Many of us look after our health. We try to eat well, exercise regularly and try to maintain a healthy weight, but how many of us think about looking after our feet?
Feet? I know, strange right, but that is exactly the problem. We just do not realise how important healthy feet are to being able to maintain general good health. Not looking after your feet can have a serious impact on your ability to look after yourself. Read on to learn why that is and get advice about looking after your feet.
The connection between healthy feet and exercise
If your feet are killing you, taking enough exercise can be very difficult. Not being able to walk or run properly is a big problem because it severely limits what you can do.
It also has a big impact on how active you can be in your daily life. The chances are if your feet are aching, you are not going to want to get off the bus or tube a couple of stops earlier or take the stairs instead of the lift.
How to take care of your feet
Fortunately, taking care of your feet is not difficult. You just need to follow the advice below:
Clean and dry your feet properly
It is important to wash your feet regularly and dry them thoroughly. Doing this reduces your risk of picking up a bacterial infection. Most bacterial infections like a damp environment, so it is especially important to dry your feet properly.
If you go for a run take the time to take off your socks and dry your feet. Walking around in sweaty socks is definitely not good for foot health.
Cut your nails regularly
Surprisingly, many of the problems people have with their feet starts with their nails. If you get an infection in one of your toenails, it can be difficult to treat. In time, that infection can lead to you losing a nail, which in the long term can be very painful.
Wear the right footwear
Buying and wearing the right footwear is also important for foot health. Wearing heels occasionally will not harm your feet, but wearing them everyday definitely will. Over time, your feet will become distorted. In addition, when you are older, you are far more likely to suffer from painful feet.
This is why wearing the right footwear is essential for maintaining foot health. Not only does it provide support and cushioning to your feet, but it also helps prevent long-term problems like bunions, hammertoes, and plantar fasciitis. You can learn more about the most comfortable sneakers available on the market today by reading reviews on various websites and magazines. It is also a good idea to consult with a professional to help you find the best type of shoes for your feet.
Remove hard skin
Hard skin may look harmless and for the most part, it is, but over time it can build up and get thicker and thicker. When that happens it becomes painful, which affects your gait. Not walking or running properly will lead to problems with your knees, hip and back.
You may also end up needing a course of foot physiotherapy to get your foot back to normal. When you do not walk properly, the muscles and bones in your foot are affected. You put too much strain on sensitive areas of your foot, which can lead to heel pain that makes every step painful.
So, in conclusion, if you want to stay healthy, you really do need to look after your feet.
How are you looking after your feet? Are you doing everything you can to prevent any issues from occurring?
3 Comments
Great post! Foot care is very important to promote overall good health. I agree that having healthy feet has an impact on how active you are. Thanks for sharing.
A focus on having healthy feet should start from an early age, I damaged my own feet by wearing shoes that didn’t fit properly and I’ve been paying the price for 15 years now. As you mention in the post not looking after your feet can lead to all sorts of different problems so it deffinatley pays to take care of them from an early age.
I completely agree with your take on the connection between healthy feet and exercise.
I’ve been an athlete all my life and at one point I was struggling to even walk.
I always tell people that taking the time out for your feet will pay back tenfold down the line.
Even a simple home pedicure like the one I’ve mentioned in my blog can energize and reinvigorate the feet.
There’s an article if you aren’t into reading all that much 😉
Here’s the link: http://www.thesewisefeet.com/how-to-give-yourself-a-pedicure/