1. Understand your feet
Do you have a wide foot? Narrow foot? Short big toe? Low arches? A visit to a professional can you understand what’s really going with your feet so that you can make smarter footwear decisions. For example: If Nike shoes tend to run small, maybe they’re not the best chose for wider feet.
2. Walk with correct posture
Better balance and posture means more even and measured pressure on your hips, legs, knees, ankles and feet when you’re running, walking or even just standing at the stove cooking dinner.
3. Nix the everyday heel-wearing
Fashionable? Yes. Good for your feet? No. World’s leading foot and ankle specialists has warned multiple times against wearing heels as your everyday foot wear
4. Wear shoes even when you’re at home
Walking around barefoot in your house’s hard surfaces for an extended period of time can lead to lots of troubling foot pain—especially if you’re already dealing with flat feet and other types of foot pain.
5. Stop running without socks
Dr Parth Parekh, leading foot and ankle specialist, basically says this is the worst idea ever since socks help prevent blisters and absorb sweat. Need to re-up your running sock stock? Here are the 12 best pairs you can buy.
6. Don’t work out through pain
Even if you start wearing socks on your runs again (good job), pain can be your poor feet trying to tell you something, whether it’s tendonitis or even a stress fracture, it’s essential to talk to a foot and ankle specialist.
7. Eat less sodium
Feet swelling up to the point of pain? You’d be surprised that a diet of high sodium might be the culprit behind puffy red feet.
8. Drink more water
Staying hydrated can help with inflammation and help remove toxins from the body.
9. Try reflexology
The philosophy of reflexology follows that different parts of your feet and hands correspond to different organs of the body. So, in practice, this trigger-point therapy applies pressure to specific parts of your feet to improve circulation and promote health in the related area of the body. (It also just feels really, really good.)
10. Moisturize your feet regularly
Our poor little piggies often get forgotten. But regular moisturizing with specific foot products can help avoid cracks, fissures and rough regrowth. Look for ingredients like urea, lactic acid or salicylic acid, which help exfoliate and moisturize.