TRENDY FITNESS CLASS MIGHT BE BAD FOR FEET

HIGH-INTENSITY interval training (HIIT) — short, sharp bursts of intensive exercise that can involve sprinting or impact exercises such as squat jumps — is now very popular.

However, Dr Ralph Rogers, a consultant in sports and orthopaedic medicine at The London Sports Injury Clinic, says that he has noticed a rise in patients with plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the ligament that runs along the sole of the foot) and is convinced the exercise trend is partly to blame.

‘HIIT is not for everyone,’ he says. ‘If you’re new to exercise, you need to build up slowly.

‘Gradually increase the load by around 10 per cent each time, which will avoid suddenly putting excessive pressure on your joints and soft tissues, including the soft tissues in the feet.’