Start your summer adventures with healthy feet
Great summer adventures start with healthy, pampered feet
There are beautifully formed feet, and there are those that look like flowering bulbs of ginger. Still, aesthetics take nothing away from the great, daily work that our feet do for us—carrying us, our whole weight, and all the baggage we tote wherever we go. When we talk about travel, images of planes jetting off to exotic locales or a car full of friends breezing down the expressway immediately come to mind. Yet, every day we travel, one footstep after another, from one destination to the next.
As the popular adage goes, every journey begins with a single step, but that would be hard to follow with another one once you encounter pain and other kinds of problems with your feet. Hence, for your summer sojourns, whether it’s a transatlantic flight to some cosmopolitan European capital or a backpacking trek through lush local trails, keeping mindful of the health needs of your feet becomes all the more important.
They don’t really require anything special by way of care: A hygienic routine of washing them daily with water and mild soap, thorough drying especially between the toes, and applying moisturizing cream especially on the heels is always the best form of defense against skin problems that afflict the feet, such as fungal infections and dry, cracked skin. Regular pedicures and nail trimming done by trusted and capable technicians can prevent ingrown nails. Foot spas and massages do a world of good in invigorating blood circulation, and so does giving your feet a break from constant wearing of high heels.
There’s a specific pre-travel to-do list, though: Once you get down to paring your whole beauty ritual into TSA-approved sizes, don’t forget to pack for your feet, too. Aside from a moisturizing cream, a cuticle balm, and maybe a deodorizing foot spray—this is more for the sake of your bunkmates—pack a few sachets of bath salts so you can give your feet a nice, warm soak at the end of a day’s sightseeing. It would also be a good idea to prepare a foot care kit for emergency cases: bandages, a nail file, nail clippers, cooling foot lotion, and antibiotic cream.
In planning your plane outfit, think of comfort—especially if it’s going to be a long flight. Foot and leg swelling is a common condition during air travel due to inactivity, the constant seated position, low cabin pressure, low humidity, and dehydration. Reduce the risk by not wearing tight clothing, particularly those that cinch at the waist; you can always change into something more stylish in the cabin restroom before touchdown.
When you’re finally up in the air or on the road, keep yourself hydrated and stretch your legs and ankles every hour; if it’s possible, take a short walk to get the blood in your legs and feet circulating back to the heart. If short walks aren’t possible, do ankle rotations by drawing circles with your toes, and keep the legs and feet elevated as much as you can. Sure, you’d look strange in your seat but your lower extremities will thank you for it.
The footwear you’ll use during travel is also an important consideration. The smart thing is to stick to shoes that you’ve proven to be comfortable and provide proper arch and heel support instead of ones that you’ve yet to break in. Ballet flats and flip-flops don’t make for trusty travel shoes, as despite the flat-heeled comfort they give, they offer absolutely zero support to the feet—you’ll just find yourself groaning in pain after a day spent walking around.