Exercise is an essential way to keep fit and healthy, but don’t worry if you haven’t found a fitness regime to suit you yet – there are many different ways to get moving, and all of them will contribute to a healthier and more active future.
With so many of us stuck at home during over the past few months, exercising has become a great focus and many people have taken the opportunity to work towards new fitness goals during this time. This is a great option for many reasons, including the enormous physical and mental health benefits that exercise can bring; and remember, it’s never too late to start!
If you find the idea of exercising stressful, don’t panic – fitness doesn’t have to mean going to the gym – and with gyms closed during lockdown, many people had to take a more creative approach to getting themselves moving. Here at Foot Solutions, we can help you to get ready for a new fitness routine that keeps you free from foot pain and ensures that you feel healthier and happier!
Move Your Feet For Fitness
Getting fit can be great fun, so take the time to think about the best way to include it in your life. You might want to try a new sport or hobby, or simply increase your activity levels in all areas of your daily life. Here are our top tips for increasing your activity levels and creating a more active lifestyle:
• Don’t restrict yourself. Exercise can take many interesting forms, and in the current climate, with many more people working from home than usual, there are plenty of opportunities to try something new. You could learn to practice yoga with YouTube videos, or take up a new form of dance or aerobics. Even increasing the time you spend gardening will increase your fitness level gradually, so count your steps each time you move and give yourself credit for all of the different types of physical activity you do.
• Count your steps. Most people have a step tracker on their mobile phone or fitbit, and a simple pedometer will do the job if you don’t. It can be helpful to monitor your step count for a few days to see what your average is, and then begin to increase the amount of steps you take each day or each week. Health practitioners advise that an average of around 10,000 steps per day is a good goal to aim for, and you may be surprised at the amount of activity required to beat this target. Even if you aren’t keen on measuring your step count, you can increase your fitness a great deal by simply walking a little further each day, or exercising for a few minutes longer to challenge yourself.
• Stay motivated. It can be hard to keep yourself motivated when you’re exercising alone. Rope in a family member for company or enjoy a Podcast. You’ll be surprised at how many steps you’ve taken when you are interested in a topic. Why not set yourself some inspiring targets, to give yourself a good reason to keep going. Challenge yourself to walk a certain distance each week, or begin to prepare for a short charity run or for the very fit, maybe even a marathon in the future.
• Get outdoors. Good weather makes it much more tempting to get outside, and it has felt even more important to appreciate the world around us in the last few months. Spending time in nature is excellent for your mental health as well as your physical health, and exercising outdoors will significantly increase the dose of feel good hormones you produce. Go for a run, a walk or a cycle in your local area and explore your own neighbourhood, or simply work out in your garden for a change!
• Get physical. Getting fit doesn’t even have to mean strenuous exercising – you will get a mini workout when you do the housework or get on with a few DIY tasks at home. Making a list of all of the tasks you accomplish will show you how much physical activity you are doing each day, and tasks such as hoovering, cleaning bathrooms and washing windows will all get your heart pumping and add to your step count. Movement of any kind will contribute to your feelings of fitness and wellbeing, and you can feel very proud of your efforts when you sit down for a rest in your clean and spruced up home!
Try Custom Orthotics From Foot Solutions
Of course, however you choose to exercise, it’s important to choose footwear that can support your feet properly and cushion them as you move. Many people do not get enough support in their footwear and can gain great relief from custom orthotics, which we can provide for you at Foot Solutions.
Custom orthotics are created to fit your feet exactly, and are inserted into your shoes to provide the right amount of cushioning and support for you. They are designed to suit your feet and your lifestyle, and can be very helpful in preventing foot, knee, hip and back pain in your daily life. Our expert team will carry out a free foot assessment to find the best options for you, and their recommendations may include a combination of custom orthotics, comfort socks and well fitted shoes.
Feel The Difference At Foot Solutions
At Foot Solutions, we meet customers who work in a wide range of jobs, many of them involving a lot of walking or standing. When foot pain develops, it can be debilitating, but a combination of custom orthotics and well fitted shoes can make all the difference.
Rose Ede, a Street Pastor, visited a Foot Solutions store for help with painful feet. She told us,
“I work as a Street Pastor…We help vulnerable people we meet at night over the weekends when all sorts of things can go wrong, and we offer our help and support wherever we can. This can be assistance in the form of first aid or advice…handing out plastic bottle stoppers and straws so their drinks don’t get ‘spiked’, or simply giving out water to drink…But our feet are very important because above all, we need to be able to walk!
My friend Christine and I have both suffered terrible foot pain as our long nights on duty mean that we are literally pounding the pavement for many hours.
I could hardly walk. I had very painful heels with a burning sensation. My friend felt she was close to needing a wheelchair, and it was she that first discovered Foot Solutions. We both went to see what they could do for us.
In our Assessments, our feet were measured, the way we walk and how we put pressure on our feet was observed. Finally, they scanned our feet to check the shape of our arches.
It was explained that all sorts of foot related problems can be sorted out by wearing arch supports along with properly fitted, good quality shoes. ”
So we bought shoes and ordered some specially made arch supports. Now there’s no more pain so I can do any amount of walking without even thinking about it. My life has changed!”
Like Rose, many of our customers are surprised at the difference a visit to Foot Solutions can make. Taking care of your feet is a very important way to protect your general health and keep you fit, and we can help to set you up for success with your new exercise regime.
Exercise In Comfort With Foot Solutions In Ireland
It’s a great time to get moving, and you’ll feel your very best this summer if you begin to increase your fitness level now. Let our helpful pedorthists help you to find the perfect solution to your foot discomfort or pain, and help yourself to feel and look healthier and fitter this summer.
We have taken care to implement safety measures to protect our customers and staff during the Covid-19 pandemic, and we are able to offer our personal appointment service without compromising our high standards. You will be required to wear a face mask to your appointment, in line with government advice, and we have introduced hand sanitising stations and social distancing measures within our stores. Call us or book an appointment online today, and we will help you to get moving!
