5 Unforeseen Ways You’re Destroying the Health of Your Feet

If for some odd reason you were ever in a situation where you needed to defend the importance of feet, you’d have quite a case. Though the average person spends an average of 7.7 hours a day sitting, much of our daily routines are spent on our feet, going about life. From climbing stairs at the office to running at the gym, your feet are always along for the ride, hence the 8,000 to 10,000 steps they generate during the course of any given day..

As a trusty means of constant transportation, feet — when not properly cared for — are bound to weaken with time. Unbeknownst to many are the ways in which we, oddly enough, quicken the process of foot destruction on a daily basis, without even knowing it.

1) Lack of Weight Maintenance

Let’s face it: America has a weight problem. We’ve always known this. Even though Mexico currently takes the crown as the world’s most obese nation, the U.S. has always struggled to keep its weight in check. With more than 34.9 percent of  Yankee adults considered clinically obese, American feet have quite a load to carry. They’re not handling it well.

As carrying capacities increase, feet become subject to harmful conditions like tendon inflammation and osteoarthritis. It’s no wonder that 75 percent of Americans will experience some sort of foot-related issue during their respective lifetimes.

2) Sudden Bursts of Physical Activity

For those who struggle to maintain an appropriate weight, consider gradual changes in physical activity. Contrary to what many so-called fitness “experts” might claim, an abrupt intensification isn’t necessarily the key to sound foot and body health. It can be detrimental.

Instead, opt for low-impact exercises such as swimming, water aerobics and yoga as excellent anaerobic means for minimizing foot damage while keeping active.

3) Going Barefoot On Hard, Unforgiving Surfaces

The 1,502 official members of the Society for Barefoot Living — hailing from 63 global nations and 51 U.S. states and territories — might have an issue with this, but that doesn’t change truth of the matter: going barefoot isn’t always best. When walking over solid surfaces, it can be downright risky.

Said Phil Vasyli, professional podiatrist and founder of Orthaheel, to Reader's Digest, “Our footprint allows the natural ground to accommodate the contours of our feet. The softer ground gives way to our heel at foot strike, allowing the outside of the foot to sink into the surface, which correspondingly supports the inside of our foot and the collapse of our arch.”

Such a scenario is compromised with hardwood floors, sidewalks and kitchen tile. In order to avoid the most typical of foot annoyances — common aches and heel pain — as annoying as it sounds, wear shoes for the majority of the day, whether you’re indoors or outdoors. Additionally, experiment with different shoe inserts or ask your local podiatrist about customized orthopedic options.

4) Not Giving Proper Attention to Calves

Have you ever noticed that even the unfit and overweight often have strong-looking calf muscles? That’s because those muscles are constantly at work. Regardless of whether or not body weight is an issue for you, there’s a strong link between the feet and calves that can’t go unnoticed.

Take care of both nagging foot and lower leg pain by simply stretching your calves throughout the day. For example, the next time you climb a set of stairs, pause for a brief moment atop a step to stretch your calf muscles.

5) Imprudent Footwear: Flip Flops, Slippers and Ballet Flats

Just because something feels comfortable, doesn’t mean that it’s doing your feet any favors. Flip flops, for instance, employ a non-supportive, “spongy” material which is often touted as optimum for foot shock absorption. The reality of the situation is that — for the alleviation of foot pain — nothing is more beneficial than supportive footwear. Bottom line: cushion isn’t everything.

Softer insoles, while enjoyable, cause feet to roll inwards beyond what’s acceptable, forcing the foot to push off almost entirely from the big toe. As a result, heel pain, knee pain, lower back pain, shin splints, plantar Fasciitis and Achilles Tendonitis occur.

The following infographic, produced by Wasatch Foot & Ankle Institute, provides further evidence as to why thorough foot health is of the utmost importance.

Needless to say, feet are key to a peaceful, gratifying lifestyle. Wherever you are on your 150,000 mile journey, keeping feet happy and healthy is paramount.

Lucas Miller is a young, health-conscious college student at Brigham Young University. When not writing, running or studying, he’s working tirelessly to perfect what he claims is the “World’s Greatest Pompadour.”

* Image Credit: Flickr

* Infographic Credit: Wasatch Foot & Ankle Institute

The Ebola Effects

Ebola as a disease is not a new phenomenon. It was first seen or ‘discovered’ back in 1976 when there was a simultaneous outbreak in the African countries of Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. One of the villages where the first outbreak occurred was in the village of Yambuku, which is situated close to the river Ebola, thus showing how the disease got its name.

The current strain of the disease broke out back in March of this year in Guékédou which is in Guinea in West Africa. This current strain has developed into an epidemic which has resulted in worldwide attention. Due to international intervention in the form of health workers, we have seen the disease transcend borders and as a result bringing diagnosis to countries outside of Africa.

This infographic looks at the Ebola effect on the countries that it has permeated. It looks at the costs predicted or forecasted on the West African countries worst hit. Controlling the disease is vital and the infographic looks at methods used in attempting to achieve this. 

10 Surprising Health Benefits of Sex

When you're in the mood, it's a sure bet that the last thing on your mind is boosting your immune system or maintaining a healthy weight. Yet good sex offers surprising health benefits including stress relief, boosting immunity, improving cardiovascular health and more.

Here are 10 surprising health benefits of sex:

1. Helps Keep Your Immune System Humming
“Sexually active people take fewer sick days,” says Yvonne K. Fulbright, PhD a sexual health expert.

People who have sex have higher levels of what defends your body against germs, viruses, and other intruders. Researchers at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania found that college students who had sex once or twice a week had higher levels of the a certain antibody compared to students who had sex less often.

You should still do all the other things that make your immune system happy, such as:
Eat right.
Stay active.
Get enough sleep.
Keep up with your vaccinations.
Use a condom if you don’t know both of your STD statuses.

2. Boosts Your Libido
Longing for a more lively sex life? “Having sex will make sex better and will improve your libido,” says Lauren Streicher, MD. She is an assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

For women, having sex ups vaginal lubrication, blood flow, and elasticity, she says, all of which make sex feel better and help you crave more of it.

3. Improves Women's Bladder Control
A strong pelvic floor is important for avoiding incontinence, something that will affect about 30% of women at some point in their lives.

Good sex is like a workout for your pelvic floor muscles. When you have an orgasm, it causes contractions in those muscles, which strengthens them.

4. Lowers Your Blood Pressure
Research suggests a link between sex and lower blood pressure, says Joseph J. Pinzone, MD. He is CEO and medical director of Amai Wellness.

“There have been many studies,” he says. “One landmark study found that sexual intercourse specifically (not masturbation) lowered systolic blood pressure.” That's the first number on your blood pressure test.

5. Counts as Exercise
“Sex is a really great form of exercise,” Pinzone says. It won’t replace the treadmill, but it counts for something.

Sex uses about five calories per minute, four more calories than watching TV. It gives you a one-two punch: It bumps up your heart rate and uses various muscles.

So get busy! You may even want to clear your schedule to make time for it on a regular basis.  “Like with exercise, consistency helps maximize the benefits,” Pinzone says.

6. Lowers Heart Attack Risk
A good sex life is good for your heart. Besides being a great way to raise your heart rate, sex helps keep your estrogen and testosterone levels in balance.


“When either one of those is low you begin to get lots of problems, like osteoporosis and even heart disease,” Pinzone says.

Having sex more often may help. During one study, men who had sex at least twice a week were half as likely to die of heart disease as men who had sex rarely.

7. Lessens Pain
Before you reach for an aspirin, try for an orgasm.

“Orgasm can block pain,” says Barry R. Komisaruk, PhD, a distinguished service professor at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. It releases a hormone that helps raise your pain threshold.

Stimulation without orgasm can also do the trick. “We’ve found that vaginal stimulation can block chronic back and leg pain, and many women have told us that genital self-stimulation can reduce menstrual cramps, arthritic pain, and in some cases even headache,” Komisaruk says.

8. May Make Prostate Cancer Less Likely
Going for the gusto may help ward off prostate cancer.

Men who ejaculated frequently (at least 21 times a month) were less likely to get prostate cancer during one study, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

You don’t need a partner to reap this benefit: Sexual intercourse, nocturnal emission, and masturbation were all part of the equation.

It's not clear that sex was the only reason that mattered in that study. Lots of factors affect cancer risk. But more sex won’t hurt.

9. Improves Sleep
You may nod off more quickly after sex, and for good reason.

“After orgasm, the hormone prolactin is released, which is responsible for the feelings of relaxation and sleepiness" after sex, says Sheenie Ambardar, MD. She is a psychiatrist in West Hollywood, Calif.

10. Eases Stress
Being close to your partner can soothe stress and anxiety.

Ambardar says touching and hugging can release your body's natural “feel-good hormone.” Sexual arousal releases a brain chemical that revs up your brain’s pleasure and reward system.

Sex and intimacy can boost your self-esteem and happiness, too, Ambardar says. It’s not only a prescription for a healthy life, but a happy one.