It’s no secret that high heels are not the most comfortable shoes. But most women are hardly ready to give up their favorite black shoes because of the pain.
That’s why I decided to make girls’ lives easier and talk about a couple of healthy ways to wear heels.
Why Wearing Heels May Be Harmful
Okay, heels definitely can make your whole outfit. However, some people don’t think about the consequences of wearing high heels on a regular basis.
Forcing your body to walk on an unnaturally high point will definitely change the way you move. In short, in order to compensate and stay straight on your heels, your spine will pitch forward and bend your hips. In the long run, that doesn’t sound too tempting.
Your back, hip, and calves muscle tense up simply to keep balance. And while wearing heels will definitely make your body fitter, your muscles become fatigued and start aching after a couple of hours. If this happens regularly, it can cause the calves to cramp.
Heels also put pressure on your knees and back. It can cause the slippage of the vertebra forward in the lumbar region of the spine, resulting in poor spinal alignment and back pain.
Yes, that sounds a little intimidating. But don’t worry, because there are a few tricks that can help make your habit of wearing heels healthy.
Don’t Wear Heels Every Day
The first thing to start with is to stop wearing heels every day – optimally, you can wear them 2-3 times a week. Then, try to alternate them with flat shoes so that your feet and spine can rest.
However, if you have to wear heels every day, then give preference to models with a heel of no more than 3 inches – this is the optimal height, which is less likely to injure the foot.
Buy the Right Size
While this sounds obvious, some girls sometimes neglect this rule, choosing a smaller size. And as tempting as it may sound to buy the last size on sale, your feet won’t thank you later.
When you’re wearing shoes that are too small, you add some extra pressure on your feet. While it may cause you discomfort, it can also bring injuries, blisters, or corns on your toes.
Equally, wearing heels too big can also cause injuries, as you may simply fall during your walk. So it’s better to sell, give away, or leave such pair on the shelf.
Choose Heels with Straps
Heels with straps can provide some additional support for your feet and lessen the pressure on that area. Additionally, they stabilize your ankle, preventing ankle twists.
Wear Soft Insoles
Another great idea is to buy special orthopedic insoles that would help to distribute the weight over the entire foot correctly. Once you do it, you’ll instantly feel the difference – your heels simply won’t hurt that much.
Massage
During the day, try to take off your heels and massage your feet every 2-3 hours. This will help restore proper blood circulation.
Foot Baths
After a day on high heels, do not neglect relaxing foot baths. For example, sea salt can relieve fatigue, and linden tea can improve blood circulation. Intensive foot massage can also be an excellent remedy for relieving fatigue. You can even do it yourself by simply rubbing their surface with your fist.
Exercises
Also, remember to do barefoot exercises. The first one is to roll a tennis ball or a small bottle on the floor for 2-5 minutes. Then pick up a napkin or any other small object that you can squeeze between your toes 15-20 times from the floor. After that, make a set of 10-15 squats while keeping your legs tightly pressed to the floor. And finally, rise on tiptoes 15-20 times, and then slowly lower your foot back to the floor.
Tape Your Toes
Some don’t believe in the effectiveness of this technique. However, podiatrist Joan Oloff claims it is possible to minimize pain using this trick.
Here’s the explanation: when you wear heels, it causes pressure on the five long bones of the foot as the toes tend to contact more with the shoes when wearing heels. However, the pain most women feel comes from intermetatarsal nerves between the ones of the foot and wearing heels. The nerves become irritated and cause this kind of pain.
Since this nerve sits between the third and fourth toes, the podiatrist recommends taping these two toes together. This will potentially remove pressure from the nerve and illuminate the pain.
To Wrap It Up
If you love heels, there’s no reason for you to give them up. Just make sure you care about your feet – simply follow these easy rules to prevent injuries or any damage.
