As parents, we want to do everything we can to help our children succeed in life, and while a number of things are out of our control, we have more influence about other aspects of our child’s lives than we may realize. One aspect that we may have more control over than we realize is the health of their feet. In today’s blog, we share five things that you can do to help your child develop strong and healthy feet.
Developing Healthy Feet In Children
Here’s a look at five ways you can help to provide the framework for strong and healthy feet in your developing child.
1. Keep Them Active – Our feet muscles become stronger when we’re moving and stressing our feet, so encourage your child to be active. Get them involved in sports, take them to the park or simply do something active each day around the house. Our feet want to move, so give them the activity they crave.
2. Healthy Diet – Our bodies also need the right balance of vitamins and minerals from food sources, so feed your child a variety of healthy options. We understand that they may not love all sorts of vegetables and healthy options, but try to find some they do like or find creative ways to incorporate vegetables into dishes they like. Help your kids get a range of crucial nutrients from natural food sources.
3. Weight Management – Whether you’re young or old, the more you weigh, the more stress your feet will be under with each step you take. Take some of this stress off your child’s feet by helping them maintain an appropriate weight for their age. If you do a good job of the first two points, this third point should go hand-in-hand.
4. Get Them In The Right Shoes – Make sure that your kids have the right shoe for the activities they’ll be performing. Additionally, if their shoes are too tight, too loose or too worn down, they may not be offering your child enough protection. Your child’s feet will grow faster than you may realize, so regularly check in with them to see how their shoes are fitting.
5. Regular Checkups – Take your child in for their annual wellness visit every year. These annual physicals help to ensure that your child is developing as expected and that any potential issues are snuffed out well in advance. Make sure they get their annual checkup, and get them additional professional treatment if they suffer an acute foot or ankle injury between annual visits.
If you do all of these things for your child, we’re confident that you’ll be giving them the foundation they need for great foot and ankle health. And if you ever need to lean on a professional for advice or care, we hope you’ll turn to Dr. Silverman and the team at Silverman Ankle & Foot at (952) 224-8500.
