Steps to Ensure Feet Keep Taking Theirs

Whether you’re trying to build muscle or lose fat, the body parts that probably take the hardest pounding during a workout aren’t the ones you’re attempting to improve. In fact, you may not pay much attention to them at all, and that could cause problems long after you’ve reshaped the rest of you.

From aerobics to jogging to cycling to stair-climbing, your feet take the body’s hardest pounding during exercise, say Drs. Rudi Van Enoo and Elise Cane, a husband-and-wife podiatry team who operate the Pacific Foot Centers in Huntington Beach and Long Beach.

Van Enoo and Cane spend their days trying to repair the damage their patients do to their feet. But most of that damage, they say, never had to happen in the first place.

“We’ve done a poor job educating the public about foot care,” Van Enoo says. “Polls have shown that 75% of people say their feet hurt, and (most of) them believe that’s normal. But it isn’t. Your feet aren’t supposed to hurt.”

Even without formal exercise, the average person takes about 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day around the house, on the job and running errands, the doctors say. That adds up to four to five miles a day, or more than 115,000 miles in an average lifetime.

Normal feet should be able to handle all those steps and then some, provided they’re treated and equipped properly. In fact, Van Enoo and Cane say the best way to keep them--and the rest of your body--in shape is to walk even more.

That’s right: Walk, don’t run.

“Walking isn’t just safer than running,” Van Enoo says. “It’s better for you aerobically. When you jog for an hour, you burn about 560 calories, but fast walking burns about 650. That’s because it allows the body to utilize more oxygen.”

Meanwhile, the feet are subjected to only 1 1/2 times your body weight with each step, compared to 3 1/2 to four times your body weight with every step while running.

Walking also has other benefits, the doctors say.

“You can take time to look at the scenery and relax,” Cane says. “And if you do it with your partner or a friend, you can use that time to build your relationship.”

Cane and Van Enoo practice what they preach, taking long walks together regularly. On those strolls, particularly in the early morning, they’ve noticed more women out on the streets than men.

“If a man is out, he’s probably running,” Van Enoo says.

The right kind of shoes are essential to make walking safer and more enjoyable, Cane says. But first, make sure those shoes are the right size.

“Have both feet measured, both length and width,” Cane says. “Many people need shoes that are two different sizes. If you’re one of them, you need to find a store that will accommodate you. Otherwise, you could be risking injury and suffering unnecessary discomfort.”

When you must buy shoes in pairs, make sure you buy according to the size of the larger foot.

Good walking shoes provide good support to the heel, so that it doesn’t roll inward or outward, and have a slight roll to the sole beneath the heel as well as the toe. They have a firm arch support, wide toe box, and a notch at the back so they don’t put pressure on the Achilles’ tendon, Cane says.

If a shoe fits properly, you should be able to wiggle your toes in it, she says. “Most people buy their shoes too short. Your shoe should be 1/4- to 1/2-inch longer than the longest toe on the longest foot.”

Shoes for any exercise should be made either of leather, fabric, or a combination of the two. Imitation leather and plastic is less expensive, but it isn’t healthy because it doesn’t allow the feet to breathe.

If you prefer to run and have no injuries or other conditions that could be worsened by running, be sure to wear shoes specifically designed for running. They have much sharper slopes to the soles at both heel and toe, but should have all the other features you’d find in good walking shoes.

For aerobics, choose shoes with good padding and firm lateral support.

Whether you wear high-tops or low-tops is a matter of preference, Cane says. “Whatever feels right for you. I prefer low-tops because I don’t like feeling restricted.”

And if you want to pay the extra bucks for those new shoes with inflatable padding, go ahead, the doctors say, but it isn’t necessary for normal feet.

Socks are just as important as shoes, the doctors say. “They protect the foot from friction and shock and transport moisture away from the foot.”

Acrylic fibers do a better job of removing moisture than cotton or wool, “contrary to popular belief,” Van Enoo says.

Choose your socks first and take them with you when you shop for shoes, to make sure the shoes and socks work well together. It’s best to shop in the afternoon or evening, because feet are usually at their biggest then, the doctors say.

If you take all those precautions and your feet still hurt, go to a doctor.

“The same is true if you have an injury; don’t just wait for it to go away,” Van Enoo says. “Chances are it will probably get worse instead of better.”

Another way to avoid injuries is by arming yourself with information.

“No matter what sport you participate in, try to learn all you can about it. Get involved, join a club, read magazines and articles, and talk to other people who participate in that same sport. You can’t have too much information,” Van Enoo says.