On average, a person will walk 75,000 miles by the age of 50 and take up to 10,000 steps on any given day. This creates up to hundreds of tons of foot pressure every day. The podiatrists of Fenton Footcare share that, as we age, proper foot care is essential to maintain good health and to
continue our walking independence.
There are several ways to reduce the risk of foot problems:
- Check feet regularly, or have a family member check them for skin cracks or peeling, color and temperature anomalies, or thick and discolored nails.
- Practice good foot care. Applying moisturizing creams and scrubbing feet with pumice helps keep the skin supple and prevent cracks. Warm Epsom salt baths soothe the feet, while certain exercises strengthen them and improve flexibility. Wash and thoroughly dry feet often.
- Avoid walking barefoot.
- Keep blood circulating as much as possible. Do this by elevating feet when sitting or lying down, stretching after sitting for long periods of time, walking, having a gentle foot massage, or taking a warm foot bath.
- Wear proper fitting shoes. Avoid pressure from shoes that don’t fit right. Wearing comfortable shoes that fit well can prevent many foot ailments. The size of our feet change as we age so always measure feet before buying shoes.
- Minimize exposing feet to cold temperatures.
- Don’t smoke. Smokers are more likely to develop blisters and have fractures.
Foot pain of any kind is not normal and should be checked by a podiatrist for proper diagnosis and care. It is recommended that adults over the age of 65 visit their podiatrist for an annual consultation. Call us for convenient appointment times: 810 629 3338