Comfortable Shoes, Foot and Leg Pain, Shoes, Walking Shoes

6 Healthy Steps For New Walkers

If you are just getting started on a walking regimen, there is one thing you definitely need to keep in mind, a bit of wisdom from the millions of walkers who have come before… “Take care of your feet and your feet will take care of you.”

A walker’s feet can take quite a pounding. Depending on the length of your legs and your walking stride, your feet will hit the ground over 1,400 times, and when they hit the ground, they hit it hard…each step translates to a force of 3-4 times your body weight. With all that pounding, you can expect to walk (all puns intended) into some feet problems at one time or another. You’ll get blisters, stone bruises and more. With all the punishment you dish out to your feet, it just makes sense to take certain precautionary steps to help minimize the potential for injuries or foot pain. By following the steps below, a walker can give themselves a head start in the race to keep their feet healthy.

1) Don’t skimp on the shoes! Make sure you get a high quality comfortable pair of walking shoes. They should fit well, with room to wiggle the toes a bit, but not so loose that you can feel the whole shoe move with each step. Replace them after about 400-500 miles, as shoes will lose their ability to absorb the shock after a while, which means that all that pounding goes directly to your feet.

2) Get several pairs of quality walking socks. Sporting goods stores or walking-specific retail outlets carry non-cotton socks that transfer moisture better than their cotton cousins. Moisture causes blisters, so make good socks a priority purchase.

3) Don’t pick at the blisters! If you use a good pair of well-fitting shoes and proper non-cotton socks and you still get blisters, don’t worry about it. Just cover the blister with a small bandage. If the blister does open up, wash it thoroughly with an antiseptic and re-cover that area with a bandage. This will help prevent any infections from popping up.

4) Keep your toenails trimmed. When you let your toenails grow out, you increase the chances of getting a blood blister to form underneath the nail. If you get a blood blister or other dark discoloration under the nail, visit your doctor to ensure that it isn’t something more serious than just a blister.

5) Properly warm up BEFORE stretching! Too many people stretch first, but stretching muscles that aren’t warmed up already can lead to muscle pulls and other injuries. Take 5 minutes to walk before you stretch out, and you’ll find that your muscles will respond better to it.

6) If you have a hard time finding comfortable shoes that fit, consider looking at shoe modifications or orthotics that fit inside the shoe. Not all feet have the same shape, so if you constantly have difficulty in getting shoes to fit right, talk to your podiatrist about whether a small orthotic insert will help.

Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? By heeding those 6 simple steps, you can rest assured that you’ll be able to enjoy your walk every time you head out the door. Just remember to never take your feet for granted, and your feet will be able to take you anywhere you want to go.