Our feet usually absorb more shock and force when we run than any other parts of our body. However, it is the only part on the body that gives absolute power to make running comfortable and fun. Feet ache, sweat, crack, peel, blister, itch and smell are common issues runner experience.
Giving the right care to these issues at an early stage is important to keep your feet healthy. Sadly, not many runners focus on giving the right feet care – which almost always aggregates feet conditions that ultimately affects the quality of running. This article will give few feet care tips for runner – to keep their feet in good condition for running.
Purchase the right shoes
First things first – always make sure you are purchasing the right type of shoes, depending on the path or gait that you are running in. It’s always best to ask recommendations from experts on what kind of shoes best fits you and the purpose you run for.
In general shoes like Nike air Max are considered good trainers for running. They have a good shape in the shoe sole with a good amount of padding or cushioning that keeps your feet light and comfortable and in a good form, throughout the running session.
And remember that the average life of any running shoes is 350-500 miles. In case you’re taller, heavier or use rough path or gait to run, then you may require to invest in new shoes sooner. Some extremely light-weighted shoes can deteriorate the material quality quickly too. Sometimes just after running 100 miles, light-weighted shoes can reduce some of its shock absorption.
Keep your feet dry
Some runners tend to suffer from sweaty and wet feet that causes fungal problems and other running complications gradually. Keeping the feet dry is essential to keep your feet away from these problems, but it’s not always easy. There are around 125,000 sweat glands in our feet. This can produce 4 ounces of moisture per day.
To get around this problem, you can opt for breathable, lightweight, moisture-wicking socks and never wear any damp socks. Besides, try to invest in a pair of water-resistant trail-running shoes and make sure that any shoe you wear is dry before you put them on.
Cool Down Your Toes
Some runner experience overheated feet or feet swelling while running. For this- it’s always best to apply ice or soak the feet in cold water, immediately after running. You can also add some Epsom salt to cold water and soak your feet for a few minutes. But overdoing this may make your feet too dry, causing easy cracks.
If you come across a stream or end your run near a water source, stick your feet in the water for few minutes. And if you’re feet gets noticeable swollen while you run, sit and relax for a few minutes with your legs raised and use an ice pack on them for less than 20 minutes.
As runners keeping away feet issues or injuries is inevitable. However, following simple feet care tips as the ones listed above can stop feet issues from worsening over-time.
