In a recent article in Bottom Line Health, a podiatrist indicated that you should opt for running shoes when you’re looking for walking shoes. He said lots of brands of walking shoes are heavy and don’t flex well and may have a clunky, big heel as well. This keeps your foot from rolling properly as you push off. When you are walking you are supposed to make contact with pavement, or grass, with your heel and roll through your arch and push off with your toe. A lot of shoes like working and some walking shoes do not let you do this. Running shoes are usually a lot lighter and provide comfortable cushioning and have flexible soles.

Another thing you have to take into consideration when you are getting shoes is the arch that you have on your feet. Did you know the arches on each of your feet may not be the same? You may have one arch that is very flat and the other arch is regular and that is important to know when you are buying your shoes.

If you have flat feet you should try to buy shoes with an arch. This is very beneficial to your body. If you try to wear a shoe with an arch and you have flat feet you are going to feel like you are walking on a boulder. It feels like there is something hard under your foot that is just not right.

One of the ways you can start to release those muscles and tendons on the bottom of your foot so you can adapt more easily to that arch support is simply by getting a tennis ball or a golf ball and rolling the ball under your foot long-ways and then wide-ways. You stand up and support yourself on one foot and have the ball under the arch of your other foot and you roll the ball back and forth long ways – back and forth — and then roll it from side to side under the arch. When you do this exercise you will find your muscles and tendons will be released – it’s like having a foot massage.

In the old days people use to run on the grass, on sticks, through brooks and streams. Now we wear hard-soled shoes that support our foot all the time or we walk on flat surfaces and we do not get the natural massage going that our feet need. Do this rolling for about 5 minutes while you apply pressure to that foot. Then put that foot down on the ground and do your other foot. You will quickly be able to tell the difference. When you walk and your feet begin to hurt, it is time to check your arches to see if you need an arch support inserted into your shoes.

I personally invite you to come to http://www.livehealthybywalking.com. Take action by signing up for updates of new postings, activities and informational articles relating to walking your way to a healthy lifestyle. If you are under the impression that you just go outdoors to walk, you may be surprised what you will learn about Nordic Walking, Interval Walking, Power Walking, Walking in light rain; walking and training for marathons and much more. Claim your health by joining other walkers.

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A flat foot occurs when the arch of the foot collapses. The result is that the arch is at the same level as the heels and balls of your feet. Flat feet are relatively common and most people live with them without experiencing pain or discomfort. For others, however, having flat feet causes a number of foot problems, such as foot and leg pain, calf and ankle pain, and swelling ankles. More extreme symptoms include bunions, calluses, shin splints, inflammation, tendonitis, and plantar fasciitis. To figure out if you have flat feet, dip your foot in water. Then step on a piece of colored construction paper and evaluate what you see. You will see a strip that connects the front of the foot to the heel of the foot. If the strip is half the width as the front of your foot on the paper, your arches are normal. If the strip is close to the same width as the front of the foot, you have flat feet.

Why do I have flat feet?

The tendon that forms the arch may weaken over time causing the arch to collapse. Flat feet may also be associated with pronation, a leaning inward of the anklebones toward the centerline. This means that while walking, the foot has a tendency to come down on its inner margin. A foot injury may also be the culprit of fallen foot arches. Other factors to consider are disease, age, pregnancy, and obesity, In children, fallen arches may be caused by tarsal coalition, a condition that fuses two or more of the bones in the foot together resulting in flat feet. Flat feet are normal in toddlers and infants because they are still in the early growing stages.

How can I treat flat feet?

There are two types of flat feet. If you have flexible flat feet, then there is little to no pain and there is no need for treatment. That is because flexible flat feet have some type of arch. This is a normal condition. Having inflexible feet is abnormal and is an indication of a foot disease, injury or bone deformity. Your doctor will provide several options for dealing with flat feet including ankle braces, medication, surgery, or shoe arches and inserts. Known as orthotics, shoe arches provide support by molding to the contours of your feet. If your flat feet hurt or are causing you pain, see a doctor.

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