Happy Halloween! In a couple of hours, ghosts and goblins will be roaming the streets and stuffing their pillowcases with candy bars. Whether you’re planning on Trick or Treating with your child or manning the candy bowl at your home, Halloween can be stressful on your feet and your whole body. In spirit of the holiday, we decided to compile five tips to help you keep your feet and body healthy on Halloween night!
Halloween Health Tips
These tips will help prevent pain from developing in your feet or elsewhere in your body.
1. Comfy Shoes – If you or your child are dressing up as a Disney princess, feel free to skip the high heels. You’re going to be doing a lot of walking tonight, so if you wear uncomfortable shoes or something without much support, your puppies are going to be barking by the end of the night. If you are dead set on wearing shoes that match your costume, consider adding an orthotic insert into the shoes to provide extra cushioning and support.
2. Stay Warm – It’s going to be cold out tonight, and the weather forecast suggests that it will be under 40 degrees by the time the kids head out the door to start Trick or Treating. Bundle up and stay warm. If you don’t, blood can’t flow as easily to your extremities, and you’ll be at a greater risk for pulled or strained muscles.
3. Don’t Overindulge – Excess sugar intake is problematic for a couple of reasons. For starters, excess sugar can lead to the development of inflammation in the body, which can contribute to pain and discomfort. Secondly, too much candy can lead to weight gain, which in turn puts more stress on your feet and your joints. Limit yourself to a couple of treats tonight, and same goes for your kids.
4. Stay on Paved Paths – Yes, cutting through lawns to get to the next house may save you a couple of seconds, but aside from being disrespectful, there’s also the possibility that you’ll step in a hole or trip on a tree root and get injured. Avoid cutting across wet grass or bumpy terrain, and you’ll be less likely to suffer a foot injury. Stay on the sidewalks and paths tonight.
5. Be Visible – Finally, be sure that everyone in your group can be seen by others. Trick or Treating often overlaps with people’s arrival home from work, and the sun sets pretty early this time of year, making for low visibility. Put some high visibility tape on the back of your costume and always look both ways multiple times before crossing the street. Nobody should have to spend Halloween night in the hospital, so be smart about crossing the road tonight.