Wanting to get fit and have decided to start walking or running? You are not alone. People are taking the activity more seriously than ever before. And it looks like the habit is going to stick around as 59% of people think that running and walking are the best way to achieve their fitness goals.
If you’ve taken it upon yourself to up your step over the past year, you’ll be familiar with one of the less positive side effects: sore feet. But is this dull ache really any surprise, given that your feet have to carry your entire body weight around all day?
Usually this pain is due to overuse. As with any other part of your body, when you start to use the muscles and tissues more than it’s used to, it can pain. But the particular problem with your feet is that there are so many nerve endings that it can feel really sore to step on them after a long walk.
It doesn’t mean you just have to just accept these aches as a downside to your new hobby, though. There are simple steps to looking after your feet so you’re ready to take on weekend walks without pain.
HOW TO EASE FOOT PAIN WHEN WALKING AND RUNNING
Strengthen the muscles
Prevention is always better than cure, so strengthening the tissue in our feet will enable them to take on longer walks, tougher terrain, and more impact. If you’re feeling irritation, strengthening the muscles is a good place to start. You can do heel raises or even toe scrunches while watching Netflix by putting a towel under your foot and grabbing it with your toes before releasing back down.
Get the right gear
Your feet are one thing that you shouldn’t cut corners on. That doesn’t mean you have to go out and invest loads of money on new trainers, but think about it as if you were buying a pair of heels for a night out – you wouldn’t buy a pair that are so uncomfortable you couldn’t dance.
There are loads of great walking shoes out there, but the most important thing is that “you can put your foot in and feel supported straight away. And if you’re going to take the shoes seriously, don’t neglect the socks. Avoid any that roll down, itch or have annoying seams so that you don’t risk blisters.
Roll the feet
Athletes roll their feet all the time to loosen the tissue, release tension and improve flexibility in the foot. Take a massage ball, tennis ball, golf ball or even a (strong) glass bottle and placing it under the arch of your foot. Roll it forwards, backwards and side to side, but rather than going in tough on one bit straight away, just spend some time giving everything attention. It’s all connected, so it should loosen the tension.
Stretch the toes
The foot is mainly ligaments and tissues, rather than muscle, so there aren’t a lot of great stretches to release tension in the feet. But one posture that can feel great after a long walk is a simple toe stretch –on the floor, sit on your heels with all of your toes tucked under and lean back into your heels as far as you can to feel the release.
Rest
You wouldn’t do two leg-days back-to-back, so why would you put your feet through it? Treat your feet like you would any other body part. Listen to your body – if your feet feel overworked, give them some rest.
Remember, there’s no shame in not hitting 10,000 steps a day if your feet had a big day yesterday. In fact, it could be what they need.
Call us today to resolve your foot pain.
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