It’s fairly easy to ignore the health of your feet. Perhaps the most undervalued part of your body, it’s easy to take your feet for granted, simply buying the occasional new shoe or sneaker – unless and until pain or injury strikes. Then you will quickly realize how essential your feet are for your health and well-being, not to mention the quality of your life. Because without healthy and functioning feet, your mobility is limited, your risk of falling is increased and as a result, other parts of your body may begin to hurt or malfunction. 

It’s no wonder that as you get older, problems can arise with your feet. It’s been calculated that by the time you reach age 80, you’ve walked an estimated 110,000 miles, which is the same as walking around the Earth’s equator four times. Accounting for about ⅛ of the number of bones in your body, each of your feet has 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Functioning as the important base of your body, your feet bear a tremendous burden as you walk, shouldering up to 3 times your body weight every time you take a step. It’s no wonder at the end of a long day, your feet may ache. Bearing this much responsibility for keeping your body going, your feet need regular attention to stay healthy and functional, especially as you get on in years. In fact, it’s estimated that 71-87% of older adults suffer from foot pain of some sort and that severe foot pain is associated with a 62% higher risk of serious falls.

So what can go wrong with your feet? It’s natural for the skin and cushioning on your feet to become dry and thin, leading to problems like cracked heals and possible infections. The connective tissues in your feet can become stretched or shortened. Stretched ligaments mean your arches may flatten and dehydrated Achilles tendons can lead to flatter feet and less ability to flex your ankles. Bent toes (hammertoes) and thicker and brittle toenails can also begin to wreak havoc, along with osteoarthritis in your ankle or big toe. For more on the calamities that may constrain your feet, click here and here. In fact, it’s advised that you regularly check in with your feet to understand what’s normal and what’s new regarding the health of your particular feet. For example, a sudden new blister or callous may mean something has gone awry with your usual shoes- perhaps you’re walking differently or perhaps it’s time to purchase a new shoe. It’s critical to try to stay on top of your foot health and to respond to new pain or malfunction as soon as possible.

And what else can you be doing proactively to preserve your foot function? Given the number of muscles and connective tissues in your feet and the critical role they play in your mobility and stability, it’s essential that you regularly engage in foot exercises to keep your feet strong and flexible. It’s undeniable that a lack of foot strength will increase your risk of falling. So to get you going, you might want to first take a look at 10 feet exercises for balance and stability that were posted by AARP. Among the exercises they recommend (all with visual demonstrations) are such basics as circles with your ankles, calf stretches (straight and bent), and ball rolls under your feet. The Wall Street Journal (paywall) also recently published a series of foot exercises that they recommend for improving your balance, strength, and mobility. They make clear that getting your feet and toes to cooperate in these exercises may take time, so don’t hesitate to use a helping hand (literally) to get yourself started. The movements are subtle- but essential- to strengthen all of those muscles in your feet. Finally, remove those shoes, expand those toes, and take a look here for some additional recommended foot exercises.