Healthy Feet Are Happy Feet – Foot Care Advice for Runners

For anyone who has spent time running, it’s obvious the pounding your feet can take. Regardless of whether you plan on running a 5k or a marathon, training demands a lot. And nothing bears the brunt of your training runs more than your feet. Black toenails, raw blisters, and swollen toes are common issues that can haunt runners. Fortunately, by heeding the right foot care advice for runners, these issues can be well-managed. And the healthy feet that result can help you better achieve your running goals. 

Invest in the Proper Footwear

Naturally, comprehensive foot care advice for runners includes getting the right footwear. With the right set of trainers, you’ll be less likely to have problems and more likely to have healthy feet. Trainers should be light and unstructured with a neutral shoe encouraged most of the time. Specifically, be sure not to fall into the “pronation trap.” Pronation is not necessarily a bad thing for most runners. And too much padding and stability can actually create problems you didn’t expect. Also, keep track of your running miles and get a new pair of trainers every 300 to 500 miles. Finally, get your shoes a half-size larger to accommodate swelling and be sure to wear socks. All of these things are part of proper foot care advice for runners who want healthy feet. 

Post-Run Foot Care

After a long run, runners should be sure to take care of their feet like any other part of their body. One great piece of foot care advice for runners is to immerse swollen feet in an ice bath immediately after running. Epsom salt baths may also feel good to sore feet as well as other parts of your body. In addition, you’ll benefit from thoroughly washing, drying and moisturizing your feet. This can help prevent fungal infections and reduce the risk of abrasions. Finally, proper treatment of blisters with protected dressings should also be considered. Performing these activities routinely can also help ensure you’ll have healthy feet for your future runs.

Ongoing Foot Hygiene

In addition to foot care when running and immediately after, daily care is also important. One of the most important pieces of foot care advice for runners involves toenail care. Keeping your toe nails short can often avoid the dreaded black toes from occurring. The repeated banging of your toenails on the front of your shoes can often cause damage to the nails. But by keeping them short, and with the right size shoes, this can be prevented. Also, pay attention to the shoes you wear when you’re not running. These can play an important role in promoting healthy feet as well. 

Small Investments Go a Long Way

The recommendations above offer solid foot care advice for runners in their efforts to maintain healthy feet. Routinely investing in these activities can go a long way in avoiding foot injuries and problems. At the same time, consider adding some cross-training exercises to take some pressure off your feet (literally!). You might also think about running trails or running on softer surfaces intermittently. And if these strategies fail, getting expert advice from a podiatrist might be considered. When it comes to running, your feet are important. Keeping your feet healthy is a great way to keep both you and your feet happy.