Do you have a pile of snow in your walk-way, drive-way or around other parts of your house?

Sometimes, you’ve just got to do what you have to do – and this may include SHOVELING SNOW!

Not many people enjoy shoveling snow, but it’s something that JUST has to happen SOMETIMES! Unfortunately there are DANGERS and RISKS associated with shoveling snow.

Ahh … yes, you may have some ideas about this already. It is no joking matter too. According to the American Heart Association, cold weather temperatures and the increased workload on the heart increases the risk of a heart attack when shoveling snow [1]. Apart from your heart, your BACK could also suffer while you shovel snow.

It may seem like a really simple job – I mean, shovelling snow … BUT, don’t be deceived – shoveling snow can be hard work. Yes, the bright white seemingly attractive stuff on your lawn can actually be wet and heavy! Worse … it can hurt your back while you attempt to shovel it. The number of people who hurt their back each year while shoveling snow is astounding! Did you know that over 11,000 people visit the hospital each year as a result of shoveling snow? [2]. Who knew that SHOVELING SNOW could be so risky!

Apart from hurting the back, there have been occasions where people who were shoveling snow died! Yes … the heart attacks I mentioned earlier … this may sound EXTREME, but it does happen, especially when people live sedentary lives and then suddenly decide that they want to shovel snow. NO! Not a good idea because the heart and other parts of the body including the back may not be quite ready for this activity.

So, what can you do with regards to the snow that needs to be shoveled?

You can’t simply ignore and hope that it melts away. There is GOOD news, though! You could protect your back as you shovel and we’ll discuss ways through which you could do so. However, it is also important to UNDERSTAND the dangers and risks associated with shoveling snow.

This knowledge can be essential in keeping YOUR BACK safe! Apart from the back being injured or the heart being overloaded, shoveling snow could also over-work the ligaments, soft tissue, tendons and muscles. A lot of these tissues keep our backs in good working order. Hence, strains can put unnecessary stress on the back, especially the lower back which is affected when you bend to shovel. You could also cut yourself while shoveling snow or get hit by the shovel. Some have fallen on the shovel too! OUCH!! Yes … remember that snowfall can give rise to icy and slippery conditions, so WATCH OUT!

All these dangers and risks associated with shoveling snow can be relevant too when trying to protect your back as you shovel snow. The more you KNOW about protecting yourself during this activity, the more likely you’ll keep your back SAFE! HENCE … let’s get right on with it. Here are ways to protect your back when shoveling snow!

#1 – Be Active! Really? Yes, really!

The TRUTH is that being inactive can put you at GREAT RISK and not just with regard to shoveling snow but with almost ANYTHING. So … being active can be a great way to protect your back! Imagine NOT BEING ACTIVE and attempting this activity.

Well, you would give your BACK and BODY a shock!! If you are not active, your back may be in no shape to shovel snow. BUT … what does being ACTIVE mean? Don’t be alarmed! Being active does not mean running long marathon races or jumping over hurdles on a track. Instead, being active involves various types of activities where you MOVE!

Examples of activities can include a simple walk, going to the store, doing the dishes, stretching, swimming, basketball and a whole variety of other activities that make you abstain from a sedentary lifestyle. Hence, GET UP and MOVE! This can help protect your back when shoveling snow.

#2 – Get a Good Shovel.

You need the PROPER tool to do a good job and also keep your back safe.

Do you think the shovel you’ve got is ideal for your snow shoveling task?

It may not be. You need a good shovel to properly and safely shovel snow. Thanks to modern ergonomic studies, research and IMPROVED product designs, BETTER shovels have emerged that minimize the risks to the body while enabling you more efficiently shovel the snow. In the past, hand grips for shovels were less ideal. There were also inefficiencies associated with the handle of the shovel such as the length of the handle and the impact of the shovel when it makes contact with snow. Now, in today’s marketplace, there are shovels with adjustable handles and curved base designs that lessen the strain that shoveling snow can have on the back. So, look out for BETTER shovels in your local store!

#3 – Watch for Slips and Falls.

Another way to hurt your back while shoveling snow is to FALL.

Yes, another big OUCH! Imagine falling and not being able to get up. NOT a fun thought! No, nobody likes falling and falling on a hard surface can be many times as painful. Another SCARY dimension related to falling while shoveling snow is with regards to the PARTIAL or COMPLETE loss of control a person could feel while slipping and falling on ice! Alas!! The ground could be so slippery that it causes you to lose balance and before you know it … WOOOSH! Your legs are up in the air and your hands are dangling all over the place as you try to steady yourself … THEN, the unimaginable happens … you hit the HARD, COLD ground and hurt you back. Such injuries can be quite severe. Hence, watch for the potential for slips and falls. Place your feet carefully as you shovel. Wear proper shoes and boots. Wear shoes with great traction! Do not stand on slippery ice. ENSURE that you feet are steadily on firm ground!

#4 – Watch the Pressure You Exert.

In addition to having a sure footing on the ground and ensuring that you are not sliding all over the place, watch the force with which you move the shovel as this could PROPEL you away from what you thought was a solid position.

Hmmm … let’s see if I can explain this in another way … sometimes, the way we move can hurt us. Move TOO QUICKLY and we may injury our feet, legs, hand, arms, etc. The same could happen to the back while shoveling snow. This is where injuries like lower back strain, over-tensioning of muscles, pain radiating through other parts of your body, spasms and herniated disks could occur.

#5 – Posture, Technique and Exercise.

This is a triple-pronged category of back protection while shoveling snow. You NEED the right POSTURE. Hence, standing on firm ground is useful but not entirely sufficient to protect your back. You need to be standing properly on firm ground. Your posture while shoveling snow is VERY IMPORTANT! If you’re bent the wrong way, you could injure parts of your body and give way to slips and falls as well. TECHNIQUE is an area to focus on.

• How are you MOVING the shovel?
• How are you LIFTING THE SHOVEL OFF THE GROUND?
• How do you BEND OR MOVE YOUR ARMS while shoveling snow?

Learn and use the right technique for shoveling snow. You could also improve your posture and the ability to use the proper technique through EXERCISE. For those who already have back pain, there are ways to exercise and tactics to use that could help eliminate back pain [3].

In addition to the above, you need to warm up before going outside to shovel snow. Keep yourself warm and comfy too as this will help you focus on the task versus shivering and hurrying to get back inside the house. Dress for success and this includes a hat, gloves and outer wear [4]. RUSHING the task could lead to injury too!! Back pain is not a joyful experience and we either never want to have it or want to get rid of it and do so FAST! Back pain has also been associated with numerous activities including the act of shoveling snow. Is shoveling snow something you do or plan to do? If yes, you’ll be glad to know that there are ways to protect your back while shoveling snow. Know the risks! Protect your back!! Keep safe while shoveling snow!!!

If you are looking for a program to help you with your back pain then check out…..

References
[1] Shoveling Snow Health Hazards
[2] Shoveling Snow Injures Thousands Each Year
[3] Fix My Back Pain
[4] Tips for Snow Shoveling: How to Avoid Back Pain

I got a question on the Facebook Secret Group which is a place where people that have my programs go to ask me questions and also to ask the community questions when it relates to injury, pain, health and fitness. A question that came up was “What are some core exercises that I could do if I can’t get on the floor?”

This video which is specifically called “3 Great Core Exercises if You Can’t Get on the Floor”. It utilizes one of my favorite pieces of equipment which is the wall.

3 GREAT Core Exercises That You Can Do If You Can’t Get On the Floor

CLICK HERE to watch the YouTube video.

#1 – Wall Plank

I can go with my forearms and going up against the wall and going on in whatever angle that you can handle or whatever your fitness level can handle.

Forearms Position

In the last video, I have gone into a plank and I almost bailed because the mat here is not stuck to the floor.

I can do a wall plank and hold that wall plank.

Wall Plank in Forearms Position

If I want an increase in challenge, I can increase the incline that I do.

Wall Plank with Increase Incline Position

A couple of things that I want to remember when getting into that plank position, I don’t want that forearms to be too high because that will put a lot of stress in the shoulder and over activates the trapezius muscle.

Wrong Forearms Position

By bringing it a little bit lower, that will end up easing the stress in the shoulder and in the neck.

Correct Forearms Position

So the first one is going into a wall plank position and going in whatever incline that you can and hold it for a period of whatever you can handle. You can get 5, 10, 15, or 20 seconds hold and going into 5 repetitions to 10 repetitions.

#2 – Wall Plank from Forearms to Straight Arms

You do it with the forearms position and you come up with straight arms position and then back into the forearms position. Keep alternating back and forth.

Wall Plank from Forearms to Straight Arms (side view)

In that forearm position, get your forearms in a good spot, coming up and then back down. It’s like I am walking and marching with my arms.

Wall Plank from Forearms to Straight Arms (back view)

The same reps and sets as we talked about with the one before. I would do 10 reps with 5 reps on each side. When it comes to sets, you will start off with 1 set and see how you feel.

#3 – Wall Plank with knees Up and Out

I am going to go in a wall plank position, bringing the knee up, bringing the knee out to the side, back in and back down.

Wall Plank with knees Up and Out (side view)

In that forearm position, I am bringing the knee up, out to the side, back in and down. I can do alternating sides or or I can do on the same sides.

Wall Plank with knees Up and Out

This one works well because I am working on the stability of the hip by bringing the knee up, this side end up having stabilize and have more of load of my body and I can work on loosening up the opposite hip and also have the body reacts in which my pelvis and my core area react into that rotation movement as well.

We will do same reps as the one before, going for 5 to 10 repetitions and starting off with 1 set. If that is easy or not challenging at all, you can go through all three exercises multiple times. If it is still easy, you can increase the incline that you are up against the wall.

Those are 3 Great Core Exercises that you can give a go if you are not able to get down on the floor and go through traditional core exercises.

Make sure to swing by ExercisesforInjuries.com, enter in your injury and pain, there’s a good chance that I have an article, a video, or an interview that will help you overcome your injury or pain.

Secondly, if you are watching this on YouTube, head up above and hit subscribe. What that would do is every couple of days you will get a video like this where I talk about overcoming injury or pain.

Lastly, head down below and leave me a question or a comment.

If you are looking or an amazing resource on everything “Core Training”, check this out…

Take care!

Rick Kaselj, MS

.

I got a question in the Exercises for Injuries Secret Group which is a place where customers go that have purchased my products and they can ask me questions or they can ask the community questions when it relates to health, fitness, injuries or pain.

One question that came in from Simone was “I would like you to address a common concern of woman, what kind of exercise that can be done when can’t be on your knees and you can’t be on your hands because of extreme degenerative osteoarthritis?”

Exercises to Strengthen Your Knees If You Can’t Get On the Floor

CLICK HERE to watch the YouTube video.

There are two sets of exercises or more of like group of exercises that you can do.

1St Group – Utilize the Wall

You can utilize the wall to do different types of exercises.You can do various plank movements: out to the side, stepping on the spot, or your can increase the angle as well when it comes to the exercise. Make sure you are on a non-slip mat when doing things.

Various Plank Movements

Let’s say when it comes to your wrist, if you can’t place your hands on the wall, you can go with your forearms or you can use your fists when it comes to the exercises.

Utilize the wall if you are not able to kneel down or place pressure on your hands when getting on this hand position. Don’t devalue what you can with the wall.

Another thing I could do is I can grab a 1/2 foam roller and I can utilize that on my hands. I have my hands with it against the wall and then go through the various exercises if I can’t kneel down or I can’t place too much pressure on my hand or extend my wrist.

Use a Foam Roller

With my previous clients, what I have had success with is getting them into the pool and doing pool exercise. There is that buoyancy that lifts them up and they are able to add more intensity but decrease on impact.

2nd Group – Utilize Loop Tubing

I can step on the tubing and grip on the tubing or I can have the tubing placed on my hand. I can do various things.

Even if I can’t grip, I can lift it up and bring out the legs out to the side.

Bringing the legs out to the side

I can do pressing.

Pressing

I can utilize the loop tubing to various things and to exercise as well if I am not able to kneel down or place pressure on the hands and on the wrists.

Those are some ideas if you are not able to kneel down or place pressure on your wrists due to degenerative osteoarthritis. But remember, you can always work around injuries. I know when you search on the internet looking for different types of exercise you could do, most of the time it’s like fully abled young people doing exercise but don’t end up translating to yourself and your injuries and your pain. But there’s always ways of working around it like utilizing the wall, utilizing different types of tools so you can do the exercise, and utilizing the loop tubing.

If you are looking for a program to help you overcome knee pain, then check this out….

Take care and bye bye.

Rick Kaselj, MS

I was in the Exercises for Injuries Secret Group which is a place where people who have bought one of my products go in order to ask myself or my friends in the health and fitness world questions in order to help them with their fitness, or injury, or health problems.

A question came up in the Secret Group and it was about the Golf Stretch. I wanted to highlight and make sure that you are avoiding these 4 Common Mistakes when performing the Golf Ball Stretch for Plantar Fasciitis or Foot Pain.

Avoid These Common Mistakes When Performing the Golf Ball Stretches for Plantar Fasciitis or Foot Pain

CLICK HERE to watch the YouTube video.

If you search around the internet or if you talk with your friends, a lot of times if you have foot pain or plantar fasciitis they will say “Oh, you should take this golf ball and rub it along the bottom of your foot”.

Golf Ball Stretch

It is an excellent exercise, but there are four things that I have seen that a lot of people do wrong when it comes to the golf ball stretch.

#1 – Avoiding Painful Areas

When they are doing the exercise, people are avoiding the painful areas when it comes to doing the golf ball stretch. You want to work around that painful area but you also want to go into that painful area when doing the golf ball stretch.

#2 – Not Putting Enough Force into the Plantar Fascia and into the Golf ball

A lot of people just take the golf ball and rub their foot along it but you have to remember that the plantar fascia is an incredibly strong tissue, we walk on it everyday, we run on it, we jump on it, it takes a lot of stress and force through it.

In order to self massage it, as what we are doing with the golf ball stretch, you need to put some force into it. Just standing and rubbing it a little bit is just not good enough to do the trick.

If you do it in sitting, you are not get as much force into it as you need, unless you really lean on it and go through that golf ball stretch.

Golf Ball Stretch Sitting Position

Make sure that you are putting enough force in order to get some benefits from that golf ball stretch.

#3 – Not working the Heel

A lot of people are focusing just on the arch area but you got to focus on that heel and working on that heel area and really making sure you put good enough force into that golf ball and really working that heel and not just working the arch.

Golf Ball Stretch focusing on the Heel

#4 – Ignoring the Toes

If you look at the fascia using our hand, the middle is the arch and the heel of the hand is the heel of your foot and that fascia moves off into the toes. A lot of people just focus on the arch, not really dealing with the heel and not dealing with the toes.

Golf Ball Stretch moving into the Toes

You are moving into those toes and trying to go into the toes when it comes to working that fascia and not just the arch.

There you go! If you are giving that golf ball stretch in order to help with foot pain or plantar fasciitis, make sure that you don’t make these four mistakes.

1. Avoiding the painful areas. In some areas it’s going to be uncomfortable but you want to go into them cautiously.
2. Make sure you put enough force into it to really have an effect and a benefit in that plantar fascia.
3. Work that heel area.
4. Work into the toes.

Another thing that you could do if you are doing the golf ball stretch in order to get the benefits, you can put it in a freezer and have it frozen, that will increase how dense it is or how hard it is and which will also help cooling it down when it comes to the inflammation side of things of the plantar fasciitis or foot pain.

One other question that I commonly get is “does the brand of golf ball matter when it comes to golf ball stretch?” — No. It doesn’t matter what kind of brand of golf ball you use to do the golf ball stretch. It is more important to do the golf ball stretch and even more important that you do the golf ball stretch right.

If you are suffering from plantar fasciitis or know of someone that is, this will help…..

Rick Kaselj, MS

.

I am getting a lot of questions when it relates to what to do about sitting. I wanted to go through the 4 Best Stretches to do if you are sitting all day.

Best Stretches To Do if You Sit All Day

CLICK HERE to watch the YouTube video.

With these stretches, you can pretty much do them anywhere. You can get off your chair and go through the stretches or at the end of the day you go through the stretches.

#1 – 90/90 Hip Flexor Stretch

I am kneeling down on a 90/90 position and contracting the abdominal area and I am moving my hips forward. I am looking for a light stretch in the front of the hip and I am like carrying on into the front of the hip joint.

90/90 Hip Flexor Stretch (front view)

From the side, I am at 90/90 position, nice and tall. Taking it through my abdominal area and bringing my hips forward and looking at a light stretch from the thigh and from the hip. That’s the 90/90 hip flexor stretch.

90/90 Hip Flexor Stretch (side view)

#2 – Kneeling Side Bend Lat Stretch

I can get up and off load my knee and off load the stretch and then I can go back to that 90/90 position. I am reaching out and then side bend a little bit and I am looking at stretching out that lat.

Kneeling Side Bend Lat Stretch

With the lat, when you sit that long period of time, your hip flexors get tight but also that lat gets tightened up especially on both sides. I am in that 90/90 position, bringing my arm overhead and then side bending. It’s not perfectly to the side, you move a little bit to the front and looking for a light stretch in that lat. When it comes to how intense the stretch is, I find it being a lot less than the 90/90 hip flexor stretch.

Now if you have back pain or history of back problems, you are not going over aggressive. You are really trying to focus on locking the hip and just moving that upper body to the side looking for a light stretch in that lat area.

#3 – Calf Stretch

I am taking a good step forward. I got both toes point straight ahead and my feet are flat and then I am leaning forward. It’s best to put your hand on something in order to get support and eliminate balance because we want to focus on the stretch side of things.

Calf Stretch

Moving forward, both toes are point straight ahead, that heel is flat and I am looking for a light stretch in that calf muscle.

#4 – Standing Full Nelson

I have interlaced the fingers behind the neck and I am opening up. I am really trying to focus on opening up.

Standing Full Nelson

Interlocking and opening up bringing those elbows back and looking at getting that light stretch in the front of the chest.

There you go, give those four stretches a go. I recommend for people to hold the stretch for 20 seconds and perform the stretch twice or twice on each side alternating.

Looking at the 4 Stretch Exercises:

1. 90/90 Hip Flexor Stretch hits those hip flexors.
2. Side Bending Lat Stretch targets the lats which sometimes get tight and shortening up when you are sitting especially if you are not sitting in perfect posture.
3. Standing Calf Stretch – When you are constantly sitting and if you move your feet across your legs and you put pressure on both of your toes, that ends up activating the calf. A lot of times the calf gets tight, we are loosening it up with that standing calf stretch.
4. Standing Full Nelson Stretch – what we are doing there is we are working on stretching out the chest, the lats, and also working on those muscles in the mid-back area activating and strengthening them up.

If you are sitting all day and you are looking at what you can do to help reverse that sitting, give those four stretch exercises a go.

Make sure to swing by ExercisesforInjuries.com, enter in your injury and pain, there’s a good chance that I have an article, a video, or an interview that will help you overcome your injury or pain.

Secondly, if you are watching this on YouTube, head up above and hit subscribe. What that would do is every couple of days you will get a video like this or a guest video from one of my friends in the fitness world or an interview all helping you overcome injury or pain.

Thirdly, head down below and leave me a question or a comment. Take care!

If you are looking for a program to help you with your tight hip flexors, then check out….

Rick Kaselj, MS.

Every January, I head to Florida.

Some may think that it is because I want to avoid the snow and cold but to be honest, I have enjoyed moving up to Kelowna and having a real winter and a full four seasons.

Plus the kids love the snow. The snow brings out the best in kids, especially when they close the schools down for the first time in 37 years due to a heavy snow fall.

Two weeks back, I headed to Miami and it was a full weekend of learning, networking and spending time with friends.

Here are 3 things that I learned while I was there…

#1 – Know What You Are Ordering On the Menu

When I travel, I try to take some risks on what I order. I like trying new things and 90% of the time, it ends up being great except that time I ordered sheep stomach as a meal.

On Thursday night, a group of us went out for dinner…

I would like a steak so I looked at the menu and decided to order a 22 oz steak.

The steak was great but 22 oz was way to much. If you go to a steak house, know how much steak would be enjoyable enough for you.

I enjoyed the first 12 oz but the last 10 oz were not enjoyable.

That being said, it is always great going to fitness meetings and seeing what other people eat and why they eat the way they do.

I always come away with different tips and ideas.

Here are a few tips that I got while in Miami:

• One that Shawna K does is she tries to have alcoholic drinks that have calorie-free mixes in them. By doing this, you decrease your calories from the alcoholic drink by about a half. The best drink that I had when I was in Miami was a pineapple infused vodka. It was incredible.
• When you head out of town, head to the gift shop or the local corner store and get some raw almonds. They are a nice light snack when traveling and they won’t pull you over in customs for having them if you end up bringing them back.
• A nice afternoon snack is to have a tea with a spoon full of cup of coconut oil and beef gelatin. I have not tried this yet but I am looking forward to giving this a go.
• Another one that I learned was try to have a glass of water after every alcoholic drink. This will hydrate you back up, fill you up, decrease the effects of the alcohol and decrease how much you end up drinking.

#2 – You Can’t Beat Working and Walking with Friends

I have been a part of a fitness info mastermind for about 5 years. We meet up every few months and over those 5 years, I have built a number of great friendships.

It is always great to meet up with those friends and chat, especially while walking in Miami….

Nothing beat breaking away from the phone, computer, laptop, TV, tablet and pager to spend time with friends, catch up with how life has been going, talk about what is coming up and go for a walk.

When I go to conferences, courses, seminars, meetings, etc I try to focus on enjoying the moment, connecting with old friends, meeting new friends and giving all of the technology stuff and work a little bit of a break. All that other stuff can wait until I get back home.

#3 – Improve Your Communication

I know when I started working in the health and fitness world, I focused on learning everything that I could when it comes to exercises and injuries. I attended courses. I bought books. I read research articles. I trained as many people as I could. I got good and I am good at working with people with injuries.

I thought the more knowledge I have about injuries and exercises, the more clients I would have and the greater success I would have but I was wrong. It isn’t all just about that.

That was kind of the case. The thing that really improved things was working on improving my communication and specifically, how to communicate with people on how I can help them overcome their problems.

A big part of that was speaking or presenting which I did while I was in Miami…

.

The other part is writing….

(Like this blog post you are reading.)

With both, understanding the fact that with both you are selling something.

I know, too many selling is an evil word but it is a key to helping more people, move forward and getting what you want.

Just asked my kids. They are some the best communicators when it comes to getting what they want. Especially when there is an app or toy that they want.

Other examples:

• It is important for me to explain to my client why a certain exercise is important.
• It is important for me to discuss in my blog post why an exercise is good.
• It is important for me to convince my wife on why we need to go to Mexico to have tacos.
• It is important for me to encourage my kids to eat vegetable.

So now, I put equal time on my technical skills as I do with my communication skills, especially selling with those skills.

Thanks for reading and have a great day.

Rick Kaselj, MS

P.S. – One event that I will be attend in March that will be helping me improve my communication (and selling)  is this event. Hope to see you there.

.

4 Worst Foods for Plantar Fasciitis

Do you have heel pain?

Perhaps you already know about plantar fasciitis or what’s also referred to as the heel pain syndrome. Also, if you’re reading this, you probably have some interest in what plantar fasciitis is or want to learn how to cope with it. Suffering from plantar fasciitis pain can be quite unbearable. Yes, sometimes, you may be able to endure the pain for a while, but eventually you’ll say to yourself: “There’s got to be a BETTER way to deal with this condition!” Have you ever wondered if you were the only person going through this type of pain? When you stand on the floor, do wince and dread your every step?

NO, you are NOT alone! There are a LOT of people going through these same issues. Unfortunately, this condition is very common and it has been categorized as the most common cause of chronic heel pain [1]. Also, we learn from the American Chiropractic Association that plantar fasciitis affects approximately 2 million people in the United States [2].

There’re various reasons why plantar fasciitis may occur. However, there could also be unknown reasons for its occurrence, which makes the condition even more depressing for many people because they do not quite know what to do to prevent or avoid the situation. Some reasons for the occurrence of plantar fasciitis include wearing improper shoes, carry heavy loads for prolonged periods and being overweight.

HOWEVER, did you know that there’s also a role that FOOD plays for those who have plantar fasciitis. There’re foods that can make the condition worse. Yes, certain foods can do you more harm than good and there’re certain foods that exacerbate certain ailments. Let’s discuss some of the worst foods for plantar fasciitis. If you are suffering from chronic heel pain related to plantar fasciitis, you do not want to miss learning about these 4 foods that can simply make the condition much … MUCH worse. So, let’s dive in a take a look.

#1 – Junk Food!

Yes, you might have guessed that this would be one of the choices … and if so, you guessed right. There is not much that comes from junk food that can do much for the body except help us pack on the calories and feel sluggish … or worse … really, really sick. Sometimes, a person’s body get’s accustomed to junk food and this is a bad, BAD … really bad idea. Why? Junk food typically contains high amounts of unhealthy sugar and fats. These unhealthy ingredients FEED diseases and ailments including plantar fasciitis. Hence, if you’re suffering from plantar fasciitis, you need to stop abusing your health with junk food. I mean, to be realistic, small amounts of these substances could be permissible and we do encounter this from time to time in meals. However, DO avoid junk food when dealing with plantar fasciitis.

#2 – Meats

Lean meat is certainly better than meat that has significant amounts of fat. These fats clog the body and prevent the healing and anti-inflammatory processes that help to tackle problems such as plantar fasciitis. Unhealthy fats from mea,t feed inflammation and this is bad news for chronic heel pain. When consuming this food with high amounts of unhealthy fat, the body is unable to tap into the resources it needs to fight out inflammation as a result of worn or absent tissue on the feet. So, REDUCING the consumption of red meat can be helpful. Try using other types of proteins. For example, you could find that fish is quite versatile and rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which is just what the body need to fight inflammation. Say NO to unhealthy, fatty meats.

#3 – White Flour

This is a common ingredient in things like bread, cakes, cookies and many processed snacks and foods. Sometimes, white flour is simply EVERYWHERE we look. Hence, it can be difficult to avoid but NOT impossible, though. Yes, there is hope. You could also switch out white flour with wheat flour and get the same desired results in foods and recipes but with a much healthier outlook, especially when treating the pain associated with plantar fasciitis. There’re many other meals that people that use white flour too as a major ingredient such as in soups as a thickener or as an add-on to foods that are presented with crispy coatings. Hmm … these foods may look yummy BUT what is the effect on your health and pain levels? NOT GOOD! Check the ingredients of foods and cut down or eliminate as much as you can.

4. Unhealthy Fats

“Unhealthy” is the keyword for this category of foods that you should avoid when dealing with plantar fasciitis. While there’re fats that are good for us, we should avoid fats that are unhealthy. Essentially, these are the type of fats that just make you pack on the calories with no significant nutritional value! This additional weight can wreck havoc on your feet and add to the torment you’re experiencing. NOT good at all!!!

It is important to note that EXCLUDING all types of fats from your diet is the NOT solution. INSTEAD … stick to the healthy kinds of fats such as those in nuts and avocados. While consuming these healthy fats, you’ll also need to do so in MODERATION! So, avoid the unhealthy fats that can be found in many fried or similar foods and eat the healthy fats in moderate quantities. You can also FIGHT the effects of unhealthy fats through exercise. Low-impact exercise such as walking has been effective in addressing foot pain [3]. Hence, if you have been consuming unhealthy fats and have added some weight as a result … there’s HOPE … you’ll find that exercise could be quite helpful.

In general, sticking to healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, wheat flour and similar foods can do a lot more for the body than consuming any of these 4 worst foods for plantar fasciitis. Avoiding these worst foods and you may just notice that changes that you have been longing for. Oh … wouldn’t that just be GREAT! YES, IT WOULD!! Yes … there’re ways to treat plantar fasciitis which include the use of medications, soft-tissue manipulation, chiropractic manipulation, shock-wave therapy and surgery. However, you should note that these treatments have various levels of efficacy [4].

What if I told you that there was a way to get rid of heel and foot pain through EXERCISE! Is this too good to be true? No, it isn’t. There’re effective and safe exercise routines that may help eliminate the need for those expensive surgeries, drugs and medical devices [5]. Really, what do you have to lose by trying out exercise routines, especially if living with plantar fasciitis has become quite unbearable! In addition to lessening the symptoms and resulting pain from plantar fasciitis by eating the right foods, consider exercise as a viable path to healing and improved quality of life too. Life’s too short to live with chronic heel pain DAY AFTER DAY. So, STOP the pain – EAT RIGHT and avoid foods that are really bad for plantar fasciitis.

If you want to see what foods to eat if you have plantar fasciitis then check out Plantar Fasciitis Relief in 7 days here:

Rick Kaselj, MS

References:

[1] Journal of Foot and Ankle Research: Ultrasound guided injection of dexamethasone versus placebo for treatment of plantar fasciitis
[2] Plantar fasciitis: American Chiropractic Association
[3] Plantar Fasciitis: A Concise Review
[4] Plantar Fasciitis: Diagnosis and Therapeutic Considerations
[5] Plantar Fasciitis Relief in 7 Days

.

Total body health includes taking care of you feet too!

If you think your feet are not important … THINK AGAIN! Feet need care and health too. Many groups remind us of the importance of our feet and why we need to pay attention to this vital part of the body that helps us get around by walking, running , jumping and much more! Feet can be a mirror to our general health and there are many conditions that could affect our feet including bone anomalies, structural alignments issues, problems with gait, flat feet, corns, calluses, skin thickness and others [1].

Other statistics we should know about feet include the fact that 75% of Americans will be experiencing problems with their feet at least one time during their lives [2]. Such statistics could be similar to many other parts of the world too.

For certain health concerns such as diabetes, foot care becomes even more critical and there should be sufficient attention paid to foot health to prevent drastic outcomes. For everyone, taking care of your feet is a no-brainer and something we SHOULD all be doing! Other problems that people develop can also be traced back to problems with their feet. Do you know that in your lifetime, if you compare the amount of walking you’ve done, you’d have walked around the world … and not just once, but up to five times! This is about 115,000 miles during a person’s lifetime [3]. HENCE, let’s consider 7 keys to foot health. Yes, sign me up TOO in terms of learning these important keys to keeping my feet in GREAT shape. The MORE we all know about our foot health, the better-off we’ll ALL be.

#1 – Know Your Feet.

First, we need to know our feet!

We NEED to understand the type of feet we have. For example, do you have flat feet?

Have you have had foot problems in the past?

When a child is born, he or she has flat feet because the foot of an infant is still developing. However, for some adults, this condition may persist and create occasions for clumsiness or tiredness when using the feet for prolongs periods of time. If you do not have a fully developed foot arch, you’d NEED shoes that provide arch support. You can create excessive strains and pressure on your feet when you increase certain activities. THUS, you do need to BEWARE of this! Knowing more about your feet and how you could affect ligaments such as the plantar fascia ligament around the heel area could help you avoid foot problems.

#2 – Buying the Right Shoes

Another key for successful foot health is to buy the right shoes. Once you identify what your feet need, consider buying shoes that provide the RIGHT fit for your feet. Your feet can expand and contrast based on the time of the day. At the end of the day, feet tend to be at their largest size. Hence, when attempting to buy shoes that fit properly, you may want to consider this too and not buy shoes in the morning!

Certain types of shoes can also create foot conditions that I’m sure you’d rather do without. An example is bunions which is quite prevalent in women who wear pointy shoes. The abnormal pressure that the WRONG shoes place on the feet gives rise to painful spots on the feet too. There are 26 bones and at lots of joints in the human foot and you want to ensure that you find shoes that give your feet room to breathe and move. When shoes do not fit properly, this can cause about 80% of the problems people have with their feet.

#3 – Love the Low Heels!

Are you a high-heeled shoe fan?

If yes, you may want to embrace a low-heeled shoe life-style instead. Look at your feet in its NATURAL state. It sits low on the ground. This lowness and lack of stretching as seen with high-heeled shoes minimizes the risk of harming the metatarsal bones. If high-heeled shoes must be used, it is recommended that no more than 2 inches high is attempted. Nevertheless, if you are using low shoes, you are doing your feet a favor and contributing immensely to your FOOT HEALTH!

Bunions are also common in high-heeled shoe wearers because of the pressure exerted on the feet. Apart from bunions, high-heeled or poorly fitting shoes can also create a deformity known as hammer toe in which a toe is bent due to shoes that just do not fit properly. With the wrong shoes, a person could also suffer from metatarsalgia, which is a pain in the ball of the foot.

#4 – Let Your Feet Breathe.

Sometimes, we simply do not give our feet a break. YOUR FEET need to breathe. We find ourselves in many types of places including the gym, damp areas and also in damp clothing, sometimes. We should also exercise CAUTION, though. Despite the desire to have feet breathe, shoes like flip flops which provide wide-open spaces for the feet, are actually considered one of the worst shoes a person can wear. Yes … at the beach or near water, flip flops do come in handy. Hence, in these environments, flip flops may be the more reasonable solution. However, for long-term wear, seek other shoes with better support. Also, feet have sweat glands but this does not cause foot odour. Instead, foot odour is caused by bacteria.

#5 – Keep your Feet Active.

There are stretching exercises that could be used to ensure that your feet remain in great shape. If we don’t use our feet as we should or if our feet begin to suffer from inflammation, we may notice the onset of arthritis. This has also been referred to as an acute gout attack and such an attack could affect other joints of the body like the knees and the fingers. Walking can help to lengthen your life. It’s great for your heart and some cardiovascular activity is recommended for general health. However, beware of over-activity TOO, which could lead to INFLAMMATION and conditions like PLANTAR FASCIITIS. Exercise routines could be used to tackle foot ailments such as plantar fasciitis and these exercises may eliminate the need for costly medical interventions such as surgery, drugs and medical devices [4].

#6 – Other Conditions Affect Foot Health.

There are medical conditions such as diabetes that can adversely affect a person’s feet, if sufficient care is not taken. Improper care, especially when a person is diabetic, for example, could lead to the amputation of the feet or the entire leg. YES, this is quite serious!!! Hence, it is imperative that we know how other medical conditions could be directly related to foot health. With conditions such as diabetes, a person has a certain level of vulnerability to foot problems. Hence. VIGILANCE to foot health is ESSENTIAL!!!

#7 – Throw Out Old, Worn Shoes.

If you have shoes that are old and worn, you should throw these shoes OUT.

Also, please note that you can also have new shoes that have aged and become LESS IDEAL to wear such as shoes sitting on a shoe shelf somewhere with shoe glue drying out or shoes with air pocket cushions dissipating. Another thing to watch out for regarding your foot health is … SALES! SALES!! SALES!!! Yes, you’ll often find that these types of sales may include some shoes that are ultimately not good for your feet.

So, a good question to ask is: How long has the store had these shoes? Hmmm … perhaps the store clerk may not tell you this, but it’s good to consider just how “new” those shoes really are. Athletic shoes typically last up to 500 miles. If you’re actively using your shoes, consider changing shoes every 6 months or so. You could also recycle old or worn shoes rather than throwing such shoes in the trash.

We see that taking care of our feet involves being mindful of different aspects related to the health of our feet and what we wear on our feet. If you do want to wear high heels, anything over 2 inches can be linked to problems associated with the feet and heel pain is the most popular type of foot pain, while bunions are more likely found in women than in men.

Wearing shoes can help protect the feet! However, we need shoes that provide adequate support and footwear that protects us from becoming infected with fungus, which causes conditions like athlete’s foot. Viruses could also infect the feet and cause conditions like plantar warts. Other conditions that affect the feet include arthritic gout which is a swollen toe, calluses and corns caused by thickened skin and in-grown toe nails caused by cutting nails too short.

Want to learn more about Plantar Fasciitis and how to treat it check out Plantar Fasciitis Relief in 7 Days here:

Rick Kaselj, MS

References:

[1] Facts: Canadian Federation of Podiatric Medicine
[2] Foot Facts: Foot Health Network
[3] Foot Facts Resources: Solo Laboratories
[4] Plantar Fasciitis Relief in 7 Days

.