America is aging. Fast. According to the SEC, “By 2030, almost 1-out-of-5 Americans — some 72 million people — will be 65 years or older. The age group 85 and older is now the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population.”
If you’ve reached a certain birthday, you know age does change your body, despite our efforts to keep aging at bay with exercise, diet, pills and creams.
Your feet are definitely affected by age, and that makes sense when you consider how hard a 65-year-old’s feet have worked over the course of the 64 years he or she has been walking! You’ve likely noticed foot pain already if you’re a baby boomer.
But it’s not just the years of use. As we age, our feet spread and lose some of the fatty cushioning we’ve taken for granted for so long. If we gain weight, we’re impacting our bones and ligaments. Your arches flatten as your muscles weaken, leading to arch pain and flat feet. Plantar fasciitis is common in older people because the plantar fascia loses its elasticity and is easier to injure. That, in turn, often leads to a heel spur.
And if you’re a woman, you’ve likely done extra damage over the decades by squeezing your toes into heels…high heels, that is. That’s likely why women have four times as many foot pain problems as men, no matter their age.
It’s important to keep your feet in good working order and free of foot pain and arch pain, because the longer you’re mobile, the healthier you’ll be as you age.
The good news is, much of the foot pain that results from aging can be remedied by simple at-home exercises and treatments, and by better shoes, shoes that offer arch support and heel cushioning, and are friendly to your feet.
When shopping for shoes, keep in mind the changes your feet are going through. If you’re suffering from foot pain,buy shoes for plantar fasciitis or shoes for heel spurs. If you’re not yet suffering from foot pain, prevent foot pain from happening any time soon by buying smart: shop for arch support shoes with plenty of heel cushioning. And be friendly to your feet around the house too: buy arch support slippers that will give you the same benefit as arch support shoes when you’re staying in.
To read more about your feet and aging, see the article on the topic republished at SeniorJournal.com: http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Aging/6-04-21-SoreFeet.htm.
