With a new year on the horizon, I wish you a happy andprosperous year and many trouble-free miles on your feet!5. Warts: Plantar warts are a form of a virus thatare easily transmissible through a crack in the skin. People often go barefoot ingym locker rooms or showers, making it the perfect time to become infected.Plantar warts can be painful, especially when they overlie a pressure point onthe foot. Wearing shoes in the locker room/shower can help prevent thiscomplication that may slow you down in the gym. If you think you may have aplantar wart, see your Podiatrist for treatment options.
4. Fungus: Let’s face it, everyone’s feet sweatwhile working out. Unfortunately, fungus likes to harbor in dark, moistenvironments, also known as your shoes and socks. Anyone can develop athlete’sfoot infection, but your sweaty sneakers are a prime spot to harbor fungus.
Athlete’sfoot infection can be itchy and cause cracking between the toes. A simplesolution is to wash socks after every use and spray Lysol in your tennis shoesfollowing your work out activities. See your podiatrist if you think you mayhave athlete’s foot infection or consistently suffer from sweaty feet.3.
Proper fitting shoe gear: It is estimated thatup to 80% of people wear the wrong size shoe gear creating many foot relatedissues. Amongst those issues are blisters, calluses and nail problems. Havingyour foot measured prior to purchasing a shoe can help prevent furthercomplications.2. Stress fractures: Avoid doing the samerepetitive activity day after day. Change up your workout routine consistently.Repetitive activity can result in stress fractures. For instance, if you enjoyrunning try to avoid the use of a treadmill (what we like to call a dread mill)daily.
Many stress fractures arise from the repetitive motion with little shockabsorption offered by the tread mill.1. Athletic shoes: Shoes should be replaced every 6months or after 300-500 miles of use. When using a worn out shoe, footalignment can change increasing the chance of injury and heel pain. Thoughpurchasing new shoes isn’t inexpensive, you are doing yourself a favor andpreventing yourself a trip to the Podiatrist in the long run.The reality is that exercise and healthy eating can benefityour feet immensely, so being able to continue with your exercise program is important. Weight loss significantly reduces thestress on the feet reducing chances of bony, tendinous, and ligamentous injuries.Similarly, exercise, as simple as a daily walking routine, can also improveblood flow to the legs and feet.
Furthermore, avoiding foods that can causeinflammation, such as sugar and fried foods, can help with reducing generalachiness of joints, including those outside of the feet. Let me suggest five NewYear’s resolutions to follow, regarding your foot health, to keep you active andon your feet. With 2018 just days away, we can expect to see manyadvertisements from gyms, nutrition supplement stores and department stores headlining “a new year, a new you!” Many people focus their New Year’s resolutionon weight loss and improving health. However, foot problems are oftenoverlooked and can be a reason people drop out of their exercise regime.
