Unfortunately, foot problems tend to spike in the summer months. Summer foot care is vitally important. Here are some key summer foot care tips to help shift the balance of probability in your favor.
1. DO NOT WALK BAREFOOT OR IN FLIP FLOPS ALL DAY
When you’re wearing proper footwear, your feet will get a lot of extra support and shock absorption to deal with the daily stresses. Take the good shoes away, and muscles and bones have to contend with those heavy impacts and hard, flat surfaces all on their own.
I strongly recommend that you always wear supportive shoes or sandals if you plan to do more than a trivial amount of standing, walking, or athletic activities, and consider wearing shoes indoors for even a few hours per day if you’re experiencing pain.
2. MAKE SURE YOUR SHOES FIT CORRECTLY
Of course, it’s not enough to simply avoid walking around barefoot all the time. If your shoes or sandals don’t fit, don’t deal well with moisture, or aren’t giving your feet the support they need, they might be doing you more harm than good.
Sandals are the obvious choice, but once again avoid flip flops, or any other sandals that flop around or are severely lacking in the arch support and cushioning departments. For closed-toed shoes, look for upper fabrics that breathe, such as canvas or leather, and moisture-wicking socks. At Wigley Feet we offer a great selection of orthopedic shoes that will keep your feet healthy, come and see us soon.
3. PACE YOURSELF
When starting new activities or exercise routines, it’s important to go slow at first. Don’t push yourself to the point of pain, but go at a pace that is moderately challenging yet still within your level of ability.
Then, as your body adjusts to the new activities, you can increase the difficulty (whether that’s measured in weight, distance, duration, etc.) by 10 to 15 percent per week at the most. This will help you build slowly and safely toward your goals, with much less risk of a bad injury that forces you to start all over again.
4. PROTECT YOUR FEET FROM THE SUN
The tops of feet are just as susceptible to sunburn as any other part of your skin, and can obviously be extremely painful if they do get burned. And, in the worst-case scenario, you might be less likely to catch a severe problem on your feet (such as skin cancer) at an early stage than you might if it had appeared on your face or shoulders.
Remember to read and follow the instructions on the bottle of sunscreen. Most recommend you apply at least 30 minutes before going outside, and reapply every few hours (or immediately after swimming.)
Book your appointment today. We are here to listen to what your body has to say.