Arizona is known for having intensely hot days in the summer and people look for ways to cool down. Most often, they choose to head out to their local swimming pool to spend quality relaxing time with the family and enjoy their summer days. This can be a great idea for you and your family’s health due to the many positive health benefits swimming brings, including foot health. However, there are also several health concerns to be aware about and prevent.
Health Benefits of Swimming
Moving about and being active is one of the best things a person can do to for their body. However, it is understandable that sometimes being on your feet all day and walking from place to place can lead to unbearable foot and leg pain; this makes it difficult to engage in many activities. Going for a swim is a great alternative due to many health benefits it employs, especially if it is difficult to participate in other activities. The following are some of the health benefits to swimming:
- Relieving foot and leg aches – when compared to hiking or running, people place much less weight on their feet when casually swimming in water. This can provide pain relief to the foot and leg and help minimize inflammation.
- Improving blood circulation – being active promotes blood circulation and can sometimes be difficult. However, swimming promotes blood circulation by the working of your muscles as you tread through the water, efficiently providing blood flow back to your heart. This is very beneficial in individuals with reduced circulation, such as people with diabetes, or heart disease.
Health Concerns of Swimming
While swimming has its health benefits, there are also a few things to watch out for when deciding to go for a relaxing swim or are an avid, athletic swimmer. The following are some concerns and guides on how to take care of them:
- Excessive moisture in the skin – when people are in the water too long, excessive moisture (especially between the toes) occurs, and can lead to cracking and peeling of the skin; this makes it easy for bacterial and fungal infections to occur. To help minimize this, make sure to take breaks from the water if you spend larges amount of time there, and carefully dry your feet each time you get out.
- Muscle cramps and tendonitis – while this is not as much of a concern in casual swimming, it can occur in individuals who swim athletically, or competitively. Individuals who swim athletically often complain of cramps in their feet due to excessing pointing of their toes as they swim laps. Tendonitis can also occur due to the amount of kicking done as they swim. To help minimize this, proper stretching of the Achilles tendon, toes, and relaxation of the feet before actively engaging in swimming should be performed. Also, drinking water before and after swimming will help minimize cramps; being in water for long periods of time does not provide the hydration need compared to when you are drinking water.
If you have concerns about your foot health this summer, do not hesitate to schedule an appointment with Dr. Jay C. Larson at Sole Foot and Ankle Specialists in Glendale, Arizona. We will explain all your treatment options to available to you to help improve your foot health this upcoming summer.