Your feet literally carry you through life. Here we give five tips that you can use to keep your feet healthy and strong. By the way, it’s not just about proper care.
Healthy feet are important because they carry us throughout our lives. And yet many people often pay little attention to them – until they cause problems. Pain or foot misalignments such as hallux valgus and heel spurs are very common foot problems. Problems with your feet are not only unpleasant, but can also have far-reaching consequences for the rest of your body.
Many typical foot problems can often be avoided through targeted care and healthy habits. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to have regular foot care, but rather that you can help keep your feet healthy by making small changes to your everyday habits. Here you will find five tips.
1. Make sure you have proper footwear
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The right shoes are crucial for healthy feet. Shoes that don’t fit well, rub, or are poorly made can cause major damage to your feet. When choosing your shoes, it is not important to buy the most expensive branded shoes. Rather, the footwear must fit your feet and your needs. If you are a student or work in an office, you will need completely different shoes for your everyday life than people who work on a construction site or otherwise walk and stand a lot every day.
The general rule is: suitable shoes for healthy feet. Here are some criteria that good shoes should meet:
- The shoes should offer your toes enough space and not be too tight.
- The forefoot should have plenty of freedom of movement, while the heel should have a firm grip.
- Your shoes should be generally comfortable and not press, rub, be too hard or slide back and forth on your foot.
- If your feet sweat quickly, you should also make sure your shoes are well ventilated.
- If you have orthopedic problems (misalignment of the spine, knee problems, existing illnesses or misalignment of the feet), you should always consult your orthopedist before buying new shoes: your footwear can have a major impact on your entire skeleton. If you already have problems in this regard, it is even more important that your footwear is chosen correctly so as not to make the problems worse.
- If necessary: Keep in mind that orthopedic insoles require some space, so when buying your shoes, consider that they can be a little wider if you wear insoles regularly.
Conclusion: Be sure to take enough time when choosing new shoes. It is already well known how much incorrect footwear can damage the feet and therefore the entire bone structure.
2. Keep your feet healthy with barefoot running
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Another tip for healthy feet is walking barefoot. According to AOK, walking barefoot is one of the best exercises to strengthen the foot muscles and support the natural foot position. So try to walk barefoot as often as possible – be it on soft surfaces such as grass or sand or even at home. This activates small muscles in the foot that are often not used enough in everyday life. This exercise helps to promote natural balance and prevent foot misalignment.
If you do this regularly and your foot muscles are well trained, you can also consider switching to barefoot shoes. These are minimalist shoes that allow the foot complete natural freedom of movement and provide little support in the form of a heel or padding. Wearing such shoes can help keep your foot muscles active in everyday life. Barefoot shoes are also very light, which is particularly pleasant in summer.
Read more about it here:
- Healthy and sustainable? Barefoot shoe boom in check
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Note: If you already have foot problems, you should approach walking barefoot carefully so as not to overload your feet. Because if there are already misalignments in the skeletal system, walking barefoot is often quite stressful for joints and muscles. If there are certain incorrect movement sequences and poor posture, you risk potentially aggravating your symptoms by walking too much barefoot at once.
You should also always approach barefoot shoes slowly: for example, start with light sneakers with a low heel and a medium-thick sole. If you notice that you don’t have any problems with this, you can choose a model with less heel and padding every time you buy shoes and switch to barefoot shoes at some point.
3. Do foot exercises regularly
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With targeted exercises for healthy feet, you can keep your foot muscles flexible and strong, according to the AOK. Simple foot gymnastics exercises, such as gripping objects with your toes or circling your ankles, can be easily integrated into everyday life. Rolling a small ball under the sole of your foot can also help relieve tension and promote blood circulation. Just a few minutes a day can make such a big difference and prevent pain.
Here are some suggestions for simple foot gymnastics exercises:
While standing:
- Stand tall and pretend your toes are digging into the ground. Hold the tension for a few seconds, then release the tension and repeat the whole thing a few times.
- Stand upright and try to alternately pull your toes up toward your body. The legs remain stretched. If necessary, hold onto a wall if you have trouble keeping your balance.
Possible while sitting or lying down:
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Grab small objects with your feet, such as a towel or a pen
- Try to switch your feet between a “pointed” (foot makes an arch) and “extended” (tip of the foot pulls towards your shin) posture. Repeat this a few times. It’s completely normal that you might get a cramp in your foot at the beginning. As your feet get stronger, this will happen less often or not at all.
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Circle your ankles.
- Try to move your individual toes independently of each other or consciously spread your toes without the help of your hands and hold this position for as long as possible.
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Stretch your feet regularly.
4. Properly care for healthy feet
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Regular care of your feet is just as important as strengthening for foot health. Dry skin and cracks can cause pain and increase the risk of infection. Here’s what you can do at home to give your feet a good rest:
- Use a moisturizing (homemade) foot cream to keep the skin supple.
- Calluses can crack and should always be removed carefully. It’s best to use a file or pumice stone for this. Alternatively, home remedies can also help: Remove calluses: These home remedies will make your feet beautiful
- Also pay attention to your toenails: They should be cut straight to minimize the risk of ingrown toenails.
5. Avoid overexertion and give your feet enough breaks
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Excessive strain can cause pain and inflammation in your feet and worsen existing foot problems. You can do the following things to avoid overuse and support healthy feet:
- Avoid standing for long periods of time without taking a break or carrying heavy loads for long periods of time if possible. Also pay attention to good posture in general.
- Give your feet a break regularly, especially if your daily routine involves a lot of walking and standing.
- Give your feet targeted recovery: A rising foot bath and a foot massage can help to loosen tense muscles and relieve the strain on your feet.
- You can massage your feet with your fingers or a massage ball.
Healthy feet are important for feeling good about your body. Heed these tips and you can have a better life in the long term.
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