The stress and pressure caused by the force of repetitive exercise increase the risk of injuries to the feet and ankles. Conditions like plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, shin splints, and ankle sprains are all very common exercise injuries, but there are some rather easy steps you can take to minimize your chances of getting injured while exercising.

4 great tips to avoid and treat exercise injuries include the following:

1. Wear properly fitted shoes—Make sure you are wearing an appropriate shoe made for the activity that you are doing. Many people avoid this crucial step to their peril.
2. Warm up and cool down—Stretch your muscles, ligaments, and tendons before and after exercising to help avoid pulls, strains, and sprains. It’s easy to forget, but by making it a habit to perform a cool down regimen after exercise to avoid cramping and tendon pulls you are so far ahead of all the other couch lockers.
3. Take it easy—People who are just starting on an exercise program are very susceptible to injuries so be sure to start off slowly. You should gradually increase the intensity of exercise to avoid common mistakes. The mantra should be to “just take it easy” at first to avoid an injury, or you will sideline yourself before you even get started.
4. Custom orthotic shoe inserts—Orthotic shoe inserts can isolate deformities and improve gait mechanics to correct pronation problems which can also correct problems with your knees, hips, and back.

If you experience a foot or ankle injury while exercising, your foot doctor can help. At Your Next Step, our team of board-certified podiatrists has access to advanced technologies, along with years of experience, to help diagnose and treat a variety of foot and ankle problems, including sports injuries, joint pain, toe deformities, nail fungus, chronic tendon pain, and skin problems. Dr. Eric Ricefield, Dr. Mark Yagodich, and Dr. Aliza V. Eisen provide high-quality foot and ankle care to patients in the greater Philadelphia area at our offices conveniently located in Ardmore, Paoli, Woodlyn, and Downingtown. Please contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.