Accidents, including foot and ankle injuries, are common occurrences in our daily lives. The major foot and ankle injuries include Achilles tendonitis, ankle sprain, stress fractures, and Plantar Fasciitis. You can injure your foot or sprain your ankle in your daily activities such as sports or mere walking. Although they are common incidences, foot and ankle injuries are preventable through several ways. Please read on to understand some of the ways you can prevent foot and ankle injuries.

Perform Exercises That Promote Joint Flexibility and Strength

You can engage in simple exercises that help prevent foot and ankle injuries by boosting your joint flexibility, strength, and balance. Some of these exercises include Achilles stretch, which allows you to stretch your calf muscle as you lean against a raised surface like a wall or a step or Calf muscle raises, which promotes your calf muscle strength. You can also do one-legged standing exercises that allow you to indulge in exercises lifting one leg as you balance the other. These exercises will help you to build your foot and ankle joint regions’ strength and flexibility to prevent injuries. 

You should also warm-up before engaging in sports. Any sports activity requires some warm-up before you can begin. You can do some slow jogging or stretch for a few minutes to prepare your muscles for sports. A warm-up exercise helps promote your muscle flexibility to reduce the possibility of injuries.

 

Respond to Your Body Needs

You should always respond to the needs of your body. As you perform any activity, you should keep track of how you’re feeling. In case of any pain, you can change the activity or relax until you feel better. If you get a foot and ankle injury, you should seek an appointment with alignment centers immediately. According to specialists from Align Foot and Ankle Center, booking an appointment helps you meet specialists who will offer assistance in getting back to your normal shape. It is crucial to stay away from strenuous activities during a period of injury until you’re medically fit to resume your duties. 

Proper nutrition is also critical for your general health, including bone and muscle health. Various nutrients play a critical role in the body, and lack of any nutrient can cause body deterioration that results in injuries. For instance, Vitamin D is crucial for bone health, and its deficiency results in bone weakening, and you can easily get foot and ankle injuries from such deficiency.

Prevent Recurrent Injuries

If you have had foot and ankle injuries before, it is good to take measures to avoid recurring injuries. Some of the useful measures include prompt treatments in cases of foot and ankle injuries, taking enough breaks that enable you to fully recover from previous injuries, and use a tape or a brace during exercise if you had encountered an ankle injury. Such ensures fully healing and helps prevent further injuries.

Wear Appropriate Shoes That Match Your Foot Type and Activity

It will help if you choose shoes that fit your foot type to provide comfort and stability. The type of shoes you wear should also match the activity you are engaging in. For example, if you are in sports, you need to wear sport-specific shoes to prevent injuries. The shoes should have a suitable sole and level of support. It is crucial to replace your footwear frequently after a while to ensure safety.

 

 

Understand Yourself

Everyone’s body works differently. It will be best to understand how your body system functions in different activities to avoid the activities leading to foot and ankle injuries. If you are suffering from a medical condition that makes you prone to injuries, you need to take extra caution and take note of the activities that make you vulnerable to injuries. Most importantly is to follow the health care provider’s advice.

Broaden Your Range of Activities

Sticking to one type of activity over a long time can lead to injuries. It is good to indulge in a mix of activities to avoid the risk of foot and ankle injuries resulting mainly from overtraining during sports. You should include various activities that work well with your body and employ the right technique as you exercise. It will also help if you avoid long hours of exercise to overuse injury due to muscle weakening. Even with a balance from a wide range of activities, moderation gets needed when engaging in any activity.

 

 

Foot and ankle injuries can happen at any point in life. Even though they can happen unexpectedly, most of these injuries can get prevented. By following the measures highlighted in this article, you can be on the frontline in preventing the occurrence of any foot and ankle injuries.

 

You May Also Like: