More and  more people are taking on running as a pastime. Some are doing it purely to lose a few pounds and some to increase their fitness. Whilst running marathons was once reserved for a few highly dedicated individuals, it seems that more and more ordinary people are pounding the sidewalks for hours as they aim towards running a half or full marathon. Between 2008 and 2018, the amount of participants in marathons increased by a staggering  50 percent. With this in mind more and more people are inflicting pain and suffering on their poor feet. 

When people embark on a harsh training regime, they do not think about the issues that may lay ahead of them. The following are some of the more common conditions which a runner may unfortunately wreak upon themselves:

  • Achilles Tendonitis 
  • Athlete’s Foot
  • Friction Blisters
  • Runner’s Toe
  • Plantar Fasciitis

Prevention is better than a cure and the best way of preventing many of these issues is by stretching properly before and after a run. For this reason many people download training plans or employ a personal trainer to make sure that they are doing it all correctly. Equally important is wearing the correct kind of footwear. It is important to make sure that your sports shoes fit you correctly. To achieve this, it is really worthwhile going to a specialist shop with staff who know how to measure and select the correct shoe for your feet. Failure to do so can not just cause blisters but also stress fractures. It is also worth remembering that new shoes are stiff and need to be worn in to make them suitable for a long run.

Other issues that a runner may have the unfortunate honor to be subjected to are skin issues such as athlete’s foot, hard skin and blisters. Once again wearing shoes that fit exactly right is vital. Too large and your feet will move around causing friction, too small and they will cramp your feet and will not allow them to breathe causing fungal issues such as athlete’s foot. Having good running socks that allow your feet to breathe and washing them in a hot wash is a great way of preventing some of these issues.

Once you are suffering from running associated conditions, you can turn to various creams and lotions to alleviate the discomfort and aid the healing process. Companies such as S.T.Health Line LTD (1991) based in Israel have a whole range of different treatments specifically formulated for the sportsman. Their products are tried and tested and contain active ingredients. They sell intensive foot treatment creams to treat hard and cracked feet as well as a variety of topical gels and ointments to relieve aching feet and legs that so often remind you that you had a great run. They come in different kinds of packaging so that they can be applied in different ways.

Toenail damage is also a problem that runners have to deal with and there are various ways of dealing with this issue from going to a specialist to remove the nail to trying to manipulate ingrowing toenails to softening them with an over the counter remedy.

When you sign up to be a runner, you will also be punishing your feet but if you take good preventative measures and know how to treat them after a run then you will hopefully have happy, healthy feet and you will be able to enjoy each and every run.