Use Common Sense to Prevent Foot Problems
Maintaining feet and preventing foot problems begins by wearing proper footwear, maintaining a healthy weight, eating well, and exercising. A good shoe should bend only in the part of the shoe that covers and protects your toes, not in the arch. Heels higher than two or three inches can also cause problems. You don’t have to get rid of your favorite pair of four-inch heels to prevent foot problems—just wear them a short time and be willing to take them off if you are standing a long time. You can also prevent foot problems by:
Eating a proper diet to control your weight:
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Exercising with appropriate footwear to stay healthy
- Buying shoes that are comfortable when you first put them on your feet
- Buying shoes when wearing your normal socks
- Wearing cotton or wool socks
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Maintaining a healthy weight plays a key role in preventing foot problems. Although some foot problems are hereditary, remember that controlling the weight your feet and ankles have to support will help prevent many problems. The intermittent force placed on the ball and heel of the foot when you are walking and running is 10 times your body weight. This means that a person who gains an extra 50 pounds will exert an additional 500 pounds of pressure on the ball and heel of the foot when walking or running. If you maintain a healthy weight, you can prevent foot problems.
Pregnant women have to be extra careful because body changes during pregnancy will weaken ligaments in the foot and ankle and increase the risk of injury. The extra weight doesn’t disappear after the baby is born because most mothers are still carrying the baby in their arms, which means more weight for your ankles and feet to support. For this reason, maintaining a healthy weight during pregnancy is very important in preventing foot problems. |