| Plantar Fasciitis is a potential issue for athletes that | | | | whenever is convenient, take several minutes, the |
| require heavy use of their feet. Running, soccer, | | | | more the merrier, and self massage the bottom of the |
| baseball, yes. Swimming and wheelchair sports, not so | | | | feet. Rub them, squeeze them, dig a knuckle in and |
| much. | | | | around and all over. |
| In general, athletes need to watch out more for the | | | | During exercise the feet get a lot of circulation, and get |
| injury dynamic more than the slow progression | | | | wear and tear micro injury. The body responds to the |
| dynamic. | | | | injury by releasing chemical which tightens muscle and |
| It is valuable to know, however, that the injury dynamic | | | | increases your sensitivity to pain and because you |
| is really just the slow progression dynamic, but much | | | | usually sit down after working out, circulation |
| much faster. | | | | decreases and that chemical gets stuck in the sponge |
| Keeping the feet healthy and avoiding Plantar Fasciitis | | | | of your foot. |
| in the first place is obviously the best option. If you take | | | | That is the beginning of the Downward Spiral of |
| care of your feet appropriately, you can have an | | | | increasing tightness and pain. You can disrupt that by |
| entire career without foot issues. | | | | squeezing the sponge of your foot and getting that |
| Here are three important methods to keep your feet | | | | chemical and waste product from metabolism out |
| healthy and able to move you around pain free. | | | | which allows the body to push more blood and good |
| Tip #1. Increase your protein intake | | | | nutrition in. |
| As you know, protein is the building block of all your | | | | The more often you squeeze your feet, out with the |
| structure. When you rip or tear a structure, the body | | | | old and in with the new, the happier you will be in the |
| lays down scar tissue made of protein fibers. | | | | short run and the long run. |
| The body is always breaking down. It is always | | | | Tip #3. Warm up your feet before putting them to |
| repairing itself. It uses protein to do that. | | | | work |
| Some of your protein intake goes to fuel. Some goes | | | | Yes, this does mean to give your feet a good self |
| to replace what is breaking down from normal | | | | massage before you work out. |
| metabolism. If you have any left, it goes to building | | | | But really, I mean self massage your feet and get |
| muscle and repairing damage. | | | | them squishy and mobile first thing in the morning |
| Even when you are young and healthy, when you are | | | | before you get out of bed. That is the part of the day |
| active on your feet you get tiny little micro tears in the | | | | your feet are at their metabolic coldest, meaning they |
| plantar fascia of your foot. As you age, unless we | | | | aren't as supple as you want to be before you go |
| take care of ourselves perfectly, we become more | | | | jumping out of bed and putting all your weight onto the |
| like a dry crunchy sponge than a wet squishy sponge. | | | | immobile, cold, brittle tissue of your plantar fascia. |
| More fragile, more brittle. Not so good for the bottom | | | | Get blood into the area, warn the nervous system that |
| of the foot that carries all our weight. | | | | your feet are about to have a load on them, mobilize |
| If you don't eat enough protein, those micro tears won't | | | | the tissue to get it springy and bouncy and active. |
| heal appropriately. This makes it easier and easier to | | | | Then get up out of bed. |
| get more and more wear and tear damage in the feet. | | | | Do it again before you work out. They'll already be |
| Eat more protein. | | | | warm from walking around, but the warmer and more |
| Tip #2. Squeeze out your feet after your workout | | | | flexible, the better. |
| An hour or more after a workout on your feet, | | | | |