6 At-Home Tips for Freshening up Your Runner’s Feet for the Summer Season
Calling all runners! Southern Hospitality gives 6 at-home tips to get your feet fresh for summer! Source: Jenny McCoy for Runner's World.
Putting your best FEET forward,
Southern Hospitality
Southern Hospitality on Inside Indiana Business: Last Minute Holiday Gifts
Southern Hospitality gets featured on the TRENDiana segment of Inside Indiana Business for last minute holiday gifts!
Before You Head To The Gym...
Happy New Year Y'all!
A new year means a fresh start, and of course resolutions! Weight loss continues to be at the top of the list. More than ever, people are more conscientious of what they are putting in and on their bodies. But before you hit the gym check out these tips!
- 8 Tips to Finding the Perfect Athletic Shoe
- 5 Tips to Finding the Right Shoes for Crossfit
- Can I Get Athlete's Foot From My Yoga Mat?
- Rules of Thumb for Finding Shoes for Walking, Running etc
- Before You Shower at the Gym...
Putting your best feet forward,
SH
Arch Frenemies
Do your shoes leave your feet aching after a long day or a grueling workout? There’s a great chance that you could be in need of proper fitting arch supports, to relieve your pain. Whether they are over-the-counter or custom made arch supports (orthotics), we have 5 rules you should follow to help make shoes a FRIEND not a FOE to your daily activities!
Make Room!
Always check to see if the insoles inside your shoes can be removed, before inserting new arch supports. Inserting arch supports without removing the insoles can “crowd” your shoe, making for a tight and uncomfortable fit.
Left Foot, Right Foot
Is there still something about the fit of your supports that is not quite right? Then you want to make sure that you have the correct arch support in the correct shoe. The solution? Label you supports LEFT and RIGHT to ensure you’re placing your inserts into the correct shoes.
Easy Does It
It is always a great idea to not go full throttle when prancing around with your new arch supports (esp. custom orthotics). Instead, start by wearing the inserts 1-2 hours, then increase by 1-2 hours each day. This gives your feet an opportunity to adjust to your new inserts, preventing further discomfort.
One Size Fits All (of your shoes)
On the hunt for a new pair of kicks? Don’t forget your arch supports! Inserting them into any new shoes of interest provides you with the best idea of whether those new shoes are truly the right fit.
No Fit, No Good
If you follow the rules above and continue to experience discomfort with your newfound inserts, do not hesitate to contact your podiatrist. They can answer questions, provide general supervision, and even work to correct arch supports that are problematic.
Putting your best FEET forward,
SH
When Things Get Hard, Rub It Off
Are your feet summer ready? Check out our contribution to the Daily Aha from YouBeauty!
Putting your best FEET forward,
SH
Daily Aha!
Special thanks to YouBeauty for allowing us to contribute to their Daily Aha!
Putting your best FEET forward,
SH
5 Ways to Keep Your Feet Infection-Free in Public Places
Whether you’ve made the trek off to college or have a knack for going barefoot in public facilities, there is no doubt that you will need to protect yourself from the dreaded staph infection. Not just any staph infection, but MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). Staph infections are spread through skin-to-skin contact. However, MRSA is a form of bacteria that is resistant to common antibiotics used to treat other forms of staph infections. Contact with MRSA can range from just a simple pimple on the skin to a severely invasive infection that can lead to amputation. College dorms, gyms, locker rooms, public pools and hospitals are all common breeding grounds for MRSA. Here are 5 ideas to follow to keep your feet infection-free!
Protect Open Wounds: Any cuts, wounds, or breaks in the skin give easy access for bacteria to invade your body and cause an infection. The solution? Make sure these areas are securely covered to prevent being infected. It is also great as an added precaution to inspect your feet regularly depending on how frequent you share public facilities.
Wash Socks After Use: The warmth and moisture from your feet absorbed by your socks can allow bacteria to fester. You should never where the same pair of socks for consecutive workouts. Instead, wash them after working out and sport a fresh clean pair for each workout.
Don’t Share Personal Items: Sharing is NOT caring in the case of MRSA. Personal items such as towels, razors, shoes, or even socks can bring you in direct contact with the bacteria. Even if another person’s item may appear to be clean, don’t trust it! You run the risk of not truly finding out until it is too late.
Putting your best FEET forward,
SH
Dx Beach Feet: 4 Ways to Heal Your Summer Heels
Summertime fun means sporting sandals or- in many cases- going barefoot, that exposes your feet to the harsh elements of the season. Check out these 4 tips that are just what the doctor ordered to heal your summer heels!
Wash
It’s just not enough to let the water and suds trickle down to your feet when showering and claim that they are clean. A barefoot day at the beach or a simple saunter in your favorite flip-flops can expose your feet to all sorts of yuck-n-muck. The solution? Take care to give your feet a thorough washing DAILY (that means rubbin’ and scrubbin’). Foot washing is like hand washing and should be done routinely. It is also a great idea to soak your feet with warm water and Epsom salt. Soaking your feet provides a one-two punch of deodorizing and drawing out toxins to keep them funk-free!
Inspect
Bacteria, Virus, and Fungus….oh my! Your feet can become infected with any of these “beauties” with any cuts or openings of the skin. Whether you have the displeasure of stepping on rocks, shells, or any foreign object openings of the skin can be dangerous- large and small. That’s why it is essential to regularly inspect your feet for any open wounds or lesions that may be present. Warts can indicate viruses (such as HPV), while redness, swelling, and/or itching can be signs of bacterial (E. coli) or fungal (Athlete’s foot) infections.
Exfoliate
Unforgiving surfaces such as hot sand and pavement can lead to a load of calluses on the feet. To transition your feet from rough to smooth, exfoliate the callused areas. Be careful to ALWAYS exfoliate WET skin- preferably when showering or soaking. Tools, such as pumice stones or foot files are most aggressive, but scrubs can also do the trick.
Moisturize
Once you remove the skin you don’t want, you always want to show a lil love to the skin you do want. And nothing says T-L-C like a rich moisturizer. A daily slather of moisturizer to clean feet smoothes the skin and provides nutrients to make your feet very supple. It’s the perfect finish to healing those summer heels!
Oh!...and as always, if you’re going to continue to be out in the sun… DON’T forget the sunscreen!!
Putting your best FEET forward,
SH
Get Sporty
Getting a leg-up on some of your favorite outdoor activities often means finding the right shoes for the task-at-hand (err foot!). Check out these features to keep in mind when spotting the right shoes to get sporty!
Walking:
Whether you’re an avid walker or just in-need of a solid athletic shoe, this style is for you! You want a walking shoe that is lightweight allowing easy, comfortable mobility. Cushioning and shock absorption should be sufficient, but not be overly rigid. Instead, the sole should have flexibility and a rounded bottom, enabling a fluid motion for heel striking and toeing off, when walking.
Running:
Running can expose your feet to forces up to 3 times your body weight. Look for a running shoe that has ample shock absorption. This protects your feet from taking a beating when pounding the pavement over time. Running is a higher impact activity than walking, so it is a good idea for your running shoe to have a rigid sole (NOT flexible). The rigid sole should ONLY bend at the ball of the foot.
Hard Surface Activities:
Hard surface activities can mean murderous wear-n-tear not only to your feet BUT to your shoes, as well! That’s because these activities- such as basketball and tennis-involve lateral movements, abrupt stopping, and running. A quality basketball shoe should have thick shock absorption and a rigid sole to offload impact from running and jumping. It is recommended that basketball shoes are high-tops to provide added stability with lateral movement. High-tops are also believed to aid in ankle stability, but do not completely eliminate the risk of ankle sprains/injuries. Tennis shoes should have a thicker sole that is rigid and is only flexible at the ball of the foot for stability and repetitive movements. A sole with more tread is also good to keep in mind for added traction with abrupt stops.
Cross-Trainer:
Like to indulge in a variety of outdoor activities? Then a cross-training shoe might be the way to go. Viewed as a hybrid athletic shoe, this style combines features form various specialty shoes to accommodate the jack (or jill)-of-all-trades.
Want more information on finding the right “kicks” for the right activity? Check out our series Soul Searching: 8 Tips to Finding Your Perfect of Athletic Shoes!
Putting your best FEET forward,
SH
