Summer is here and we all know what that means- Summer weather = thongs weather
Thongs are comfy but no good for your feet
Summer is that lovely time of year when we like to stick our feet in the sand and switch shoes for thongs! And we all love them- they are comfortable, cool in hot weather and go with everything.
But do you know….thongs are actually bad for your feet?!
Podiatrists and other medical professionals warn of the dangers of wearing thongs too much during summer as they offer zero support to your feet. Worse than that, they can actually cause more issues as your foot’s arch is not supported, they offer little to no cushioning on your heel and when walking, can cause you to grip on with your toes that causes tightness in your foot and lower leg.
Prolonged wearing of thongs can cause a multitude of issues for your feet such as:
* Foot pain
* ankle pain
* Collapsed arches
* Excessive pronation
* Plantar Fasciitis (inflamation of the ligament in the bottom of the foot)
* Bunions
Our physiotherapists recommend wearing shoes with arch and ankle support, switching up the shoes you wear (don’t spend all summer in your thongs) and spend some time at the end of the day doing some stretches for your legs and feet to make sure your stay loose and limber.
Recommended stretches from our practitioners:
1) Calf stretch- sit on the ground with your legs flat out in-front of you, with a straight back- lean forward towards your toes (as far as is comfortable). Swap over and do the same for the other leg.
2) Foot stretch- lay on the ground with one leg raised into the air above you (at 90 degrees). Using a theraband, strap or towel- hook over your toes and gently pull your toes back towards you. Do for both feet
3) Quad stretch- stand with both knees together, bring up lower leg to your bottom and hold onto your foot. Stretch front of thigh muscle. Lean hips forward to get a deeper stretch. Do for both legs
4) Ankle rolls- lift up one leg in front of you, roll your foot around clockwise and anti-clockwise. Do for both feet.