Heel pain is a common issue that can negatively impact your quality of life. Specifically, it can affect the way you move and hinder your ability to complete your daily activities. There are effective ways to reduce your risk for heel pain and heel-related issues. However, it may feel more complicated to understand how to prevent heel pain while staying fit. Below, you will find helpful tips on how to stay healthy during your fitness journey.
How to Prevent Heel Pain While Staying Fit
Heel pain can be debilitating and come with many unwanted symptoms. Luckily, there are many effective treatments available to help those with heel pain. There are both advanced treatments, such as minimally invasive heel surgery for those with severe heel pain, and more conservative treatments, such as those we outline below. Consider the following ways to prevent heel pain before it arises.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Excess weight can put extra stress on your feet and increase your risk for heel pain. Maintain a healthy weight by eating a balanced diet filled with whole foods. Fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins are essential. Avoid processed foods that are high in sugar.
In addition to eating a balanced diet, stay active. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week. If you are trying to lose weight, focus on low-impact exercises. Swimming, walking, and yoga are easier on your feet. Find what you enjoy so you can stick with your exercise routine.
Start Slow
Starting your fitness journey is an exciting process. You may want to do everything all at once to see results fast. However, this can backfire and cause injuries. Start and gradually increase your intensity over time. Make gradual increases each week, and pay attention to how your body feels.
While your fitness journey requires consistency, rest days are necessary. If you have a high-impact workout one day, opt for a rest day or low-impact workout the next day. Managing the intensity of your workouts as you build your fitness regime is necessary to reduce your risk of heel pain.
Wear Supportive Footwear
Your shoes are an influential element of your fitness journey, no matter what type of exercise you do. Wearing supportive shoes is a great and necssary way to reduce your risk of heel pain. Research shows that supportive shoes reduce the risk of plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendonitis, two common causes of heel pain. By doing this, you can maintain a consistent fitness routine without interruption due to injury. If you do experience pain, contact a podiatrist for heel pain treatment right away.
When choosing shoes, consider the type of exercise you are doing. Focus on shoes that have arch support, cushion, and shock absorption. If you have flat feet or high arches, consider custom orthotic insoles. These can reduce the strain on your heels and reduce the risk of pain. It is also important to replace your shoes as needed.
Never Skip Stretching
Stretching should be a part of every workout you do. It is key to improving flexibility and reducing stress on your feet. Research has shown that just five to ten minutes of stretching before you exercise is helpful for reducing your risk of injury and improving flexibility.
Add stretching to your fitness routine. Even just a few minutes is helpful. Stretch your calves and plantar fascia to help prevent heel pain. You can incorporate more stretching techniques depending on where you feel it is needed. There are helpful resources online to help you navigate the process.
Heel Pain Treatment
If you have heel pain, contact the team at Heel Pain Institute of California to schedule an appointment!