Simple tips to prevent foot injuries and stay active

Your feet work tirelessly every day, supporting your body, enabling movement and keeping you active. However, foot injuries and issues can occur, often causing significant discomfort and limiting daily activities. Luckily, many foot injuries are often preventable.

In this article, we’ll share easy-to-follow tips to keep your feet safe and healthy, so you can stay active and pain-free.

What causes foot injuries

Understanding what leads to foot injuries can help you avoid them. Here are some common causes:

• Overtraining: Overexerting yourself without allowing adequate rest can overload your muscles, bones and tendons, leading to tissue damage and pain.
• Improper footwear: Wearing shoes that don’t fit well or don’t offer proper support can lead to blisters, calluses or even structural imbalances.
• Hard or uneven surfaces: Running or walking on hard, uneven surfaces like concrete or gravel can put too much pressure on your feet, putting you at risk of injuries like plantar fasciitis or shin splints.
• Biomechanical issues: Sometimes, the way you walk or run can cause strain on your feet. If your feet roll in too much (pronation) or roll out too much (supination), it can cause strain and lead to chronic pain or recurring injuries.

Biomechanical issues in your feet can do more than just cause foot pain—they may also contribute to problems in your knees, hips and back, impacting posture and gait. While factors like training habits and footwear are within your control, biomechanical issues often require professional assessment and treatment to correct.

Simple tips to prevent foot injuries

Preventing foot injuries doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some simple steps you can take to protect your feet:

1. Train sensibly: Avoid overtraining. Gradually increase intensity of your workouts and allow your body time to recover. Listen to your body and rest when needed.
2. Choose the right footwear: Wear shoes that fit well and provide proper support for your activity. Consider consulting a podiatrist for recommendations based on your foot type.
3. Be mindful of training surfaces: Opt for softer, more forgiving surfaces like grass or synthetic tracks whenever possible. If you must train on harder surfaces, try to limit the time spent on them.
4. Strengthen your feet: Doing exercises that strengthen your feet and ankles can help prevent injuries. Simple exercises like toe raises, calf stretches, or balancing on one foot can improve foot strength and stability.
5. Nail and skin care: Trimming nails correctly and addressing calluses or corns can prevent pressure points, reduce discomfort and minimise the risk of foot injuries caused by friction or imbalance.

When to seek professional support

Sometimes, even the best self-care measures aren’t enough to prevent or resolve foot issues. Here are signs it’s time to consult a podiatrist:

• Persistent foot pain: If pain and discomfort doesn’t improve with rest or gets worse, it’s time to get professional help, such as a podiatrist.
• Recurring injuries: If you experience recurring blisters, corns, calluses or other foot problems that don’t go away, it’s worth seeing a foot specialist such as a podiatrist.
• Trouble finding the right shoes: If you have a hard time finding shoes that fit properly or struggle managing biomechanical issues like pronation or supination, a podiatrist can help.
• Pain elsewhere: If pain is affecting other areas, such as your knees, hips or back, it could be related to foot problems that need professional care.

How a Podiatrist can help

Podiatrists play a crucial role in diagnosing and addressing foot issues to prevent injuries and improve overall mobility. Here’s how they can help:

1. Gait analysis: By observing your walking pattern, a podiatrist can identify irregularities like taking shorter steps, improper arm swing or imbalances. These insights, combined with posture and biomechanical assessments, reveal the root causes of discomfort, such as excessive pronation or muscle imbalances.

1. Custom orthotics: If your feet need extra support, a podiatrist can provide custom orthotics (special shoe inserts) to help align your feet properly and reduce pain. These can help with conditions like flat feet, plantar fasciitis or bunions – to name a few.

3. Footwear advice: Podiatrists provide expert guidance on selecting footwear suited to your foot type and activity, ensuring proper fit and comfort while minimising injury risk.

1. Managing pre-existing conditions: For problems like calluses, corns or thickened nails, podiatrists offer treatments to alleviate pain and prevent complications.

We’re here to help you

Preventing foot injuries is key to staying active and pain-free. Simple steps like proper training, supportive footwear and addressing biomechanical issues with tools like gait analysis and orthotics could make a big difference.

If you need expert advice or are dealing with foot pain, we’re here to help. Our Podiatrist at the Health Hub in Fortitude Valley can offer expert care to keep you moving comfortably and confidently.

To book a podiatry appointment click here or call us on 1300 709 076.

This general information, while intended to be helpful, is not individual health advice. Always consult a healthcare professional before making health decisions. While the information is curated with care, its accuracy, completeness, or recency cannot be guaranteed.