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When you wear high heels, you automatically feel glamorous, tall, and mature. But I’m not gonna lie — they hurt sometimes! You have to walk carefully, and be prepared for blisters. Your feet could ache so much that the minute you slip off your heels, it’s as if your feet say, “Aahhh!!!”

But there’s good news! There are ways to prepare and protect your feet as you get ready to dance the night away.

Here are four feet exercises to help build strength in your legs and feet:

1. Twist your ankles in a full circle for 20 seconds, clockwise and counterclockwise.
2. Stretch your calves by pressing your toes against a wall while keeping your heel on the floor. Hold for 15 seconds.
3. Balance on your toes and raise your entire body up and down, repeating 15 times.
4. While seated, extend your leg from the knee straight into the air, keeping it about two feet from the floor. Count to 20 and lower it. Repeat eight times.

The most common problem with wearing dressy shoes is heel pain. It can happen if you are overweight or if you stand up for a long time. To prevent this problem, wear cushioned shoes that fit you right from the start. For about $6.95 at Target or a drugstore, you can get self-adhesive shoe pads that go under the ball of the foot, which is where feet carry the most weight when we wear high heels.

Try to avoid narrow, pointed-toe shoes, which put you at risk for hammertoes or bunions. Also, the position of the foot inside a poorly fitting shoe can give you calluses, in-grown nails, and even pinched nerves, especially if you have flat feet (that’s when you have no arch, like I do).

Okay, sorry to rain on your parade, but (and this goes for moms too) the right thing to do is to treat high heels like dessert — they're good on occasion, just not every day. And treat your feet like a princess would! Give yourself at-home pedicures every two weeks. These are my personal secrets to being high-heel ready at all times!

What do your quince heels look like?

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