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Exercising and being active are important parts of our lives. Staying active helps us stay healthier, feel better, and live longer. However, it can be hard to start or stick with an exercise routine if your feet hurt. Use these tips to keep your feet feeling great when you exercise.
Plenty of people start off a new exercise routine with lots of enthusiasm and gusto. Then, a short time into their new routine, their feet begin to hurt. They develop blisters or corns or get an injury that keeps them from being able to exercise without pain.
A minor issue with the feet may go unnoticed during your regular, every day activities. But when you start exercising and increasing the amount of stress that is put on your feet, that minor issue is suddenly exacerbated. It may become difficult to do much of anything, let alone exercise.
Foot problems that seem minor can be quite serious for those who have diabetes. People who have diabetes that is not well-controlled can develop neuropathy, which means that there is a loss of sensation and feeling in the feet.
If you have neuropathy, you may not feel an injury, which allows the injury to progress before it is treated. Diabetics also tend to have poor circulation in the feet, making it more difficult for injuries in the feet to heal.
There is good news, though. As your body gets used to your new workout routine, your feet will get tougher. The skin will get thicker, and you will adjust to the stress on your feet. Your feet won’t hurt forever. Keep these tips in mind when you are beginning an exercise routine.
The quality of the shoes that you wear when you exercise really does make a difference. Don’t be tempted by inexpensive, low-quality sneakers. In the long run, it will cost you more in terms of health care if you skimp on shoes. When you are selecting shoes, look for these features:
Be sure that your shoes fit properly, as well. They should be both long enough and wide enough. Have your feet measured to make sure that you are wearing the right size, but don’t get fixated on a size number. Sizes can vary from one brand to the next, so make sure that the shoes feel good on your feet.
When your shoes don’t fit properly, your toes may bump up against the front of the shoe. When you start exercising and taking thousands of steps each day, that repetitive bumping of the toes against the shoe can result in damage to the toenails, hammer toes etc.
Wearing the right socks is nearly as important as wearing the right shoes. Socks act as a buffer and cushion between your feet and your shoes. If your socks don’t fit properly or are uncomfortable, they can create friction and irritate the feet.
The best socks offer some cushioning in the sole. A microfiber fabric will help to wick moisture away from the feet. Getting rid of sweaty feet feels good, and it also helps to reduce the odds of getting blisters or developing foot fungus. The colour of your socks matters, too.
Choose white socks, with minimal seams – especially if you are diabetic. The white fabric allows you to see any blood or other liquid on the sock, which gives you a heads up that there is a problem. Your socks should fit comfortably and not be too thick or have a rough texture.
All types of feet need arch support, whether your feet are flat, high arched, or anywhere in between. When you try on a pair of shoes, you should feel the arch gently pressing against the bottom of your feet.
Now, depending on the shape of your feet, you may never find that in a shoe. You can customize your shoes to get the fit that you need by using arch supports or getting custom orthotic inserts to wear inside your shoes.
When the arch of the foot is properly supported, the weight of the body is properly supported and distributed across the entire foot. Good arch support helps to correct the mechanics of the foot. This will help to prevent blisters, corns, calluses, plantar fasciitis etc.
The plantar fascia is a band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot. Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of this band of tissue. If you experience pain in the arch of the foot or the heel that is worst when you first walk after a period of rest, this can be a sign of plantar fasciitis.
It’s great to be excited about your exercise routine, but doing too much, too soon can hurt your feet. Instead, start slowly and gradually increase your activity. This gives your feet – and your whole body – a chance to get used to this new level of activity. If you overdo it right away, you can end up with minor problems (like blisters or ingrown toenails) or more serious problems (like tendonitis or stress fractures).
If you do develop a minor foot problem, follow these steps for at-home care.
If you have started exercising and are experiencing discomfort with your feet, visit Foot Solutions. In many cases, a new pair of shoes will make all the difference. We can help you find the shoes that are perfect for your feet. We can also set you up with a pair of arch supports, custom inserts & socks.