More often than not, you only think about your feet when you’re getting a pedicure, trying on a new pair of shoes, or placing a bandage over a blister. However, since they are literally the reason you can walk about your home, office, and neighborhood, you should take more care when it comes to protecting your feet, ankles, and toes.
In order to prevent injury and keep your feet safe from harm, here are a few things to take into consideration.
Ways to Care for Your Feet
Be Mindful of Your Footwear
While it would be ideal to wear whatever shoes you wanted without any potential harm to your feet, that, unfortunately, isn’t the case. The shoes you wear on a daily basis and for certain activities have a big impact on the condition of your feet, making it all the more important to choose the right footwear.
Limit High Heels
Although you may wear high heels to make your legs look longer or complete a chic outfit, those shoes are not doing your feet any favors. Wearing high heels puts great, unnecessary pressure on the balls of your feet and toes and can cause bunions to develop — so limit how often you wear them.
Choose the Proper Athletic Shoe
Not every sneaker is meant for every sport. Especially if you have existing issues with your arch or heel, you need to choose a shoe that supports your foot.
For example, those with low arches should choose athletic shoes that provide a firm heel and higher arch, while those with higher arches should choose shoes that offer more cushion.
Consider purchasing a shoe that is specifically designed for your sport of choice — i.e. running, cycling, soccer, etc.
Replace Shoes Regularly
Be sure to also replace your shoes once they begin to wear down at the tread or heel. If you’re an occasional runner, typically, this happens every six months, but if you run every day, it could be sooner. Running or exercising in worn shoes puts you at greater risk for an injury.
Warm Up Before Exercising
Unless you want to get injured, you should never take off running straight away. Your feet need time to stretch and become more limber before you exercise at full speed. Whether you’re heading off on a run or playing a sport, lightly stretch and jog for a few minutes.
Condition Your Feet Over Time
Just like the other muscles in your body, the muscles in your feet need time to adjust to performing certain exercises. You should introduce new exercises into your workout routine gradually to allow your feet to build strength and increase mobility.
Practice Proper Hygiene
While you may assume that the worst thing you can experience when you don’t practice proper hygiene is smelly feet, that’s far from the truth. Poor hygiene can lead to infections that are painful and require further treatment. To keep your feet clean and healthy, make sure you:
Inspect Them Daily
If you notice any discoloration, scratches, blisters, or discharge anywhere on your foot, don’t ignore it. The sooner you address the issue, the sooner you can avoid further complications.
Care for Your Toes
Keep your toenails trimmed to a short enough length so they don’t scratch against your other toes or your shoe and remove dead skin over time ot avoid the development of calluses. If you have difficulty reaching your toes as you get older, visit a local nail salon for a pedicure every so often.
Don’t Walk Around Barefoot
When you walk around without foot protection, you run the risk of injuring your feet or getting an infection in an untreated wound. Wear some form of foot protection at all times — socks with closed-toe shoes to avoid irritation, flip flops in public showers to avoid fungal infection, etc.
Address Foot Issues ASAP
Even if it seems like only a slight issue, the longer you leave foot problems alone, the worse they become. From ingrown nails, toenail fungus, and bunions to sports-related injuries, plantar fasciitis, and Achilles tendonitis, whatever your ailment, have it treated right away by a trusted podiatrist.
Southeastern Pennsylvania Podiatrists Serving Warminster & Newtown
At Bux-Mont Foot & Ankle Care Centers, our extensively-trained doctors and friendly support staff proudly serve patients of all ages, with all types of foot and ankle issues, throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Our compassionate foot doctors believe that you should have all the information you need in order to make decisions regarding your healthcare.
At Bux-Mont Foot & Ankle Care Centers, your feet are in good hands. Contact us online or call our podiatrists at (215) 392-4009 to schedule an appointment