Three Easy Steps for Healthy Feet
From hiking a mountain trail, to walking a mini golf course, to shopping in a mall at Christmas and playing soccer with your kid, your feet carry you through life. Most of us walk every day. School. Work. Play. Before the age of fifty, the average person living in America will have walked up to 75,000 miles. With this much wear and tear, it’s no surprise that there are many foot problems that can arise. To prevent foot pain and foot surgery from issues like bunions, Plantar Fasciitis, and other foot problems, there are a few things you can do.
Wear the Correct Shoes to Prevent Foot Problems
Whether you like boots, tennis shoes, flip flops, or sandals, choosing the right shoe is a large part of foot health. Wearing shoes in the correct size, shape and support for each individual foot will help keep the feet happy. It will also prevent problems such as blisters, chafing, and ankle injuries. This is doubly important for high-impact sports such as basketball or running, where the feet are put through a lot of stress. The correct shoe can protect you from harm and prevent long-term damage.
Protect Your Feet With Shoes
Shoes protect our feet. And even though it’s important to have the right ones, in some cases any shoe is better than none. Going barefoot exposes the feet to all sorts of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live on the ground, not to mention the ever present danger of injury. This is doubly important in summer and winter, when extreme weathers pose their own dangers. So the simplest way to keep your feet healthy is to wear shoes.
Healthy and Safe Pedicures
Pedicures run the risk of exposing your feet to all sort of bacteria and fungi. But there are a few ways that you can keep your feet safe and looking good. Make sure to keep yourself safe from infection by limiting the chance of getting cut. Don’t use a razor to remove dead skin, or cut your cuticles, or use a sharp object to clean beneath your nails. You can also bring your own pedicure utensils to the salon to be sure you are using sterile, clean equipment. Be sure to dry your feet and between your toes after the pedicure.
How to Care for Preexisting Foot Problems
Some people have preexisting problems, such as bunions, strains, breaks, and infections-things that wearing shoes and practicing pedicure safety cannot fix. There are many treatment options available, but sometimes surgery is necessary to get you back on your feet. And though it can seem scary, it doesn’t have to be. There are many new types, such as painless bunion surgery and other treatments that can correct a multitude of feet pain and problems. Consult with a Podiatrist, a doctor specializing in feet care, to find out how best to heal your feet.
In the modern age there seems to be so much emphasis on health. Eat right. Exercise. Don’t smoke. Limit drinking. Adding foot health to the list of things to worry about seems daunting. But, in a way, your feet support the rest of your body, and their health is essential to living a fun, healthy, and dynamic lifestyle. Following these simple steps can keep you on your feet.