Health Matters: Taking Care Of Your Feet

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Taking care of your feet is something that one Essentia doctor says is absolutely necessary. That is especially the case for runners.

There are several running events coming up so a doctor has shared some foot care tips to make sure runners are ready for these races.

Just three months ago, thousands of runners lined up for the Fargo marathon. But with more running events like the Go Far Woman, runners need to take care of the two most important things during a race: their feet.

“Make sure to stretch before and after you run. Stretch the back of the calves and the hamstrings,” says Dr. Aelony of Essentia Health.

Stretching is just one step runners need to take to avoid an injury. Another major factor is making sure the shoe fits.

“If you’re running long distance, you definitely want to be wearing a running shoe and the reasons for that are that the running shoe does have more cushioning in it and it’s built for more motion control,” says Aelony.

And as far as what brand to choose…

“I would say more important than the brand is the fit. There are a number of different brands out there that actually do make good pairs of running shoes,” Aelony says.

Several runners experience the sharp pain of shin splints. But taking care of your feet can prevent this problem.

“It can be due to having lack of arch support and also taking on too much too soon,” says Aelony.

Dr. Aelony has a rule of thumb when it comes to runners no matter what the distance.

“I tell people not to increase their mileage by more than 10 percent a week,” Aelony says.

The Essentia Health Go Far Woman event has a 5K, 10K and half marathon.
It’s on August 22nd.

The Dick Beardsley Marathon in Detroit Lakes is on September 12th.