1. stress fractures
2. periostitis (irritation of the covering of the bone also known as medial stress syndrome)
3. Muscle fatigue or fascial herniation (compartment syndrome)
4. Tendonitis
5. Peroneal nerve entrapment
6. popliteal artery entrapment or intermittent claudication (decrease blood flow)
7. spinal radiculopathy (spinal nerve compression causing referred pain).

Kick Start Your New Years Resolution!

Many of our patients, much like their estimated 75 million obese neighbors, are stuck in a never-ending, life-threatening cycle: Obesity aggravates the pain in their feet; sore feet make it almost impossible to exercise for weight loss; and without exercise, their weight continues to increase which puts them at risk for worsening of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and other life threatening diseases.

It’s the New Year and more than 50% of New Year’s resolutions have something to do with weight loss. This includes a resolution to exercise on a regular basis. Do not let foot pain thwart your resolution to exercise! The best way to break the pain cycle is to seek help from your podiatrist. Often simply placing you in the correct shoes with arch supports or custom foot orthotics will decrease your foot pain and fast track your resolution to exercise.

Many of our patients have not exercised in years, so they have many questions on how to get started. Before starting any program, it is important to discuss exercise with your doctor to see if you have any restrictions due to heart disease, diabetes, or arthritis. Get a physical! It’s a great way to start off the year. After your physical, visit your podiatrist to discuss your foot and ankle aches and pains.

There is no perfect exercise program for anyone, but if you are more than 20 pounds overweight, I recommend you start with a walking program that also has a strength and flexibility component worked in. What does that mean? Start with walking, not running, and add stretching and a little weight training to balance your program. If you need help with program specifics, consult a personal trainer or physical therapist.

Walking really is the easiest and least expensive exercise program that can be done indoors or outdoors; and this can progress to a running program as you lose weight and get healthier.

Did you know that inactivity is the second leading preventable cause of death in the United States, second only to tobacco use?

Need more motivation? Here are six great reasons other than the obvious physical fitness improvements to start a walking program:

1. Walking prevents type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program showed that walking 150 minutes per week and losing just 7% of your body weight (12-15 pounds) can reduce your risk of diabetes by 58%.
2. Walking strengthens your heart. In one study, mortality rates among men who walked less than one mile per day were nearly twice that among those who walked more than two miles per day. Women in one study who walked three hours or more per week reduced their risk of a heart attack or other coronary event by 35% compared with women who did not walk.
3. Walking is good for your brain. In a study on walking and cognitive function, researchers found that women who walked the equivalent of an easy pace at least 1.5 hours per week had significantly better cognitive function and less cognitive decline than women who walked less than 40 minutes per week. Think about that!
4. Walking is good for your bones. Research shows that postmenopausal women who walk approximately one mile each day have higher whole-body bone density than women who walk shorter distances, and walking is also effective in slowing the rate of bone loss from the legs.
5. Walking helps alleviate symptoms of depression. Walking for 30 minutes, three to five times per week for 12 weeks reduced symptoms of depression as measured with a standard depression questionnaire by 47%.
6. Walking reduces the risk of breast and colon cancer. Women who performed the equivalent of one hour and 15 minutes to two and a half hours per week of brisk walking had an 18% decreased risk of breast cancer compared with inactive women. Many studies have shown that exercise can prevent colon cancer and even if an individual person develops colon cancer, the benefits of exercise appear to continue both by increasing quality of life and reducing mortality.

I don’t know if we’ve convinced you yet, but a walking program is a great way to start the New Year! Write down your fitness goals. Put a sticky note on your bathroom mirror that asks, “Did you exercise today?” or a picture of yourself 20+ pounds lighter. Come visit Janet at Healthy Steps and get a new pair of shoes to start your program. (She gives great advice as well). Make 2010 your year to keep your New Years resolution and become your ideal self!

Walk or Run Happy! Moving in the Right Direction!!

Walking can Start You Towards Your Running Goals!

So you don't think that running is a realistic goals for you? A marathon might as well be a trip to Mars? Walking is a great start to a running program!

Many of our patients, much like their estimated 75 million obese neighbors, are stuck in a never-ending, life-threatening cycle: Obesity aggravates the pain in their feet; sore feet make it almost impossible to exercise for weight loss; and without exercise, their weight continues to increase which puts them at risk for worsening of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and other life threatening diseases.

1. Walking prevents type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program showed that walking 150 minutes per week and losing just 7% of your body weight (12-15 pounds) can reduce your risk of diabetes by 58%.
2. Walking strengthens your heart. In one study, mortality rates among men who walked less than one mile per day were nearly twice that among those who walked more than two miles per day. Women in one study who walked three hours or more per week reduced their risk of a heart attack or other coronary event by 35% compared with women who did not walk.
3. Walking is good for your brain. In a study on walking and cognitive function, researchers found that women who walked the equivalent of an easy pace at least 1.5 hours per week had significantly better cognitive function and less cognitive decline than women who walked less than 40 minutes per week. Think about that!
4. Walking is good for your bones. Research shows that postmenopausal women who walk approximately one mile each day have higher whole-body bone density than women who walk shorter distances, and walking is also effective in slowing the rate of bone loss from the legs.
5. Walking helps alleviate symptoms of depression. Walking for 30 minutes, three to five times per week for 12 weeks reduced symptoms of depression as measured with a standard depression questionnaire by 47%.
6. Walking reduces the risk of breast and colon cancer. Women who performed the equivalent of one hour and 15 minutes to two and a half hours per week of brisk walking had an 18% decreased risk of breast cancer compared with inactive women. Many studies have shown that exercise can prevent colon cancer and even if an individual person develops colon cancer, the benefits of exercise appear to continue both by increasing quality of life and reducing mortality.

The All-You-Can-Eat-Diet!

I Love this sentiment! I have a shirts that asks, "Do I run to eat or eat to run?" I always answer - both!

From Trainig Peaks.Com: Lately I’ve been toying around with a concept I call “The All-You-Can-Eat Diet.” It could also be described as exercise-only weight loss. To practice it, you simply eat as much as you want and whatever you want and exercise as much as necessary to lose weight. For some people that would be quite a lot of exercise, but so what? There are many men and women who would find it much easier to exercise 10 hours per week than to drastically change their eating habits to promote weight loss.

1. Run your local Turkey Trot road race. This is a great annual tradition in many families. Think about it, no matter how fast or slow you run, after completing a 5K or 10K Thanksgiving morning, you can basically eat almost anything you want! If you can’t run, then at least take a brisk walk that morning. This will start the holiday off on the right foot and get you in a good mood to survive your friends and family!
2. Drink lots of water instead of wine or beer. Water helps fill you up so you won’t feel so hungry when that late dinner finally is ready. Have only one or two glasses of wine spaced throughout the day. This will keep the calorie count down and keep you out of trouble.
3. Be light on the gravy. Have you ever looked at how many calories are in that turkey gravy? A little gravy goes a long way!
4. Eat the white meat turkey and forgo the heavy dark meat. Even though it’s my favorite part, it is packed with calories.
5. Chew slowly and talk constantly! (I never have any problem with this!) Have fun with your family and keep up a brisk conversation. Chew slowly and keep talking, you will eat less and get to know them better!
6. Just say no to the multitude of desserts! It’s OK to have just a bite of this or a bite of that. It will not offend anyone if you don’t eat an entire piece of each of five kinds of pie!
7. Cheer for the Cowboys! This may not help you keep the calorie count down, but I’m from the Dallas area, so it’s a necessary part of the holiday! If you actually watch the game, you will spend so much energy cheering “the ‘Boys” that you won’t eat as much!
8. Spend your holiday giving back. Volunteer at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen. Deliver meals to the elderly. You will be blessed ten-fold and definitely will not over eat when you realize how many people go without every day!

Strength Training Guidelines for Children Revised!

For the full article:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/572860?sssdmh=dm1.345217&src=nldne

The short version:

Is the “Fit Flop” the answer to the common flip flop sandal?

For years podiatrists (especially me!) have been maligning the flip flop sandal as a cause of many common foot problems. In fact, multiple articles have been published about the dangers encountered in the current flip-flop phenomenon. Heck, I think I have been on TV at least 6 times and quoted in hundreds of print articles on the dangers of flip flops! Still, most teenagers and young adults spend more time in flip-flop sandals then any other shoes.

Engineers in the UK launched the “Fit Flop” as a stylish way to strengthen your legs, thighs and “bum” muscles while walking. Surprisingly, these also have been found to help with back pain and do not cause many of the same foot problems as the common flip flop sandal. They are even comfortable (Yes, I bought a pair to check them out and still wear them!)

Why is this? The “Fit Flop” is engineered much like a “barefoot technology” shoe. It makes the muscles that stabilize the foot work harder and over a period of time can actually strengthen your feet. The common flip flop actually accentuates pronation or the rolling in of your feet which causes fatigue and biomechanical stress in your feet and lower legs. This can lead to overuse injuries like plantar fasciitis and posterior tibial tendonitis which are commonly known as “arch fatigue” or “fallen arches”. Flip flop sandals also increase the stress on the great toe joint and can accelerate Hallux abducto valgus also known as “bunion” formation. This does not happen with the “Fit Flop” because of the varying EVA in the midsole which actually accelerates the propulsion or “toe off” stage of gait, therefore decreasing the stress on the great toe joint. Patients with bunions may never take them off!

The makers of “Fit Flops” actually have some good science behind their claim to increase muscle activation 10-12% and it was verified by an independent lab outside their company. Consumers should be cautioned to wear the “Fit Flops” gradually because of the delayed muscle soreness that occurs just like the beginning of a work out routine.

Is the “Fit Flop” the answer to your workout woes? Can they cure your foot problems? Not even close. No shoe can do that! They can help you burn a few more calories during your daily routine, but cardiac fitness can never be achieved in this manner. Do not forgo your aerobic workout thinking somehow this sandal is the cure for your fitness woes. Maybe a curvier calf muscle or thinner thigh, but just walking in a sandal cannot acheive real fitness.

Can anyone wear a “Fit Flop”? Caution should be taken in picking any shoe. Foot type is important to evaluate. Many people with significant flexible flat feet or unstable foot type should not wear the “Fit Flop” because the destabilizing technology can actually accentuate the stress on their foot. If you require in-shoe foot orthotics, the “Fit Flop” is probably not for you.

Bottom line: “Fit Flops” are a good alternative to the common flip flop sandal but should be worn gradually and pay attention to any fatigue in your feet! If you have any foot pain or injury, visit our office (or your friendly neighborhood podiatrist) and ask our advice on your ability to wear “Fit Flops”.