Losing Weight Will Help Your Feet

How Losing Weight Helps Your Feet

Now that you understand a little bit better how body weight and foot forces are linked, you might be able predict some important ways how losing weight can help alleviate foot pain and reduce the risk of other complications. But there are other benefits, too.

Here is our quick list:

• Less pain and fatigue. Again, it’s obvious, right? Losing weight means less force—and potentially a lot less force—on your feet with every step. So your feet won’t get tired or sore quite so easily, and you’re able to walk further or play longer without discomfort. Again, losing just 10 pounds might be more than enough in some cases to prevent a case of plantar fasciitis or other chronic pain.
• Lower risk of traumatic injury. It’s not just the daily wear and tear that a lower body weight will spare you, however. Higher impact forces mean a higher risk of traumatic foot injuries, including ankle sprains, foot fractures, tendon tears, and more.
• Lower risk of progressive deformities. All feet change shape over time. That’s normal. What isn’t normal, however, are progressively acquired deformities like bunions, hammertoes, and flat feet. While being skinny won’t guarantee that these problems won’t happen to you, excess weight on certain joints can trigger them to begin earlier, progress more quickly, and cause more pain.
• Lower risk of systemic diseases and extremity amputation. Obesity is a significant risk factor for many medical conditions that adversely impact foot health. These include diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, peripheral artery disease, and more. If you’re overweight and develop any of these conditions, you are more likely to develop serious foot complications, including infected foot ulcers that may ultimately require amputation if they become severe.
• Creating healthy feedback loops. Let’s tie it all together. If you’re overweight, getting more exercise is important. But if your feet hurt after just a few minutes, you’re less likely to do it—and that just makes the situation worse. That’s a negative feedback loop. But the reverse is just as true: If you lose some weight and find your feet aren’t hurting after activity any more, you’re going to walk further the next day, and even further the day after that. That’s a positive feedback loop, and it’s fantastic. Although the first few days and weeks will be difficult, staying in shape is usually a lot easier than getting in shape—and the long-term rewards are more than worth the investment!

Putting Your Best Foot Forward

We just touched on it, but one of the most frustrating things about getting in shape is that, in most cases, the more you need exercise, the harder it is to do it safely.

For example, an overweight person, or someone with peripheral neuropathy, is going to be at a higher risk for developing a foot injury just through normal exercise. And even one bad setback can be extremely discouraging.

That’s why it’s so important to make sure that you’re exercising and dieting safely, with input either from us, your general practitioner, a nutritionist—or maybe even all three!

Check-in before you start any new exercise or weight loss plan—we promise we will do everything in our power to ensure that it is a success, with the lowest possible risk of injury.

For example, remember above when we said that foot structure can contribute significantly to force loads and foot pain?

We have ways to help you deal with that, including custom or customizable orthotics, suggestions for the type of shoes to wear, or even minimally invasive surgical procedures to realign a flat foot or fix other biomechanical problems.

And of course, we’re always ready to step in with advanced care (such as regenerative injection therapy) to help you overcome chronic pain or recover quickly from a traumatic foot and ankle injury.

So, put your best foot forward! If foot pain and personal fitness are both issues you’d like to work on, give us a call so we can set you up for success! You can schedule an appointment with our contact form online or calling us at our Lee’s Summit at (816) 246-4222 today.