| Americans are on the go. According to a NSGA | | | | 3. Start with a short distance. Stick with that |
| Survey, 71 million American adults are exercise | | | | distance for a week. If you are pain free and |
| walkers, making walking the top sport in the | | | | injury free, increase the distance the following |
| United States. Taking steps daily to improve | | | | week. |
| health will help with America's obesity epidemic. | | | | 4. Start with an easy pace. Increase your pace |
| Sixty five percent of Americans are overweight, | | | | gradually. |
| which is linked to diabetes, heart disease, arthritis | | | | 5. Choose soft surfaces. Walking on a track or a |
| and some types of cancer. Walking an extra 2000 | | | | trail will decrease the impact on your feet and |
| steps a day is equivalent to walking a distance of | | | | legs. Cement can be a particularly hard surface to |
| 1 mile and to burning 100 calories. Burning an extra | | | | walk on. |
| 100 calories a day is equivalent to losing about 10 | | | | 6. Limit your time on the treadmill. Treadmills can |
| pounds in a year. | | | | contribute to the development of foot problems. |
| The American Podiatric Medical Association | | | | Start with the treadmill flat and at a slow pace. |
| teamed with Prevention Magazine to name the | | | | Slowly increase your pace each week. Increase |
| "12 Best Walking Cities in the U.S." The cities were | | | | the incline after you have reached a comfortable |
| examined based on their crime rate, air quality, | | | | pace. |
| mass transit, historic sites, museums, parks and | | | | 7. Stop if you feel foot or ankle pain. Don't try to |
| gyms. The top 12 cities were San Francisco, San | | | | walk through the pain. |
| Diego, Honolulu, Washington, DC, San Antonio, El | | | | 8. Examine your feet. Look areas of rub or |
| Paso, St. Louis, Madison, Chicago, Philadelphia, New | | | | irritation the first few weeks of your walking |
| York and New Jersey. | | | | program and then again after trying new shoes or |
| National campaigns, health practitioners and even | | | | socks. Moleskin can be placed on areas of irritation |
| major corporations are encouraging Americans to | | | | to help decrease friction. Do not use bandaids on |
| walk more. Unfortunately, many sedentary | | | | these areas. |
| individuals who start walking programs quickly | | | | 9. Consider wearing orthotics. Individuals with flat |
| develop foot problems. Almost sixty million | | | | feet may need inserts for their shoes. When |
| Americans have foot problems and many develop | | | | buying inserts, look for sport othotics, as opposed |
| them after beginning a new exercise routine. A | | | | to cushioned insoles. A more rigid insert will offer |
| foot injury can take weeks, even months to heal | | | | more support. Custom orthotics can be made by |
| and many will gain more weight during this healing | | | | a podiatrist if necessary. |
| period. Preventing these problems through | | | | 10. Avoid cotton socks. Synthetic socks decrease |
| education will keep Americans walking. | | | | friction, prevent excess rubbing and don't absorb |
| 1. Buy a shoe made for walking. Make sure the | | | | moisture. Your local running store or sports store |
| shoe has enough stability and support. If you can | | | | should carry a variety of new high-tech socks for |
| fold the shoe in half, it is too flexible. Make sure | | | | walking. |
| the shoe has enough room at the toes and is | | | | Consult your podiatrist if you start to develop pain |
| fitted well at the heel. | | | | when walking, or consider a visit before |
| 2. Start on flat surfaces. Do not start a walking | | | | embarking on your new walking program. |
| program walking on hills or stairs. | | | | |