When you’re pregnant, you’ll begin to notice some structural changes taking place in your body. You’ll obviously have a growing belly, but other changes are not so noticeable. One area of your body that is affected by the pregnancy is your feet.
So how does pregnancy change your feet? For starters, as you gain healthy weight during the pregnancy, your feet begin to shoulder a bigger load. This can lead to your arches becoming flatter, changes in your gait, ankle and foot instability and changes in the size of your feet.
“Normal pregnancy weight gain can cause changes in the way a woman walks and lead to instability, and fluid build-up in the lower extremities makes the feet larger,” said Sudheer Reddy, MD, an orthopaedic foot and ankle specialist. “Hormonal changes also make the ligaments of the foot looser, which in turn affects arch height and foot length.”
Some of these changes are temporary, while others are permanent. But there are things you can do to help keep your feet healthy during pregnancy.
Foot Exercises During Pregnancy
Here are some things you can do to keep your feet healthy while you’re pregnant:
Invest in Compression Stockings – Pregnancy hormones cause your feet and ankles to swell, so do yourself a favor and invest in a pair of compression stockings. Swelling can cause changes in your gait, so control the swelling with compression socks.
Walking, Exercise and Stretching – Regular walking and low-impact exercises can also help prevent swelling, and stretching can help reduce discomfort.
Hydrate – Hydration can help prevent foot cramps or pains. Always keep a bottle of water handy during pregnancy.
Intrinsic Foot Exercises – Intrinsic foot exercises help keep all your muscles, ligaments and bones working properly during a time when they are vulnerable to change. Our friends at The Rehab Pros have detailed a fair amount of intrinsic foot exercises:
- Big Toe Salutes – Raise and lower your big toes while leaving the other four toes on the ground.
- Four Toe Salutes – Raise and lower the other four toes while leaving your big toe on the ground.
- Toe Splays – Spread all your toes as far apart as you can, then relax.
- Toe Squeezes – Put a pedicure toe divider or cotton balls between your toes and squeeze.
- Toe Crunches – Crunch your toes as if you’re trying to get them to touch your heel, then raise your toes as if you’re trying to touch the ceiling.
Related source: PRNewswire, The Rehab Pros