Top 5 Tips to Care for Your Feet as You Age
As you age, you are likely to take care of
your health but one important body part that often remains off the radar is the
feet. Though your feet are under tremendous amounts of pressure, you may often
neglect them when it comes to taking care of your overall health. However, you
should remember that aging affects your feet just as it does the rest of your
body. Indeed you can call your feet the unsung hero of your mobility and hence
should take all the necessary steps to ensure that they stay healthy. Here are
the top five-foot care tips that you should adhere to.
1. Maintaining Ideal Weight: As you age your BMI (Body Mass Index) increases, especially if you start leading a sedentary life. This excess weight puts your feet under extra pressure which they find difficult to handle. As a result, your risk of foot pain increases. The solution lies in shedding the excess flab and leading an active life in order to maintain an ideal weight.
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1. Maintaining Ideal Weight: As you age your BMI (Body Mass Index) increases, especially if you start leading a sedentary life. This excess weight puts your feet under extra pressure which they find difficult to handle. As a result, your risk of foot pain increases. The solution lies in shedding the excess flab and leading an active life in order to maintain an ideal weight.
2. Using External Cushioning:
Humans are born with a specific amount of fat under the feet, particularly
under the balls and the heels, which facilitates shock absorption. Since aging
triggers the loss of this fat pad, you are likely to become more susceptible to
balance problems, bruised bones, and stress fractures as you get older.
Podiatrists suggest using external
cushioning (such as gel pads, insoles, etc.) to supplement the fat pad,
which can help you steer clear of pain and other foot problems as you age.
3. Seeking Medical Attention
for Numbness or Tingling Sensation in Feet: Blood circulation problems are
common in older people. The blood flow to your feet may also be affected by
other factors such as smoking, peripheral neuropathy, diabetes, and blood clots.
Since poor or obstructed blood flow often manifests itself in the form of pain,
numbness and tingling sensation in the feet, you should seek medical attention
if you experience such conditions.
4. Performing Basic
Stretches and Simple Exercises for Maintaining Foot Mobility: For strengthening
your foot muscles, you should do simple stretches and exercises after
consulting your foot doctor. These could include foot circles, basic stretches
for your Achilles, heel, and toe raises, standing on one foot, etc. Many
podiatrists suggest swimming and cycling as cardio workouts. Since they aren’t weight-bearing
activities, they are easier on your feet.
5. Getting an Annual
Foot Check-Up Done: As you get older, you should ensure that you get an annual
foot health check is done as it’s as important as your hearing or sight test.
Regular foot checkups can help the doctor identify the first signs of trouble
caused by conditions like diabetes, circulatory problems, etc. Even some common
problems such as cracked skin, corns, and ingrown toenails can be successfully
treated on time if you don’t miss your regular appointments with your
podiatrist.
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