Happy Feet!

With summer upon us and all the wonderful ways to get active our feet can really take a beating. Because our feet are the foundation of our every step it’s important that we support them well. Pain in the arches, heals and ball of your feet as well as in our calves can be a sign that we’re not supporting our feet properly. Here are some easy steps to make sure our feet are well supported.

— Wear good shoes! Shoes could be flexible with support for our arches and cushion for the heal and ball of the foot.

— Replace your shoes often. Athletic shoes worn 4-6 days a week for moderate activity should be replaced every 3 months. After 3 months the support begins to break down.

— High heels are not ideal. They cause our center of gravity to shift forward putting strain on calves, hamstrings and muscles of the back and even the neck which work to hold us from falling forward. High heels also do not usually have any arch support and the angle that the heel causes the foot to be in can actually cause the arches to fall.

— Avoid those fun colored bejeweled flip-flops. Most flip-flops have a cushy flat foam base and offer no arch support. Save these for shower shoes and the beach. Instead look for sandals with support for your arches and a heal strap to hold it firmly to your foot.