Good Foot Health Is No Small “Feet”

Each morning before I step onto the floor I make sure my feet are more awake than I am.  Getting my feet ready to support my body weight with a quick massage and stretch is just like doing the big arm stretch right after I get out of bed.  You know, feet work so hard and they really take a beating so I like to take the time to honor their work and let them know I’m grateful.

Did you know that your feet have 26 bones, 33 joints and over 100 tendons! And that’s without mentioning the ligaments and muscles in your feet.

So I think we should honor our feet!  (knees will have to wait for their time in a later blog). After all, remember Neil Armstrong’s quote as he “stepped” onto the moon. “That’s one small step for man and one giant leap for all mankind.”

First of all, lets see what your feet can tell you about your health.  If you have a pain in your foot your gait changes, and when your gait changes your entire body is affected which can create back pain, hip problems, sore leg muscles – even aching shoulders and neck.

Remember if you act like a heel to your foot it can come back and kick you in the butt. (I’m cracking myself up with all these puns)

So whenever you find yourself with a pain in the foot please pay attention, because it can be the beginning of a multitude of problems.

In fact, any sign of foot trouble may be the start of other problems.  For instance, chronic pain, calluses that go unchecked, very dry skin, swelling, redness or discoloration in the toe nails all are problems that need to be addressed.

Now, get this…the foot has over 250,000 sweat glands!  So, wash your feet!  Clean and dry between the toes; this will get rid of the moisture and bacteria that cause feet to stink and creates nasty skin problems. Don’t be average adult who doesn’t reach their feet with a washcloth or other abrasive material that can eliminate dry skin and fungus.

Most ingrown toenails are due to improper nail clipping.  Cut the nails straight across, no cute little angles on the sides that can cause the nail to grow improperly causing a painful toenail and a doctor’s appointment to correct it.

Feet change and spread over the years so it’s important that you measure. Most adults don’t bother with it. They assume that the size they got last time they bought shoes will do this time as well. Maybe another reason why so many people end up with sore feet.

Don’t keep your feet in old worn out shoes.  There should be a thumb size space between the end of the toe and the end of the shoe. Not having the correct shoe size can result in runner’s toe, calluses, ingrown nails, fungal nail infections, and hammertoe deformities. (I’m not saying who has toes that look like mushrooms)

Now you know Dean and I love our Vibram Five Fingers. Here is what Vibram says about their footwear.

“Wearing FiveFingers during strength and fitness conditioning can increase your comfort, balance, performance and overall sense of control. That’s because many of the poses and exercises you perform during strength and fitness training rely on flexible yet stable support from your feet and legs.” (the support is not coming from our shoes but from our own body)

Whether you chose traditional sneakers or back to barefoot basics we need to treat our feet like they are important.

So there you have it.  Take care of your feet and they will take care of your body and sole. ( I just had to get one more pun in)

Coach Nancy