For Healthy Feet, Follow Through on These 3 Popular New Year’s Resolutions
It’s that time of year again! The resolutions you make on January 1 signal your desire to make a change. Go ahead and resolve to eat better, exercise more, and quit smoking. Then, follow through – because taking these actions contributes to healthy feet!
- Eat better. Good nutrition is, by association, good nutrition for your feet. Every cell in your body benefits from a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, lean protein, and plenty of water. In addition, limiting sweets and sugary sodas helps you keep off unwanted pounds, something your feet appreciate very much.
- Exercise more. The American Heart Association recommends all adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. You don’t even have to find large chunks of exercise time in your schedule. Instead, work some exercise for a few minutes at a time. Leave your computer and get down on the floor for three sets of crunches or pushups. Take a walk around the block or sprint up a flight of stairs after your morning meeting. Take these kinds of exercise “snacks” as much as you can throughout the day.
- Stop smoking. Smoking harms your blood vessels, causing hardening of the arteries. When blood can’t easily flow to your feet, they feel cold. If you get a cut, blood can’t arrive in time to start the healing process. If you can’t heal, you invite an infection to set in.
Only a small percentage of people actually keep their New Year’s resolutions. Disassociate from that group of “losers” by setting smaller, more achievable goals. Rather than saying, “I will resolve to eat better in 2022!”, say, “I will eat a piece of fruit every afternoon.” When eating fruit every day becomes a habit, start a new one; instead of resolving to “exercise more,” plan to get up at 6:00 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and walk two miles with a friend.
The more specific your resolutions are, the better your chances of sticking with them.
Happy New Year to all our patients and friends! May 2022 be filled with achievable goals that put you on the path to good health. Remember, we’re here for everyone in northern Virginia and the Western D.C. area who needs help with foot or ankle problems. Call Clifton Foot & Ankle Center in Centreville at (703) 996-3000 for an appointment with Dr. Kenneth R. Wilhelm, or contact us online.
