Do you suffer from foot issues ? Just a small amount of care can make a big difference.
And I’m not talking here about foot issues like how to file your nails or having sparkly toenails, though that will make your feet look lovely & may make you feel better, especially if your feet have been in toe covered shoes for months.
Did you know that foot pain is extremely common & comes in many forms whatever our age , but can get worse as we get older ?
Foot issues & pain can be even more problematic when entering menopause. This is because of declining estrogen, affecting our collagen production, which makes our connective tissues & tendons less supportive/supple. This is a big deal, as each of your feet has 100 tendons, 26 bones & 33 joints.
Whatever your age, our feet are subjected to massive amounts of wear & tear, so that combined with hormonal changes (we’re talking perimenopause here as well, so ladies in their thirties can be affected). This means we are more likely to suffer from more ‘foot issues’ like plantar fasciliitis & rigid big toe joints (hallux limitus).
Rigid big toes joints are a common problem for many ladies, this is a progressive, arthritic condition,which limits the motion,function of the big toe joint and foot stability ( the first metatarsal is not working properly, so it’s jamming against the base of the big toe joint). If not checked out, this can mean not good changes in the bone.
If we do have ‘foot issues’ and do nothing about it, it can have an effect on your knees , hips & core, impacting on their function & performance. This makes complete sense really, as our feet are like the foundations of a house, if there’s a problem with the foundations, the house is shaky.
If you are in pain and /or worried always seek medical advice from your Dr, physician, physio or foot specialist like a podiatrist. It’s important to get it checked out, as small problems can get bigger over time & have a knock on effect on our other joints.
What can you do to help sort out your foot issues ?
1.Know about your own feet. You might already know that you have flat feet, or fallen or high arches, but these can just be different types of foot shape.
These shapes only become a problem , if they affect your foot function & your foot isn’t moving well because of it.
For a simple assessment, have a look in the mirror, wearing your shorts, look at your feet, knees & hips , is your ankle stable & straight over your foot? Are your feet pointed pretty symmetrically, or is one foot doing it’s own thing?
Check your shoes too, look at them from behind, is one wearing differently to the other, are you wearing one particular spot on your shoes more than the other?
2.Make sure your shoes fit properly. It’s especially important that your sports shoes fit well, you want a thumbs width space from the tip of your longest toe & the front of the shoe, this for most people is your second toe.
You also need to check that that the widest part of your foot , matches the widest part of the shoe, so your foot has the full support of the shoe.
3.This is something that you’ll be aware of, sorry ladies! But wear high heels sparingly.
Wearing high heels daily, can put a lot of stress on the front of your foot & shorten your Achilles tendon which can you make you more prone to all the foot problems above, as well as hammertoes & bunions.
To really help your feet, reduce the size of your high heels to no more than 2 inches, in a wedge or stack, which will give more stability then spiked heel.
4.Mixing up your footwear is so important for foot health.
If you wear the same shoes all the time, the muscles in your foot get used in the same way. The more you mix up the shoes you wear, that includes going barefoot as well, the more you even out the stresses & strains you put on your feet.
5.Exercise your feet.
Strong feet = healthy feet.
Love your feet by training them with different exercises.
I’ve got a daily routine called ‘foot love’. It’s in here – look for the video library
I used to get regular big toe discomfort & heel pain (I’ve had the foot checked out & have tendonitis , been a bit lazy with my walking gait, so have been practising that, as well as strengthening exercises for my foot with bands & specific Pilates reformer exercises).
Doing my foot routine above daily , as well as Pilates reformer footwork has meant that I don’t have big toe pain anymore & has reduced my tendonitis by exercising & stretching my feet, legs & hips – yippee !!
In my Mat Pilates classes, there are exercises that stretch & exercise your feet (as well as the whole body), although there won’t be a specific focus on ‘feet’ themselves.
Did you know that wearing toe separators (which are often used when having a pedicure, or putting polish on your nails) are really useful for some foot issues lik bunions & hammertoes ? This is because they help stretch out constricted tissues, which are affecting alignment, by pulling on the bones.
And you can wear them watching the TV, or sitting down at your computer.
Let me know if you have foot issues & what’s helped you.
Claire x
