Thursday, February 3, 2011

Healthy Feet: A Foundation for Fitness

When working on your health and fitness it's easy to overlook the foundation of a healthy body - your feet! Foot health is critical to a healthy fitness regimen as the feet take the brunt of most of our exercise routines.

Whether you’re dealing with plantar fasciitis, hammer toes, bunions or general foot soreness, it’s important to remember to consider the health of your feet in any athletic activity.

Foot Health as an Indicator of Wellness 

Often your foot health can be the front-line indicator of other health issues. Never disregard foot or ankle pain as they could be offering you clues to other issues that require attention. With 26 bones, 33 joints, and 100 + tendons, ligaments, and muscles, no wonder we run into so many foot problems.

Some common foot issues include the following ailments:
• Ill-fitting shoes often cause these problems. Aging and being overweight also increase your chances of having foot problems.
• Calluses and corns - thickened skin from friction or pressure
• Bunions - hard, painful bumps on the big toe joint
• Plantar warts - warts on the soles of your feet
• Fallen arches - also called flat feet
Foot Treatments

There are a wide variety of treatment options for specific foot-related issues. In some cases there are over-the-counter solutions for lesser foot issues, such as bunions (see bunion products) or plantar warts. In other instances, seeing a physician is recommended. Cases often depend on the severity of the issue and the ability to function properly while maintaining proper exercise form.

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