Foot Care Tips For Diabetics

Posted on: 27 July 2018

Sports and regular exercises are some of the sure ways of maintaining foot health. That's because the movement helps to improve blood circulation in your feet and legs. This ensures that your feet and toenails receive all the nourishment that they require from the body. Exercise also strengthens your bones and helps improve your dexterity in sports. However, there are instances when sporting can actually endanger your health and expose you to foot injuries requiring treatment by a sports podiatrist. So as you engage in running, basketball, football, netball and other sporting activities, beware of the following issues which may be exposing you to foot injuries.

Wearing the wrong shoe

The wrong shoe can mean a few things in the sporting world. You could be wearing a shoe that's not fitting correctly, not meant for sports or one that's seen better days. All of these types of shoes can cause foot conditions that will keep you off the pitch for weeks or even months. If you have shoes that are not fitting correctly, replace them with new ones to avoid hurting your toes and nails. Also, as you go shopping, remember that not every kind of shoe is suitable for sporting. Get a pair that can support the kind of sports that you engage in. Finally, watch out for shoe wear and replace shoes that have a worn outsole as these no longer offer adequate protection to your feet.

Sporting barefoot

Ditching the shoes once in a while is a great way of letting your feet breathe and get accustomed to the bare ground. In fact, there is nothing wrong with jogging on the soft grass in your yard without shoes. However, it is not a good idea to engage in exercise barefoot on hard surfaces such as concrete, stone, asphalt and many others. The feet are meant to walk on soft and smooth surfaces. When you jump around and run on hard surfaces without shoes, you exert unnatural stress to the heel and lower portion of the foot. This can lead to stress fractures, especially if you engage in barefoot exercise or sports for extended periods.

Failing to stretch

You may assume that because you get to run and play sports, your feet don't require regular stretches. However, this is not usually the case. Sports usually cause stress to the calf and foot muscles; therefore, it is important to stretch regularly and allow blood flow to these areas. This will prevent pain and inflammation. In fact, stretching exercises that are done a few times every week can dramatically improve your foot health and subsequently better your performance on the field.

Visit a podiatrist regularly for foot checksup so that you can identify problems early and address them before they affect your sporting activities.