Celebrate The Holidays With Happy Feet
The holidays are a mad, wonderful rush of shopping, gatherings and celebrations. Want to enjoy all the festivities, without any foot pain? Check out our Westfield podiatrist’s rules for keep your feet happy and healthy this holiday season.
1. Focus on moisture.
Winters dry out your skin terribly, and that can leave you with cracked, bleeding feet—especially around your heels, where skin is naturally drier already. Beat this concern by applying a moisturizing lotion to your feet every day. If you’ve had cracked heels before, or have diabetes, consider upgrading from a lotion to a moisturizing cream, and adding a second daily application to your schedule.
2. Pick Shoes Wisely.
Whenever possible, wear supportive foot gear with plenty of cushioning. Heading to a party? Try to keep heel height below 3 inches (no higher than 1 ½ inches is better) and gravitate toward chunky heels instead of stilettos. Going outside into the cold weather? Make sure to keep feet warm and dry, by selecting warm, moisture-wicking socks and insulated winter footgear, especially when navigating through icy rain or snow.
3. Take Some Breaks.
Even with the right shoes, standing up all day can leave feet tired, swollen and achy. So, forget shopping ‘til you drop, or spending all night on the dance floor at the holiday party. Instead, try building in sitting breaks to your schedule where you can get your feet off the floor and give them a little rub to improve circulation before jumping back into that hectic schedule.
4. Lift Your Legs.
While you’re resting, try to elevate your feet and ankles above the level of your heart. This will get fluid flowing out of your lower limbs and reduce your reduce swelling.
5. Get Workouts for Your Feet.
With all the pressure we put on our feet over the holidays, make sure to stretch them out to prevent tightness or cramping. Try raising, pointing and curling your toes for five seconds, 10 times each foot. Roll your ankles in both directions. When seated, stretch out your plantar fascia by rolling a tennis ball, rolling pin or frozen water bottle under your foot back and forth.
6. Try Massage.
Give yourself a gentle foot massage—moisturizer included—at the end of a love day to relieve stress, boost circulation and prevent muscles aches or swelling. While you’re at it, check your feet for any signs of injury or physical changes, so you don’t ignore a small foot problem, allowing it to turn into a major issue.
7. Take Care with Holiday Pedicures.
It’s great to get nails ready for open-toed holiday heels, but if you’re getting a salon pedicure, steer clear of razors that shave off dead skin, tell your pedicurist not to remove your cuticle and make sure she files your nails down gently, or trims them straight across (leaving some visible white nail) in order to avoid ingrown toenails.
8. Travel Safely.
If you wear prescription shoes for diabetes, make sure to tell the TSA representative that you can’t remove them, even at the security checkpoints. Even if removing your shoes is safe, be sure to travel in socks to avoid picking up a fungal infection on the airport floor.
9. Don’t Toast—or Taste—Too Much.
Got a history of gout? Watch your intake of purine-rich holiday favorites, including shellfish, red meat, and alcohol, to avoid a painful flare the day after the party is over.
10. Get Proactive about Your Foot Care.
If you’ve been living with foot or heel pain for a while, hoping it would just go away, now’s the time to finally address your issues. What was just annoying in October and November could keep you from fully enjoying your holiday season now that December is officially in full swing. What’s the solution? Schedule an appointment at Westfield Foot and Ankle, serving communities in Hamilton and Boone Counties including Westfield, Carmel, Noblesville, Fishers and Zionsville, Ind.
With our goal of giving you a joyous, pain-free holiday season, we’ll get to the root of what’s causing your discomfort, so you can ring in the New Year with your feet in top form!