How to Warm Up Your Feet: The Quick Trick to Try

Baby, it’s theoretically cold outside. (When will it ever get below 60 degrees?) But for those impending snow days when you’ve been schlepping all over town and can’t wait to bury under a mountain of Snuggies, we have a helpful (and totally therapeutic) home remedy for how to warm up your feet. And trust—it works.

You might have blamed your cold toes on poor circulation, but it’s actually more nuanced than that. Dr. Chirag Chauhan, interventional cardiologist and biodesign fellow at Stanford University, explains that cold hands usually aren’t an indicator of poor circulation, but microcirculation (aka the blood flow to your capillaries). When your hands and feet get cold, it’s likely because your tiny blood vessels are constricting. It’s usually harmless, but it could be symptom of something more serious, so it’s worth checking with your doc.

What you need:

• A bottle of sesame oil (avoid using the toasted sesame oil varieties, lest you want to smell like General Tso’s takeout.)
• An old pair of wool socks

What you do:

1. Carefully pour a quarter-sized amount of oil into your palm
2. Massage it into the soles, heels and balls of your feet
3. Work the oil in between your toes and into your arches, too, using longer strokes.
4. Do this for at least five minutes per foot (or better yet, recruit your beloved)
5. Slip into your socks. Then, Netflix and chill, anyone?

Why it works:

According to Ayurveda (and your massage therapist), sesame oil is one of the most nutrient-rich and easily absorbed oils out there. It’s well known to be instantly warming, as well as helpful in reducing anxiety and promoting restful sleep. Not to mention: You’ll have the softest tootsies around, guaranteed.