Photo credit: iStockphoto
The kids are finally out of school and on summer break. Naturally, your thoughts turn to summer vacation plans. Besides determining where you’ll go, what you’ll do and what you need to pack, you need to consider your feet, too. After all, you’ll be using your feet to enjoy all of your vacation fun.
The health of your feet is important while you’re on vacation. If your feet hurt or you injure them while you’re away, your summer vacation can be ruined. But with advanced planning, taking into consideration your foot-care needs, you’ll stay more comfortable while minimizing the risk of sore, tired or injured feet during your travels.
1. Pack the right shoes.
Consider the types of activities you’ll be doing on your vacation and pack the right shoes for those activities, such as low-heeled shoes for dinners on a cruise, hiking boots for a trip to the woods or mountains, and flip-flops or water shoes for the beach or pool.
If you’re going to be walking a lot on your trip, pack and wear comfortable, supportive athletic shoes with socks to reduce friction. While flip-flops and sandals may be your “go-to” shoe option for the summer, they don’t provide enough support if you’ll be on your feet for long periods of time, especially if you’re walking on hard surfaces like cement. Plus, flip-flops and sandals increase your risk of tripping, falling and injuring your feet and ankles.
Avoid taking shoes you’ve never worn before on your trip. This is a good way to end up with foot pain from blisters and calluses.
2. Wear the right shoes while traveling.
If you’ll be flying, wear comfortable, slip-on shoes that you can easily remove and put back on for airport security screenings. While flip-flops and sandals may seem like an easy option for air travel, they can cause the same problems mentioned above if you have to walk long distances through the terminal.
Since your feet can swell during flying, choose a shoe that’s slightly loose with room for expansion.
If you’ll be driving to your vacation location, wear comfortable shoes with non-slip bottoms to prevent your foot from slipping off of a pedal. Also, don’t kick your shoes off while driving. Your shoes may become lodged under the brake pedal, interfering with your ability to make a quick stop.
3. Never walk barefoot through airport security.
Always wear socks with your shoes if you’re flying to your location. Walking barefoot through security exposes your feet to dirt, bacteria, viruses that can cause plantar warts and athlete’s foot, and injuries due to sharp edges or uneven surfaces.
4. Stretch your feet often.
Make sure to exercise your feet frequently, if you’re sitting for long time periods while traveling, roll your ankles in circles and/or point and flex your feet to maintain blood flow.
5. Take walking breaks.
Get up and walk every couple of hours to prevent swelling and blood clots from forming in your legs. Walk for at least 5 minutes for every 45 minutes you’ve spent sitting down while traveling. If you have certain conditions, like obesity, cardiovascular disease, blood disorders or are pregnant, wear compression socks while flying to keep the blood in your legs circulating.
6. Pack a first aid kit for your feet.
In your kit, include adhesive bandages, antibiotic cream, moisturizer, sunscreen, aloe vera or a similar cream to treat sunburn, antifungal cream or powder, tweezers, nail clippers, emery board and anti-inflammatory pain relievers. If you get a more serious cut or puncture wound while on vacation, see a doctor to prevent an infection or other complications from occurring.
7. Wear custom orthotics.
Before you head off on your vacation, consider purchasing a pair of ezWalker® Performance Custom Orthotics. These custom orthotics are customized to each of your feet, ensuring you get the exact support each foot needs. With proactive use of ezWalker® Custom Orthotics, every step you take on your vacation will be biomechanically correct, reducing your risk of foot pain and protecting your feet from possible injury.
Since ezWalker® Performance Custom Orthotics are ultra thin and ¾ length, they’ll easily fit into any footwear you may take on your vacation for optimal pain relief. Plus, the WalkEZStore offers a 90-day, money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose but your foot pain. Order your ezWalker® Performance Custom Orthotics today.
By taking care of your feet while you’re traveling, you can make sure your vacation begins and ends on the right foot. After all, you want to bring home souvenirs and great memories – not foot pain.
Because … when your feet feel good, you feel good.®
