You can’t get fit without fit feet

Joined a gym, signed up for a class, or training for a race? Setting new health goals is a great idea — but your chances of sticking to them depend on something most people overlook: your feet.

Losing weight and getting fitter benefits most of us, yet it is near impossible to do if you get injured. Frustratingly, many people feel discomfort in their feet and legs during the first month of exercise, especially after a long time away from training.

Every Sport Starts With Your Feet

Every sport requires your feet; even swimming is uncomfortable if a muscle is strained. If you continue to run with a painful niggle it could develop into something much worse and take longer to heal. When you run, nearly three times your body weight goes through your feet with each stride — even for someone like Mo Farah, that is a lot of repetitive strain on the bones, muscles and ligaments.

Build A Strong Base: Start Gradually

You need solid, pain-free feet to enjoy your new sport. It is tempting to go full throttle, but allow your body to get used to the increased activity so your muscles can strengthen to support you. As a rule of thumb, increase your weekly training volume by no more than about 10%, and build rest days into your week — your body adapts during recovery, not during the session itself.

Give Your Feet An MOT First

We can give your feet an MOT to check for corns, ingrown toenails and calluses that might cause discomfort, and we are happy to advise you on footwear choices for your sport to help prevent conditions developing before they start.

Common Foot Conditions To Watch For

You will know about it quickly if you develop a foot complaint — they are generally very painful. The most common among new exercisers are:

• Plantar fasciitis — stabbing heel pain, often worst with the first steps in the morning
• Achilles tendinopathy — stiffness and pain at the back of the ankle, worse after activity
• Morton’s neuroma — a burning pain, or the feeling of a pebble under the ball of the foot
• Stress fractures — localised bone pain that worsens the longer you keep training on it

You can learn more about these conditions and how we treat them on our treatments page.

Pain Is Treatable — Don’t Give Up On Your Goals

We don’t want anyone who has signed up for a class, joined a club or started running to be put off by foot pain. It is all treatable — and often the simplest thing, like lacing your trainers up differently, will make all the difference.

Frequently Asked Questions