A client once told me
“Always buy a good mattress and a good pair of shoes… because if you are not in one… you are in the other…”
Simple, no? His grandfather had told him this and I reckon it is pretty sound advice.
Your feet and shoes are important. Often we take them for granted until a problem arises. I have already touched on tips for buying a mattress and a good night’s sleep so today let’s put together a few tips for healthy fit feet.
- Keep your feet clean and always dry thoroughly after washing (esp. between your toes).
- Choose the right runner for your activities (ask your chiropodist/podiatrist for advice).
- Make sure there is 1 cm space between the tip of your longest toe (note… often that is NOT your big toe) and the end of the shoe.
- In general, make sure there is “toe-spreading” space.
- Always wear socks to reduce risk of blisters, sweaty feet and fungal infections (wear double-layered socks when hiking).
- If you have any foot pain/issues, see the appropriate health care provider.
Fit, strong, healthy feet
These are pretty basic standard tips for healthy fit feet. If you want to go to the next level and be even more proactive about keeping your feet fit, there are a few things you can easily do at home.
Pick heel free shoes (I told you this was the next level…). Wearing heeled shoes regularly can change how your calf and shin muscles work. Leading to overall changes in how your ankles, knees and hips move. Basically, by picking a heel-free shoe you are using your muscles more optimally than if you were wearing a heel. More (awesome) info here.
Spend time OUT of your shoes. In the comfort of your home is a good start. Your feet are wonderfully complex structures and are capable of so much more movement than they get inside a shoe. Give them some natural loads to build muscle strength and mobility. This will help your whole body. The fitter, stronger and healthier your feet are, the happier your ankles, knees, hips and low back are!
Changes like these are not for everyone. Changes always need to be made slowly. You are on your feet every day, so they are very sensitive to change. If you have any foot pain/issues, see the appropriate health care provider. These tips are not intended to replace medical advice given by your doctor, chiropodist/podiatrist. If you have any further questions regarding this topic please do not hesitate to contact the clinic here.
If you have been putting up with foot, ankle, hip or low back pain, gentle hands-on care at Natural Back Health may be suitable for you. Call today to arrange your first visit!!
Check out some more basic tips for happy, healthy feet here!
I have a whole health and body philosophy to my treatments. My plan of care generally includes tailored advice on stress management, nutrition, exercise, sleep and in-house gentle, safe manual therapy.
If you have any further questions regarding this topic please do not hesitate to contact the clinic.
Hopefully you find the general information in this blog informative and helpful, however it is not intended to replace medical advice and should not be used as such.