Top Tips for Keeping Feet and Ankles Injury-free

Whether you’re gearing up for the start of fall sports, or fitting in some last summer adventures at the Redondo Beach Seaside Lagoon, keeping your feet and ankles injury-free is super important to staying in the game and not missing out on the fun! Luckily, there are things you can do to prevent an ankle or foot injury from occurring. Here are some handy-dandy injury prevention tips to keep in mind:

1. Always make sure your footwear fits well, is appropriate for the activity you are doing, and offers plenty of cushion, support, and wiggle room.
2. Replace worn out shoes (check if the heel and tread are worn down), and always wear socks to avoid blisters.
3. Warm up and stretch adequately prior to exercising, and don’t do too much too soon—increase duration and intensity of training gradually.
4. Keep hills to a minimum when running, and avoid uneven surfaces and terrain that could cause an ankle twist or a fall.
5. Cross-train by incorporating low-impact activities into your exercise routine to reduce the stress placed on your feet and ankles. Swimming (Hey, you could do this at the Seaside Lagoon!), yoga, cycling, and rowing are all great alternatives to complement high impact running and jumping.
6. Protect from re-injury by wrapping your foot or ankle or using a supportive brace when participating in activities that might irritate a previous problem.

Follow these tips and you’ll be ready to run, catch, throw, and whatever else floats your boat for the rest of the summer, into the fall season, and beyond! For more injury prevention tips or if you need help with an ankle or foot injury you just couldn’t avoid, give our Hawthorne, CA office a call at (310) 675-0900. We’ll make sure you get off the sidelines and back to your fun!