After being shuttered at home for quite some time, many people are finally taking their much-needed vacation time to travel the world and see it with a fresh pair of eyes. While there’s nothing like seeing new places, traveling can sometimes take a toll on the body, especially on your feet.
Traveling can be particularly hard on the feet. Besides more walking and exploring than usual, running to catch trains, or standing in line, it’s also not uncommon to experience foot problems while traveling via air. All of these result in foot pain, or worse, foot injuries or nerve pain.
Thankfully, there are things you can do to keep your feet happy and healthy even during your travels. Take a look at these tips.
Tips on How to Prevent Foot Pain and Problems
- Wear the Right Footwear
You already know you’re going to do a lot of walking, so it makes sense to bring sensible shoes that have the right level of support. Having the right type of shoe can prevent injuries and prevent you from encountering ankle sprains, plantar fasciitis, as well as heel or toe fractures.
If you are going to do a lot of walking, standing, and exploring, having footwear that has great arch and ankle support is a no-brainer. However, if you’re going to other places, such as hiking the mountains, having shoes that have traction and support is ideal.
While you’re at it, you might want to bring several footwear options with you. Having an extra pair of shoes will come in handy since this lets you rotate them, especially when your feet sweat a lot. Having an extra pair on hand likewise lets you prevent irritation and bacterial infection from forming in the first place.
2. Keep Hydrated and Eat Healthily
Eating well and indulging while on vacation may be the dream, but veering away from salt and fatty foods may do well for your feet, especially when you’re on the plane. Make sure to avoid as much salt as you can since this can make you retain more fluid, making your feet swell and become inflamed.
3. Examine Your Feet Regularly
When you’re walking more than usual, especially when you’re traveling, one of the ways you can take care of your feet is by checking them regularly. Taking the time to examine the state of your feet lets you know if there are already irregularities forming on them.
Some of the symptoms you should look out for include cuts, scrapes, sores, rashes, swelling, discoloration, and even pain. If you feel persistent pain while traveling, going to a foot doctor near you is imperative. These experts can treat the pain you’re feeling and even give you pointers on how to avoid this moving forward.
4. Bring the Essentials
Those who go on flights know that their feet can swell and become inflamed, which is why bringing a pair of compression socks that at least reach up to your knee is important. This will help to swell and allow a better flow of blood within the body.
At the same time, don’t forget to bring blister patches or bandages, antibiotic cream, nail clippers, tweezers, as well as moleskin padding. These will be of great help when the need arises as they make for great first-aid treatment for wound care.
5. Stretch and Massage Your Feet
Massages don’t have to be a luxury. By simply stretching and massaging your feet, or even doing a series of exercises, you can reduce foot pain and even avoid plantar fasciitis flare-ups. You can likewise use a tennis ball to massage the soles of your feet.
The Bottom Line
With all the travel trends you see on social media, you would be encouraged to hop on the trend and pack your bags. But traveling is fun if you don’t have aching feet. With these tips, you can see more of the world while still keeping your feet healthy. Be sure to consult with a foot doctor even before your trip and they can set up individualized plans to address your needs.
