Left foot, right foot, feet, feet, feet …
How often do you think about your feet? Most of us don’t unless they hurt or we need a pedicure. We tend to be more concerned with other parts of our body, their appearance or function. But here’s the thing. While we go about our day thinking about other things, our feet do the hard work of transporting us to where we need to go. All day long. Every day. For a lifetime, while suffering through often poor footwear choices.
Fun facts about feet:
During your lifetime you will likely walk approx. 115,000 miles, enough to circle the globe more than 4 times!!
There are 26 bones in a foot. That’s one quarter of all the bones in your body.
25% of people in the US have flat feet.
The soles of your feet have more nerve endings per square centimeter than any other part of the body.
Your feet contain 250,000 sweat glands, which can produce a ½ pint of perspiration a day. Yikes!
Ok, so those are some interesting facts about feet. But why write a blog post about it? Because as is the case with pretty much any other part of the body, it is important to take care of our feet so they may carry us all the way to the end.
In my line of work, I frequently hear people complain about foot problems, bunions, corns, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, hammer toes, nail disorders, etc. Some of these conditions are caused by our choice of footwear or certain behaviors, some are caused by trauma or medical conditions. While some cannot be prevented or avoided, there are things we can do to reduce the chances of suffering from many of these foot problems, such as:
Ditching the heels! Yes, they are cute and sexy, but they force your toes into an unnatural position and create uneven weight distribution, which can cause a range of ailments from ingrown toenails to plantar fasciitis, not to mention knee and back problems.
Trying to stay at a healthy weight. Your feet bear the weight of your entire body. The more weight, the harder they have to work.
Wearing well-fitting shoes! Duh!
Staying hydrated! Your body functions best when it is properly hydrated. That includes your feet. Proper hydration can lower the risk of swelling of feet and ankles, and also improves the health of skin and nails, making it less likely to experience cracked heels and brittle, splitting toenails. (Read my blog post “Keep Drinking” https://www.petrahaynes.com/blog/blog-post-title-two-7sdwt for more tips on hydration).
And last but definitely not least, GO BAREFOOT for at least 10-15 minutes a day, providing you don’t have a medical condition that prohibits you from doing so! Just like any other muscle in the body, the muscles of our feet need to work to remain strong and flexible. Walking barefoot is probably the easiest way to accomplish that. Of course, the surfaces you walk on should be clean and free of debris to avoid injuries or infections. Benefits of walking barefoot include:
Better control of your foot position when it strikes the ground.
Improvements in balance, proprioception, and body awareness, which can help with pain relief.
Better foot mechanics, which can lead to improved mechanics of the hips, knees, and core.
Maintaining appropriate range of motion in your foot and ankle joints as well as adequate strength and stability within your muscles and ligaments.
Relief from improperly fitting shoes, which may cause bunions, hammertoes, or other foot deformities.
Stronger leg muscles, which support the lower back region.
So, kick off your shoes and show your feet some love! Bonus: another reason to get a pedicure with a fun summer color. My current fave: Ocean Motion! What’s yours?
Sources: nyfoothealth.com, oldbridgefootdr.com, www.healthline.com, Dr. Jonathan Kaplan, foot & ankle specialist and orthopedic surgeon