During the winter months, we often remain indoors for extended periods of time and most people quickly resort to slippers with little to no foot support. Standing for long periods of time on hard surfaces without proper support can lead to pain. Further, the cold worsens foot health because muscles are constricted and tight leading to foot and lower body pain all the way up to our lower backs. Getting out of bed first thing in the morning in these conditions can sometimes lead to a shooting pain in the heel, either a sign of heel spurs or worse, planter’s fasciitis.
Innovative
- Get out of bed slowly and easily.
- Advisable to put on soft, comfortable slippers, but be sure they also have hard soles and adequate arch support.
- Look for slippers with a deep heel cup to stabilize, support, and realign the feet, helping to improve posture and balance.
- Should you stand for long periods of time, take time to do recommended toe, heel, calf, and achilles stretches.
- Roll feet in both directions to warm up ankles.
- Flex and point toes.
- Stretch achilles by flexing foot against a wall and lean forward.
- Stand facing wall with feet 2ft apart and heels firmly planted on ground to stretch calves.