Oh, my aging feet!
I love to dance! In my younger days, I wore a size 6.5 shoe. I recently purchased size 7.5 boots and they fit me well. The super high heels I used to dance in and adore no longer fit my lifestyle. I ditched them for the very attractive, highly recommended 2-inch heels, and I don’t care that my legs don’t look long and alluring. I can still dance, albeit, for shorter periods. I’m also happy I can walk from point A to point B without rolling my ankles, tripping or taking my shoes off as soon as I sit down.
Which part of my story is also part of your story? As we age, like everything else, our bodies and tastes change. You’ll be glad to know that it’s not just you, these changes are normal. Our feet keep pace with the changes our bodies make. Excess weight, medication, illness, joint wear and tear along with good old fashioned middle-age spread are a few reasons our feet change or grow.
As we age, exercises and activities that depend heavily on our feet may need to be re-evaluated. Jogging and dancing are fun and loved by many, but they also may become painful as we age. Investing in the best shoes your money can buy, good socks and a pair of shoe inserts may be the modifications needed to keep you moving. Other changes including foot massages, foot soaks and adding foot exercises to your exercise routine should be considered. These are all helpful in improving circulation by moving much-needed blood and oxygen through our feet.
The biggest and most impactful change we can make for our aging feet is to listen to them and look at them. Instead of continuing to squeeze into the smaller shoes, try the larger size on and enjoy how much better your feet feel. Our skin tends to thin as we age so moisturizing our feet will help combat skin dryness and cracking. Also, give ingrown toenails, corns, calluses, sores that don’t heal and any other ongoing foot problems your full attention. All of these can lead to serious complications if left unattended.
If looking at your full foot is a challenge, perhaps you can’t reach it or pull it upwards, place a mirror on the floor and look at your foot. If you have grandparents or parents that are older, make it a point to look at their feet from time to time. Take a photograph of any concerns you see so you can monitor the healing progress every few days. Don’t hesitate to see a podiatrist if your foot does not look like it’s healing properly.
Our foot health parallels our general health so maintaining a healthy diet should continue to be a priority. Keeping our feet healthy as we age helps us remain mobile. The links below provide additional information that can help aging feet remain active. We don’t have to continue to dance the night away, been there, done that. The objective now is to continue dancing.
https://footsolutions.com/blog/how-to-care-for-aging-feet/
https://cop.org.uk/foot-health/common-foot-problems/ageing-feet/
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