Treating your feet is one of the best things you can do for your body. With healthy feet, you are able to perform your daily routine, be active and do the things you love. Our feet carry our weight, balance our posture, and get us from place to place every day. The fact of the matter is that we don’t give our feet enough attention for all of the functions they provide for us. 75% of Americans will experience foot pain at some point during their lives. Living a constant “on the go” life style, makes it easy to ignore foot pain. Ignoring foot pain can lead to more serious problems such as knee, hip and back pain. Treating your feet with a good pair of shoes can help avoid foot problems all together.

Why is it important to invest in a good pair of shoes?

If your shoes don’t provide the right amount of support for your heels and arches, they prevent the full range of motion your foot needs. When your feet are restricted from functioning properly, other parts of your body begin to pay the price. This means that your body is overcompensating for the lack of support in your feet and you can start to feel pain in heels, ankles, knees, hips and back. Constant overcompensation of these body parts can lead to further problems down the road.

The right pair of shoes also decreases the risk of injuries while being active. If you are walking long distances in uncomfortable shoes, it makes the overall experience unpleasant and makes you not want to be active. Here is a list for some of the best shoe picks to get you started.

Here are some tips for choosing the perfect pair of shoes:

• Try on several pairs before committing to one.
• Go shoe shopping late in the day.
• Wear socks that you would usually wear with shoes.
• Walk around the store in the shoes before purchasing them.
• Spread out your toes to assure that the shoe is wide enough.
• Give yourself some wiggle room; make sure there’s a finger width of space between your big toe and the tip of the shoe.

Another way to treat your feet is by stretching them regularly. Here are some easy foot stretches you can do at home:

• The tennis ball massage. Stand up, hold onto a wall for balance and put one foot on the ball. Roll the ball under the foot and apply enough weight so you feel a massage-like experience.

• Heel and toe raises: Stand up, hold onto a wall for balance. Then raise onto your toes for about 10 seconds and put the foot back down. Repeat this stretch 3-4 times.

I will be sharing more stretches for foot pain, as well as common causes and quick treatments for relief at my FREE TREATMENT EVENT FOR FOOT, HEEL AND ANJKLE PAIN! If you are interested in attending, follow this link to reserve your spot or call 425-224-2476. This treatment event can be a life changing event for anyone struggling with plantar fasciitis, achilles tendinitis, and any other foot pain or weakness.