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With September being Healthy Aging Month, we thought it would be a great time to go over why it is important to prioritize your foot and ankle health and note some of the common conditions seen by our office in Arizona that seniors come in for.
Why is Healthy Aging Important?
Aging happens to everyone. But that doesn't mean you have to act your age! Aging is as much a mental game as it is physical. Your mindset holds a lot of power in your ability to determine what your future looks like as you age. Is mobility important? Prioritizing long walks and a healthy diet can keep your body in shape to stay mobile. Finding a reason that your freedom and mobility are important to you is crucial in achieving your long term goals. Maybe that reason is your grandkids, friends, spouse, or your kids. Maybe it is just for yourself so you can get out of bed every day without worrying about a fall or health condition preventing you from living your life to the fullest.
Aging healthily is possible for you, no matter where you are starting at. Making small changes today can have a massive impact down the road on your health as you age. This is especially true with foot and ankle care, as your feet can be key indicators of other health conditions in your body. Foot and ankle conditions can also limit mobility, which prevents you from moving and living your life.
What Small Steps Can I Implement For Healthy Aging?
Small steps can look just like that. Starting with short walks around your house, or around your neighborhood are a great low impact activities. Once you feel ready to take the next step, local trails and parks around the west valley in Phoenix offer walking paths and recreation areas to go get some exercise in with your friends and family. Another option is yoga classes or water aerobics in your city. Small steps look like daily activity that is comfortable to you and offers room to grow and expand to find a routine with exercise options that are fun as well as safe to do.
Common Conditions
Life happens, and aging along with slowed recovery time is part of reality. Some of the common conditions we have seen are bunions, corns, hammertoes, diabetic related foot conditions, heel pain, poor circulation and sprains and discolored nails. Some of these conditions are just a part of life, and other times they can be addressed fairly quick, depending on severity.
Going Forward
As you age, it is up to you to determine what that looks like on a day-to-day basis. Exercise and proper footwear will play an important part in helping you age healthily as they offer some of the strongest preventative measures you can take to ensure your mobility is intact. Diet is also extremely important, as a poor diet can lead to new health related problems along with exacerbating previous health issues that existed.
Ready to take the next step towards healthy aging? Contact us today to address your health and get you back up and running. The care you deserve is just around the corner, with over 5 valley locations, we can help almost anywhere in the valley.