Keep Your Feet Healthy While Working Construction

Working a job building roads, houses, or doing heavy industrial work takes a toll on your body, and your feet are no exception. Many people can experience foot pain and injury because of work-related situations. If you have a job working heavy construction, you need to do your best to protect your feet and ensure they stay healthy.

Here are some tips to follow to avoid foot pain and injury.

1. Wear steel-toed boots.

One of the main causes of injury in construction-type jobs is an accident that can crush, puncture or impact the foot. The simplest method of prevention is to wear boots with toe protection. This protection can be the old-fashioned steel-toed boot, or you can get lighter footwear that uses a compound like Kevlar or carbon fiber, which is still strong and can prevent injury.

Not all boots are created equally. Even though you might not like the idea of spending a lot of money on a pair of work boots, cheaper footwear will not last as long as it often does not have the arch support you need for an active job. 

2. Use support socks.

To help with circulation to your foot, give cushioning during a long day wearing heavy boots, and to give your arches added support, wear sports socks that offer compression around the mid foot. Socks prevent chafing and blisters, especially in new boots. If you still struggle with blisters forming, try a double layer of socks. The double layer helps to prevent rubbing because one pair stays put on your foot and the other layer rubs on the boot. Make sure you buy footwear when wearing a decently thick sock because you don't want your boots to be too tight with socks. 

3. Give your feet time to breathe after work. 

After a long day of boot wearing, your feet need time to breathe and relax. Take off your boots and give each foot a little massage. You can roll out stiff arches with a tennis ball. If you will be putting on shoes again for other activities, try to make sure those shoes are supportive and breathable. For example, if you plan to take your children on a walk around the neighborhood, wear a sturdy pair of hiking sandals. Your feet have time to breathe, which can help prevent bacteria growth from being in a boot environment too long, but they still get the support that you don't get from flip flops. 

4. Wear footwear with proper ankle support and good design.

Finally, when shopping for your work boots, make sure you look for ankle support as a key feature. Arch support and a reinforced toe are not enough. With the varied terrain of construction work, you don't want to strain or twist your ankle. Some steel-toed footwear comes looking like a tennis shoe, without high ankle support. It's better to look for a boot that encases and laces around the ankle for the best support. Try to find a boot that still offers a breathable upper. 

Contact a podiatrist if you need any of their services.



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About Me

Foot Care Is Really a Feat! Your feet are more complex than you might realize. You have the tarsal bones in your ankle, the metatarsals that form the top of your foot, and the phalanges that form your toes. Then, there is a complex set of ligaments and tendons that form the joints and attach muscles to the bones of your feet and ankles. With all of these moving parts, it's no wonder people often develop foot pain. Luckily, podiatrists know how to manage that pain. They can identify its source and recommend physical therapy, therapeutic shoes, or even surgery to make you comfortable again. As you keep reading on this website, you'll learn more about their work.

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