Walking is a great, safe, easy, and gentle form of exercise. But walking injuries that seem innocent or unimportant can end up sidelining you! And if you can’t walk, you’re not doing much for your health. Once you get out of a regular fitness routine, it can be very hard to get back in.
Feeling sore or tender on the bottom of your foot? You may be suffering from plantar fasciitis. The band of tissue that pads your foot is known as the plantar fascia. Walking in hard shoes or on hard surfaces like concrete can cause small tears in the plantar fascia. Your body stiffens the tissue as a protective response. Prevent plantar fasciitis by wearing shoes with a supportive, contoured footbed at all times. Roll your foot on a golf ball, tennis ball, or water bottle to ease the stiffness. Stick to flat, giving paths (like dirt roads) until the pain goes away.
Experiencing tender toes? Pain or swelling on the sides of your toes could be a sign of ingrown toenails. Ingrown toenails develop when the corners or sides of your nails grow sideways instead of forward. This puts pressure on the skin around your toes. Check your shoes — tight shoes can make ingrown toenails more likely. Make sure you’ve got some wiggle room for your ten little piggies.
Are your heels and calves aching? You might have tendinitis in your Achilles tendon, the one that connects your calf to your heel. Walking up and down steep hills can cause strain; too much walking if you haven’t been building up to it can also be trouble for your Achilles tendon. Start by cutting back on your distance and avoid walking uphill.
You can prevent a lot of foot problems with a pair of good walking shoes!
- Look for shoes that are specifically designed for walking, regardless of how often you’re planning to walk.
- Don’t skimp on your shoes just because you’re not sure if you’re going to stick with it. Cheap shoes or inappropriate shoes are a quick way to injure yourself.
- Try your shoes on at the store and walk around in them for a few minutes before making a decision.
- Make sure your shoes are big enough!
- Replace your shoes every 500 miles. Or once you notice that the interior padding has lost cushioning power.