ArcaMax

If a moderately active person takes 7,500 steps a day up to age 80, they'll have put their feet down more than 216 million times! No wonder almost 90% of folks report foot pain at one time or another.

There's a lot that can get sore in a foot, since it contains 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 120 muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. Over time, arches can fall, arthritis can develop, the padding on the ball and heel of your feet can thin, and your feet can get wider and longer so shoes don't fit right. On top of that, diabetes and peripheral artery disease can reduce circulation to the feet and trigger nerve damage and pain.

To move away from foot pain:

1. Check blood flow to your feet. Press down on the nail of your big toe for about 5 seconds until the color fades. Let go and see if color returns in two to five seconds. Repeat on the other foot. If pink color doesn't rebound quickly, see your doctor for an evaluation of your cardiovascular and foot health, and diabetes (if you have it).

2. Get your feet measured (length and width) when buying shoes, so they fit properly.

3. Wear comfortable shoes. Don't choose appearance over comfort -- you can have both.

4. Do foot exercises. Roll a tennis ball under your arch, pick up a marble with your toes, do arch stretches by standing on the ball of your foot.

Those are some steps in the right direction!

Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb.com, the world's leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1's).

(c)2024 Michael Roizen, M.D.

Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

(c) 2024 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.