More and more people nowadays enjoy leading active lives, and that is certainly a beneficial thing. We enjoy fast-paced, engaging jobs more than ever, and most of us also partake in pastimes on the side.
But when you’re always on the move, mishaps, such as foot injuries, find a way to affect you every now and then regardless of your age or occupation.
Foot Injury Prevention Tips
No matter what your job is or what you do as a hobby, accidents and foot injuries are bound to occur every once in a while. However, some of the hardest ones to cope with are at the level of the feet and ankles. For this reason, it’s best to avoid them altogether as much as possible.
Here are three preventive ways to deal with these types of foot injuries.
Wear Appropriate Footwear
The lack of proper footwear to support the nature of our daily activities is one of the main culprits behind foot pain and related foot injuries. Depending on the field they work in, different people will require different types of shoes. More physically demanding occupations require special protection and attention, while comfort is essential in the office.
For example, if you have a job in construction or landscaping, see here a list of the most comfortable work boots to choose from. At the other end of the spectrum, if you spend your days at a desk in front of a computer, your options are a lot more varied. Still, you need to ensure that your shoes fit right so that you can last the entire eight-hour workday unharmed.
One mistake that many women make is wearing high heels on a daily basis. This leads to blisters, calluses, and bunions later in life, as well as chronic foot pain, due to lack of arch support and improper posture. Rocking a pair of stilettos on a special occasion is fine, just be careful not to overdo it because that’s when trouble truly starts, and foot injuries can be the result.
Finally, always buy shoes that fit. Many people make the mistake of buying theirs in a hurry, but it’s recommended that you take your time and try on a few different pairs and sizes. Walk around the store in them for a bit and see how each of them feels, then make your choice. And always go shopping in the afternoon, after your feet have naturally swollen up.
Ensure Proper Nutrition
Proper nutrition is essential for a healthy musculoskeletal system, and maintaining it is a sure way to prevent foot injuries. As you may well be aware of by now, calcium is the crucial nutrient for this. It can be found in milk and dairy products such as cheese and yogurt, as well as dark leafy green vegetables like broccoli, kale, spinach or Brussel sprouts.
And, of course, plenty of vitamin D is also required so that the calcium is properly absorbed, and you are able to enjoy its full health benefits. The natural way of acquiring this nourishing substance is by direct exposure to sunlight, but supplements work too.
Alcohol is something to be avoided if you want strong bones because overconsumption leads to osteoporosis, and potential foot injuries if you fall while intoxicated.
Furthermore, when you’re inebriated, your risk of falling and hurting yourself is at an all-time high. A glass a day or so is fine, but anything beyond that increases the odds.
Engage in Regular Exercise
Regardless of whether you’re an athlete or not, you need to take good care of your body and keep its strength up. And that includes the feet as well, as they are easily prone to foot injuries.
Professional runners regularly perform a specific set of exercises to strengthen their feet and ankles, and so should you.
Calf stretches and drops are amazing for relieving tension and pain in the heel and ankle, as is stretching your toes and arches. Nevertheless, if you don’t have time for a full-blown routine, taking brisk 30-minute walks daily is equally beneficial for people of all ages. And the best part about this is that you can do it anywhere.
Therefore, the next time you plan on hitting the farmer’s market on a Sunday morning, walk there instead of taking the bus. Or, if you’re on your way to work, get off two stops earlier and complete the rest of your commute on foot. As long as you’ve got shoes that fit well, you’ll also get a good amount of exercise.
Conclusion
Preventing foot injuries is possible once you invest in the right pair of shoes. Proper footwear for your profession is a must, and the perfect pair should ideally provide you with support, safety, and comfort for days. But even so, pain and other symptoms might arise. If that’s the case, relieving some of the pent-up tension with exercise is a viable idea.
And, of course, ensuring proper nutrition all throughout your life leads to a strong and healthy musculoskeletal system. Vigorous bones don’t break as easily, which means that you will be better guarded even when an accident befalls you.
Author Bio:
With an educational background in Engineering Design and a personal interest in all things construction and workforce related, Vince West is behind WorkBootCritic.com.
He’s a news geek, especially when it comes to keeping up to date with the industry’s biggest developments.
Ken Weiss is a health blogger who is passionate about natural and holistic cures for men’s health issues. He is the founder of menshealthcures.com
