It’s well understood the kinds of diseases and ailments that your feet can experience from being treated poorly. Whether it be things like flatfeet, bunions, or plantar fasciitis, not treating your feet well and allowing them to wear and tear through your daily movements cause you to injure yourself and feel a great deal of pain. But what exactly does “not treating your feet well” mean? What are you doing right now on your walk to work or when standing in line that is, or will, inadvertently cause you to and your feet to suffer? Often, this stress we put on our feet is something we accept as a part of being human when in actuality, simple preventative measures, such as lifestyle changes or implementing orthotic insoles into your shoes, can show you just how badly you’ve been treating your feet.

Obesity

Modern medicine has repeated time and time again how being overweight is bad for your body’s overall health. It’s well known that being overweight not only causes physical pain such as heart and lung issues, but also mental health issues often associated with one’s image.  What most people don’t realize is that being overweight also causes a great deal of damage to your feet. The CityWay clinic in the UK themselves state that when suffering from obesity, it’s the lower limbs and feet that “bear the brunt” of it. Being overweight can change the size of your feet, causing them to spread and for your arch to flatten. As a result, not only do you begin to walk in an uncomfortable way, but you feel the pain of flatfeet as your arch has no way to support itself. Asides from losing the weight so that your feet aren’t experiencing as much stress, using custom orthotic insoles that can support your arch can also help to mitigate the negative effect of obesity on your feet by firmly supporting your arch so it doesn’t spread.

The Way You Walk

While your weight is something that you are mentally aware of and you know the dangers of associated with it, the way that you walk is often done without any thought whatsoever. The human body is an intricate machine, one that works at its best in a very specific way. As a result, there is a correct way to walk, as well as plenty of incorrect ways. Physicians Bob & Brad of B&B highlight just how many things you might be doing without a second thought (such as having your calves tightened, unnaturally turning your feet in, and even the way your foot moves) all negatively affect your feet’s health. Some of these are things that you can fix and prevent on your own, such as changing out of heels so your calves can relax, or accepting that your feet naturally point outwards and stop fighting to keep them “straight.” Others though, such as the way your foot “rolls” can be aided with orthotic insoles. When running, it’s common for you to have your heel hit the ground first, then “roll” to your toes, but this is wrong. Your toes should be hitting the ground first since they are better equipped to cushion the blow. Using custom orthotic insoles with a built-in cushion in the heel helps, so that while you’re getting used to a “toes” first approach, your heel doesn’t feel the constant impact.

The Shoes You Wear

There’s a reason there is a multi-million dollar industry built just around shoes that are “better for you.” Your taste in shoes is one of the largest factors in determining the health of your feet over time. The Australian BetterHealth channel highlight the importance of picking the right shoe for your feet. Having shoes that aren’t meant for the activity you’re doing or that mold your foot in an unnatural way can increase the chance of new injuries, make the pain you already do have worse, and even change the way you walk for the worse by taking steps unnatural to your body. Luckily, BetterHealth has a detailed list on picking shoes that work well for you and your health, such as picking shoes that are comfortable from the moment you put them on to shopping at the end of the day when your feet are at their largest. Of course, sometimes the best looking shoe isn’t the one that’s most comfortable, and in those situations, it is crucial to invest in custom made orthotic insoles like the ones made by StepBetter. Placing them in your favorite leather boots or closed heels means your feet can still experience some level of comfort.

Diabetes

While feeling pain in your feet is a terrible thing to have to struggle through day after day, it’s when you don’t feel anything in your feet that you need to speak with a doctor. People who suffer from diabetes can experience something called diabetic neuropathy, which is where prolonged high blood sugar levels attack and kill off your nerves. Per the CDC, this is something that you can experience even in your feet. While at first you might think it’s nice not to live with pain, it is a crucial part of life as it signals to you and your body when something is wrong. Not feeling pain doesn’t mean your foot isn’t injured, it just means that you have no warning ahead of time. The only two ways to prevent experiencing this are to either prevent diabetes or, if you already do have it, follow your doctors’ guidelines to keeping blood sugar levels in a healthy place for you.

Not Moving Enough

Despite all the dangers that seem to come out of moving too much, it is equally as bad if not worse to instead live a sedentary life. Your feet are meant to be active, they’re meant to move you, and when you don’t let them do what they’re design for, they can begin to break down. When leading an inactive lifestyle, the muscles in your feet lose strength which means the next time you get up, your feet aren’t as well equipped as they once were to go through a day of walking, running, and standing. You may also experience a different kind of nerve damage caused by lack of blood. This is because when sedentary, your circulation drops, and your feet can’t get the fresh oxygen and nutrients they need. While not everyone has the fortune of working in an environment that doesn’t include sitting for 8 hours, it’s important to every now and again get up and walk for a few minutes, keeping your feet in their best shape.

Final Word

            A lot of the damage your feet are put through are driven by factors that you are in control of. Changing certain life choices not only benefits the more noticeable areas of your body like your gut and mood, but also your feet who are constantly put to work. It helps to treat your feet too, and there’s no better way than custom orthotic insoles, which make sure your feet are always working to the best of their ability and keep you pain free.