Caring For Feet During Sport

To ward off foot menaces like athletes foot, blisters, corns and verrucae and many other foot conditions and diseases, the following precautions should stand you in good stead;

• Always use the correct shoe for the correct sport, as the wrong shoes can lead to injury. These days, there is virtually a type of shoe for every sport but all of them have certain characteristics to cushion your feet: cushioning for shock absorption and a firm heel counter for stability.
   
• Secure your laces. It may be fashionable to leave the laces undone, but this means the foot is not supported properly and may cause injury.· Make sure that where the shoe bends coincides with where your foot bends. This should be around the ball of your foot, where your toes meet the foot.
   
• Always wear good quality, well-fitting cotton socks. Tight socks can be as bad as tight shoes.
   
• If your feet are particularly sweaty, special absorbent insoles or the application of surgical spirit may help. Alternatively if your feet are particularly dry, using an emollient or foot cream may help
   
• Try not to wear your sports socks and trainers every day. Our feet sweat naturally, like the rest of the body during exercise and this is absorbed into the sock and trainer. It takes longer than overnight for this moisture to dry out, so try to alternate shoes and wear clean socks daily.

Finally, remember that our feet and legs need training and looking after. Always allow enough time to warm up and warm down before and after exercise. Do not attempt to do too much too soon as your feet and legs will get tired and be predisposed to injury. Try not to perform the same type of exercise every day.