When the snow starts to melt, birds begin to chirp, and flowers finally grow again, that can only mean one thing – goodbye, winter and hello, spring! Now’s the time to get out and be more active, but don’t run out the door just yet. Spring is the time of the year when plantar fasciitis, or heel pain, is most common. Want to protect your feet? Check out 4 ways to help avoid heel pain in the spring.
Walk Before You Run
It’s understandable to want to get out and be active as soon as the weather warms up in the Midwest. However, this can cause strain in your feet. According to Foot Health Facts, “sudden increased activity following several months of low or no activity can result in heel pain.” Start out slow when you get back to exercising by running shorter distances in less time. Build your way back up into a routine and continue from there without pain in your heels.
Stretch Ahead of Time
If you’ve been feeling a tightness in your calves already, a bit of heel pain may come next. That’s because muscles like the ones in your calves are working hard each time you walk, run, or exercise. James Dunne of Kinetic Revolution shows three stretches to fix your heel pain. Try to stretch your feet and legs twice a day to ensure flexibility.
Avoid Trading Support for Comfort
With the warmer months ahead, you can ditch the winter boots and thick socks to let your feet breathe a little. In order to avoid heel pain here, don’t ditch support for comfort too often. During this time of year, people are more likely to wear flip-flops or even go barefoot. By making sure there is support underneath your sole, there will be less risk for pain.
Running Shoes Over Tennis Shoes
The main difference between running shoes and tennis shoes is that running shoes are designed for forward movement and have padding to protect the ankles. Tennis shoes don’t protect your ankles, as they were designed for side-to-side movement. Make an investment in the type of shoe that was designed for the activity you’re planning to participate in. This will have a positive effect on your feet’s health overall.
Feet are coming out whether you like it or not – like daisies! But if you’re having difficulty enjoying the spring because of heel pain, don’t wait for it to get worse. Stop by the Foot & Ankle Center today and speak with one of our friendly doctors.