What a lot of people don’t realize is that your feet change as you are aging. Once you are in your 30s your feet will begin to look and feel different. That is one of the main reasons why you should start paying attention and start doing things that will prevent foot pain. That is especially the case if you are working on your feet. If you are one of those people, here are 6 tips on how you can avoid foot pain and make them healthy and happy.
Wear The Right Shoes
Where a lot of people go wrong is thinking that a flat sole is a great choice, but if you are planning on standing for a long period, that is just not the right move. There has been a lot of research that has shown that in order for your feet not to hurt, you need the heel to be elevated at least ¼ inches of the ground but not more than 2 inches. Make sure that the shoes that you have on are providing you with good arch support. That will help reduce any soreness or weakness in your feet as well as your legs. But if you have to wear PPE and you don’t get to choose the shoes, you can get shoe inserts that will help with elevating your foot the right way.
Make Sure They Fit Correctly
Another thing that not a lot of people realize is that they wear shoes that are too small. When your shoes are too small for you will be cutting off circulation and increasing the chances of getting blisters and just being uncomfortable to walk. That is why you need to ensure that you are measuring your feet correctly and getting shoes that actually fit you. Keep in mind that when you are going to be fitted for shoes, make sure that you are going later in the day as your feet swell up towards the end of the day.
Stretch When You Can
As we all know, when you are walking or standing all day your feet muscles will become painful and stiff. That is why you need to stretch your feet once an hour if possible. Here are some of the best ways you can stretch your feet.
If you have time for a more detailed stretch, you can do a popular runners stretch. For this, all you need to do is place your hands on the wall and stretch one leg behind your body. Then you will want to push that heel to the floor as fast as it goes, but make sure that you don’t injure yourself by forcing it too hard. Hold it there for a moment and you should feel the stretch doing its job. Repeat the stress three times on each leg.
Take Care Of Your Feet At Home
Once you come home from an exhausting day at work, you need to make sure that you are also taking care of your feet. That will help them recover and prepare for tomorrow and prevent any injuries from happening.
- Ice your feet
The first and simplest thing that will work wonders on your feet is ice. As long as you don’t have any vascular problems, you can put your feet in a bucket of ice and water for about 20 minutes and it will combat any inflammation and swelling in your feet. Using ice is one of the best, simplest and easiest ways you can help your body heal itself faster.
- Massage your feet
There are so many different ways you can massage your feet, but the simplest way to do it is to run your foot across a tennis ball. It will massage your arches, stretch out the tightness in the muscles and help your feet recover faster.
- Elevate your feet
There is nothing more relaxing than coming home and lifting up your feet. That will help decrease the swelling and help with the pain. You can prop them up on the couch on a stack of willows or you can place them against the wall, or whatever works for you.
See Your Podiatrist If The Pain Persists
If you are already doing all of these things and the pain is still persistent, make sure that you are visiting a licensed podiatrist, such as the South Coast Sports Podiatry, and getting your feet checked out. The pain is a sign that something is wrong, you should never try to walk it off and ignore it.
Get Orthotics
Not everyone needs to have orthotics, but if you have specific foot conditions, you might need to have them. But there are different types and you can always get the memory foam ones that don’t require any conditions, just to make your feet more comfortable in the shoe.
As we have said above, foot pain, no matter how moderate it is, can never be ignored as it is your body saying that something is not right. Make smart choices and don’t strain your feet more than you need to.
