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Area Wide Foot and Ankle Center
James P. Licandro, D.P.M.
With 26 bones, 33 joints, and a network of more than 100 tendons, muscles, ligaments and nerves, the human foot is a biological masterpiece. Take care of your feet and don't take them for granted.
Foot Wear
- Foot health is more important that fashion. You are going to need your feet to be healthy all your life. Ill-fitting shoes can affect your foot health.
- To help make sure that your shoes fit properly, purchase shoes later in the day when feet may be at the largest.
- Pick the correct shoe for the activity that you plan to engage in.
- Change your shoes regularly. Don't wear the same pair of shoes every day.
- Check inside of shoes for any foreign objects.
- Examine the inner liner for wear.
- Check for proper arch support
General Foot Care
- Inspect your feet regularly. Feel the temperature of your feet and look at the color of them.
- Look for cracks or cuts in the skin. Observe for any peeling or scaling on the soles.
- Wash your feet regularly, especially between the toes. Be sure to dry them thoroughly - again especially between the toes.
- Apply moisturizing lotion to feet if skin is dry.
- Never apply lotion between toes.
- Do not soak your feet in hot water or use heating pads.
- It is best not to go barefoot. Your feet will be more prone to injury and infection.
General Foot Care
Don't ignore foot pain. It is not normal. If pain persists, see a podiatric physician.
Trimming Your Nails
- Trim toenails straight across. Do not cut them too short. As a guide, leave some of the white color that appears naturally at the tip of the nail.
- Be careful not to cut the corners of the nail so the nail is below the level of the skin at the side of the nail. This can lead to ingrown nails.
Walking for Health
Walking - the most popular form of exercising.
It is safe, easy, and not expensive. The results are rewarding - a trim fit healthy body and decreased stress.
Healthy walking can be done almost any place at any time year round. There is a walk at the mall, a walk to the store, a walk in your neighborhood. You can walk with a friend, with your dog, or alone at your own pace.
Benefits of Walking
For people who have a long history of inactivity, obesity, or don't like the kind of exercise that make you sweat, walking is an excellent way to get your exercise! You can start slowly. Begin with moderation (and dedication) then increase your pace and speed.
Walking can help you:
- Strengthen your heart and lungs
- Improve your circulation
- Reduce obesity
- Decrease high blood pressure
- Prevent heart attacks and strokes
- Increase your metabolic rate
- Decrease your cholesterol
- Improve muscle tone in your legs and abdomen
- Reduce arthritis pain
- Stop bone tissue decay
- Reduce stress and tension
- Increase your self esteem
Art of Walking
Before you start to walk, it is best to so some simple warm up exercises and stretching. Do not do this in a strenuous manner. Twist your body at the waist. Do some rotating motions of your hips (as if you had a hula-hoop). Do a few toe touches.
Start with 20 minutes of uninterrupted walking at least 3 times a week. Walk at a comfortable pace. Do not tire yourself. If 20 minutes is too long at first, then cut back to 10 minutes and slowly increase your time. Remember, it is dedication and commitment to consistency that makes the difference - not perfection.
It can be fun to measure your pace. You can measure your route with your car's odometer. The simplest way is with your wristwatch. Count the number of steps you take in a 15 second period. If you are taking 15 steps in that 15 seconds, then you are walking at a pace of two miles an hour. At about 23 steps in 15 seconds, you're going about three miles an hour. At 30 steps, the pace is about four miles an hour.
Walking Tips
- Move at a steady pace that is brisk enough to make your heart bear faster.
- Walk with your head erect, back straight, and suck your tummy in.
- Breathe more deeply.
- Swing your arms freely at your sides.
- Land on the heel of your foot and roll forward to push off on the ball of your foot.
- In the beginning, confine your walks to level stretches of flat surfaces. Avoid excessively steep hills.
- In the evening, be sure to wear clothing with reflective material or a reflective vest over your clothes.
Fun Foot Facts
- Your two feet contain one fourth of all the bones in your body.
- Pressure on each foot while running can be three to four times normal body weight.
- A 150-pound person walking one mile exerts the equivalent of 63 1/2 tons -- 127,000 pounds -- on each foot.
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