to turn your massage skills into a career, consider the massage therapy program at Carrington College. It is a career training program designed to teach students professional foot massage techniques that you can use to bring joy to people on a daily basis. But the program covers more than that—it includes well-rounded curriculum on the aspects of massage needed to launch a professional massage therapy career.