5 Ways To Keep Your Feet Healthy
Your feet are an essential tool for your mobility and health. For example, problems with your feet can be a sign of diabetes or other issues that include bunions, painful blisters, corns, or heel spurs. Washing your feet with antibacterial soap and drying them properly is one of the first ways to keep your feet healthy. In addition, you can invest in a pair of Protalus inserts for heel spurs if you want to treat your condition. Discover five more easy tips to help you take care of your feet.
Always Keep Your Feet Dry
Walking in damp areas or not drying your feet after a bath can lead to athlete’s foot. This itchy rash is a common nuisance that indicates you’re not taking care of your feet and keeping them dry. Keeping your feet dry will help you avoid a foot infection, but it’s also important to wear clean, dry socks. Try wearing socks that absorb the moisture from your shoes or sweaty feet.
Trim Your Toenails Correctly
Long toenails can harbor dirt and spread an infection to other areas of your feet. Your toenails work to protect your feet against everyday activities and should be trimmed to avoid foot problems. In fact, you want to trim your toenails correctly to avoid fungus or a painful ingrown toenail. When you take the time to trim your toenails regularly, you’ll be rewarded with healthier feet.
Wear Boots as Often as Possible
Wearing the right type of boots is a great contribution to healthy feet. In fact, some professionals require their employees to wear boots to protect their feet from moisture or hazardous materials. When worn properly, boots can be comfortable and provide considerable protection to help you maintain healthy feet. More importantly, boots help improve your balance, reduce the risk of fallen arches, or minimize flat feet. Boots serve as supportive shoes to protect your feet.
Avoid Tight Shoes
To ensure your feet are healthy, ask yourself, “Are my shoes too tight?” Wearing shoes that are too snug on your feet can lead to serious foot problems. If your toes are too close together (like puzzle pieces) or don’t point straight forward, you’re wearing your shoes too tight. Try wiggling your toes inside of your shoes to check whether you’re wearing shoes that could be too tight. Your feet should be balanced in your shoes at all times.
Never Walk Barefoot in Public Places
You will find a tremendous number of bacteria and harmful objects lurking on the ground. To protect your feet from cuts or abrasions and keep them healthy, avoid walking barefoot in public places. More importantly, walking barefoot does not provide your feet with the proper strength you’ll need to balance your entire body. Walking barefoot exposes your feet to several harmful bacteria and infections as well as puts you at risk for potential injuries.
It’s important to take care of your feet if you expect them to be healthy. Use the tips above to ensure you’re taking care of your feet. Consult a doctor or a podiatrist if your foot problems persist or for more advice on how to care for your feet.