Staying Safe during Your Workouts

Your feet and ankles support the weight of your body every day. Therefore, you should make a good effort to take care of them. By maintaining good foot and ankle health, you can reduce your risk of many foot disorders, like bunions, hammertoes, and heel pain.

Here are a few foot and ankle care tips.

Look at Your Feet Daily

Inspecting your feet each day only takes a couple of minutes and can help you detect issues early on. As you are assessing your feet, check for cuts, discolored nails, peeling, and any other abnormalities. If you find any issues with your feet, you should make an appointment with a podiatrist right away.

Wear Shoes That Fit

Believe it or not, many people wear shoes that do not fit their feet properly. After a while, this can lead to potential foot and ankle problems. Before you purchase a pair of shoes, you should walk around in them to make sure they feel comfortable and do not cause rubbing. If you are not sure about the size of your feet, you may want to get them professionally measured.

Do not Go Barefoot in Public Areas

Walking around barefoot might feel good, but you should avoid doing it in public areas. If you do not wear shoes at public pools or gyms, for example, you could put yourself at risk of infecting your feet.

Maintain Normal Blood Sugar

Diabetics have a higher chance of developing nerve damage in their feet. If you have diabetes, keeping your blood sugar under control is an effective way to maintain healthy feet. There are plenty of foods that can help you control your blood sugar, including oatmeal, sweet potatoes, legumes, nuts, and yogurt.

Staying physically active, drinking water, and reducing stress can also help you maintain normal blood sugar levels and healthy feet.

See a Podiatrist for Pain

One of the worst things you can do for your feet is to ignore the pain. There are a lot of conditions that can lead to pain in your feet, such as arthritis, bunions, ingrown toenails, and hammertoe. Have a podiatrist examine your feet as soon as possible to determine what the issue is. 

If you follow these helpful pointers, you can keep your feet and ankles in great shape. If you have not gotten your feet examined by a podiatrist in a while, you should schedule an appointment in the near future. Reach out to a local foot and ankle care specialist near you.