One of the most straightforward exercises that everyone gets recommended to try and stay healthy is simple walking. For a lot of people, it’s manageable, easy to do, a great way to warm up, and get the blood pumping. It also helps you get some fresh air and a little bit of exercise into your schedule without suddenly taxing your body.
There are numerous benefits to walking. We could spend all day describing and detailing these benefits, but that’s not what this article is about. Instead, we’ll address one of the nasty little snags that many people often don’t consider when they take up walking as an exercise: blisters.
If you’ve had a blister before, you’ll know how painful and annoying these surface-level injuries can be. If you’re still keen on walking but find that blisters can be a pain, below are some tips you can use to try on how to prevent blisters on feet from walking.
How To Prevent Blisters on Feet From Walking: Four Effective Tips
There are simple and proven ways of avoiding blister formation, especially during long-distance walks, but the most common ones are as follows:
1. Choose the Right Footwear
One of the most common causes of blisters in walkers comes from the fact that they are not correctly considering what suitable footwear can do for them. Your shoes are often the primary source of blisters forming on your feet, and there are a variety of reasons they can cause blisters.
The right shoe is something you can wear comfortably, without it rubbing or chafing against parts of your foot. This also means avoiding shoes that fit too tightly and squeeze parts of your feet or shoes that can lead to cramping. If your shoe can fit snugly and give you a good measure of protection, then you’ve found yourself a good shoe for walking.
Keep in mind that new shoes will take a while to break in. So the first few times you wear a pair of shoes off the shelf, you might still end up with blisters despite them fitting quite nicely. This is normal and means you’ll have to wear them out a bit more before they’re perfect for walking.
Be sure to pick a shoe that is appropriate to the exercise. For example, if you’ll do long-distance cross country walks across more rugged terrain, you probably want to wear a pair of shoes built to provide the proper support for those kinds of exercises.
2. Wear Proper Socks
Shoes aren’t everything you’ll be putting on your feet. Not wearing socks is an invitation for blisters to form on your feet in the first place, but the wrong pair of socks can also be conducive to blisters formation.
You’ll want to avoid cotton as a material since it’s generally coarser when it comes to repeated rubbing against the skin. You’ll also want to get some socks that can easily soak up moisture from sweat, which can also contribute to blister formation.
If you know you’ll go on a long-distance walk or do any activity where blisters are possible, then double up on your socks. This will provide you the absorption of the moisture and give you an added layer of protection.
Double-layer socks exist for this reason. While they can be a bit on the pricier end, they are well worth the investment if you plan on walking regularly.
3. Take Regular Breaks
With any exercise, it’s always good to pace yourself and never overexert yourself. You should take breaks anyway, so when you take a moment to breathe and rehydrate, take this moment to do a couple of things.
First, you’ll want to change your socks if you can, especially if they’ve become damp with sweat. This will help keep your feet feeling refreshed and allow airflow, which can significantly help their overall health.
Secondly, you can take this moment to lubricate your feet properly, which can also be done before you head out. You may also re-lubricate your feet during the break. The idea is to prevent any form of friction, which is one of the leading causes of blister formation.
Petroleum jelly is a popular lubricant that runners use on problem spots on their feet. That’s because it helps your feet slide across the surfaces rather than rub against them.
4. Practice General Foot Care
Simple foot care practices are among the best ways on how to prevent blisters on feet from walking, as well as to keep your feet healthy.
We’ll start by mentioning the benefits of calluses. While you may be tempted to shave or rub off the pieces of hardened skin, they are quite beneficial in keeping your feet well protected, especially from blisters.
They will typically form at problem spots where blisters would be most common. As such, you have to choose whether you prefer the practicality of their protection over the rough and unsightly appearance.
Another general tip is to keep your feet as dry as possible. It’s pretty common knowledge that feet and skin don’t mix well with moisture for extended periods.
That ties into the taking of breaks and switching out of socks that we mentioned earlier, but there are extra measures you can take to keep your feet dry.
Corn starch and talcum powder are popular options that runners and long-distance walkers add to their shoes because they help absorb moisture quite well. Be sure to bring some if you walk long distances. It’s also best to reapply during breaks.
Finally, cover areas of your feet prone to forming blisters. If you’ve had blisters before, you’ll know where the problem spots are for you.
Generally, you’ll want to look at the back of your foot by your Achilles tendon and the sides of your feet, both on and near your toes. Pad those up with band-aids or bandages to give another layer of protection to those places.
Conclusion
Blisters are pesky little things that can make walking very uncomfortable and painful. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways on how to prevent blisters on feet from walking. By taking any of the above tips into account, your feet will thank you later for taking extra good care of them.
Wondering how to pack your favorite pair of shoes? Check out our guide on how to pack shoes for travel.