Our feet take the brunt of everything we do whether its walking, dancing, running, climbing stairs, playing sports or even walking uphill! Often we forget about foot health until they are sore, blistered, sprained or broken. But the simple fact is that our feet take more punishment than any other part of our body.
Our feet are rather delicate and full of nerve endings, ligaments, muscles and 28 bones making up 32 separate joints! That is a lot of construction packed into a very small space. They all work together ensuring stable support for our daily lives. Our ankles and feet begin the lower chain of lower, leg, knee, upper leg, hip & pelvis. As I have recently learned, my own severe foot pain seems to have begun as a pinched sciatic nerve at the base of my spine. Lesson learned: the ankle/foot to body connection is very real!
Part of a Longevity Mindset is knowing how to care for the health of your ankles and feet so that they can, quite literally, carry you into your 90's with ease. Ill-fitting shoes, poor posture, lack of general foot maintenance and the natural degenerative changes that come with our aging process can cause undue stress and injury to the ankle and foot area. Let's dive into how you can support those hard working feet!
#1 Visit an orthopedic shoe retailer for a proper foot measurement. They are very knowledgeable in which shoes will work best for your lifestyle, foot issues and fit requirements. Proper shoes can reduce inflammation and soreness in the lower extremities in record time. The difference your feet will feel in well fitting shoes is like tasting chocolate for the first time!
#2 Most insurance plans includes Podiatry, which is the medicine and care of the foot and ankle. My personal suggestion is to see a Podiatrist beginning around the ages of 30-35 to get an assessment of how your feet are working and to create a plan to prevent any foot and ankle issues during the next 20 years of your life. Do not wait until you reach 50! So much pain and inflammation can be avoided with simple prevention and awareness. If your feet are in generally good condition, perhaps you only need to see one every 5 years. If you do have issues, then consider an annual appointment with a podiatrist to stay on top of things. But make an initial appointment so you know where to begin. Pedicure, foot massages and soaks are also excellent ways to care for our feet on a continual basis. Once we are well into our old age, we will regret not making time for healthy mobility, especially if it means we lose it. This is an important step!
#3 Arthritis is a naturally occurring part of our degenerative process and we feel it as stiffness and pain. Osteoarthritis is the degenerative process of the cartilage and joints and comes with more sever stiffness, pain & mobility issues. We can make our aging process less painful by correcting our posture and gait, foot strength, endurance and flexibility. These are achieved through all the above plus exercises that include the entire chain of bones and muscles (foot to hip) connected to the foot and ankle.
Understanding the simple mechanics that keep our body healthy is a proven way to stay on the path to daily health and our beautiful journey into longevity.