As a runner, taking care of your feet is as important as training and beating your personal record. Running is a physical sport that requires your feet so it only follows that you pay attention to them very carefully. According to Runner’s World, aside from physical training and nutrition, you also need to be sensitive to the state of your 2 feet. If you want learn more about taking care of then, here are 5 footcare tips for runners you should know about:
- Choose the right shoes
Choosing the right running shoes is essential in every race you’ll take. It’s important in keeping your feet happy and healthy. When choosing the perfect running shoes, you don’t have to get the most expensive brand, model, or color. The best shoes is all about the shoe fit. Study your old rubber shoes and determine the wear pattern on the soles. There are different types of wear pattern characterized by the pronation of your feet, or its natural inward roll. This information will tell you the perfect soles for you. You should also be looking at the different features of a running shoes: its upper material, midsoles, heel counter is so on. Wear it and take note of how sturdy it is and how comfortable it is for your feet. Running in the right shoes not only improves your performance, but also keeps your feet properly cushioned and protected.
- Prevent fungal infection
Athlete’s foot is a painful fungal infection that causes itchiness, redness, and blisters all around your toes and feet. As a runner, you wouldn’t want to acquire this. Fungus keeps comfy in moist and murky surfaces, so the best way to keep them at bay is to always keep your feet fresh and dry. But how exactly can you do that when we have over 120,000 sweat glands on each foot, and that you are naturally bound to sweat the moment you start training? Don’t worry, sweating can’t be helped, but you can prevent fungus from growing by regularly changing your socks and using antiperspirants on your feet.
- Take care of your nails
Taking care of your nails is another important thing for runners to do. Long nails have a tendency to get caught in your socks which could tear it. Long nails are also more prone to catching dirt, and the last thing you want to happen is for fungus to take shelter under your nails. So keep it a habit to keep them short and clean. Pay a trip to the nail salon at least twice a month to ensure your nails and foot are sparkly clean and germ free.
- Massage your feet
While you’re at the salon, your feet could also benefit from a nice foot massage. Foot reflexology offers a ton of health benefits that could help improve your performance as an athlete. A relaxing acupressure helps prevent foot injuries and relieves pain. It also improves your circulation and gives you better sleep. If you want to do it yourself, you can go ahead and massage your own feet, or maybe even use a tennis ball to massage your soles. It helps stretch out your muscles and release tension and discomfort in your feet.
- Do toe exercises
Toe exercises are great for keeping your feet warmed up and ready for action. Much like your abs, glutes, and chest muscles, your feet also needs some strength training. Weak feet leads to a lot of running injuries. So in order to avoid these unfortunate injuries from happening, you must strengthen the muscles around your feet. Do simple exercises like toe raises, towel pulls, and walking on your toes to stretch your feet and keep them active. Also, don’t forget to cool them down after your training.
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