Fall is here: crisp mornings, colorful leaves, pumpkin spice everything. With the excitement and anticipation of cooler weather comes the urge to get outside and enjoy it to the fullest. Maybe you’re like me and you get a little carried away. A pumpkin spice muffin just isn’t enough you want pumpkin cake and pumpkin bread too. Instead of starting out slowly with a one mile run you want to run five-it just feels so great outside! That’s where trouble begins….

With the increase of physical activity this time of year comes the risk of overdoing and injury. You know the feeling….you start walking or running for the first time in forever and the next morning you get out of bed and your heels are killing you. You try walking or running but all the joy is completely gone because of the stabbing pain in your feet. What are you going to do? Sure you really just want to sit around and not irritate your feet anymore, but do you really want to miss out on enjoy the fall weather? Here are some tips to keep you on your feet this fall:

1. Make sure you have a good pair of shoes. Shoes that are old and worn out won’t give you the support you need for increased physical activity. Consider adding an orthodic for extra support
2. Moderation. If you haven’t been walking four miles don’t start out trying to walk four miles. Be realistic.
3. Stretch! Make sure you stretch your calves out before any physical activity. Tight calves can lead to strain on muscle and tissues in your feet.

If you’re already struggling with heel pain here are some things you can do:

1. Reevaluate your footwear. Is it too worn out? Replace your shoes. Do you have a new pair? Maybe they aren’t giving you proper support. Perhaps you can add an orthodic to provide additional support. Or maybe you need a different pair that provides better support.
2. Never go barefoot. Leave a supportive pair of shoes by your bed. Even in the middle of the night when you get up slip the shoes on before standing up.
3. Ice! Ice your feet up to 20 minute increments at morning and at night.

Schedule an appointment with Hill’s Shoes. As footcare professionals we want to make your transition into fall a pleasant one. We can provide a walking gait analysis and advise the best footwear choice. We are more than happy to accept walk-ins, but recommend scheduling an appointment to insure that one of our pedorthists will be there to assist you.
Here’s to enjoying all things pumpkin and a run happy fall!