Neighbor News
Five Tips for Parks & Pool Foot Health
Here are tips on how to protect your feet when visiting pools, parks and lakes this summer.
The NBC comedy “Parks and Recreation” leads us into a summer discussion on “Parks, Pools and Feet.” Summer brings us to pools, lakes and parks. To really enjoy the beauty of your surroundings, remember to take care of your feet.
Here are five summer tips to keep your feet happy while at parks and pools.
1. Don't run or walk barefoot at parks: Walt Whitman loved feeling the grass between his toes; however today grass can conceal glass, metal and other sharp objects as well natural thorns. Grass can also conceal animal waste (dogs primarily), parasites, fungus and allergens as well as ticks just waiting to get into our bodies. Please wear shoes or sandals, with socks to protect against sharp objects and parasites and ticks.
2. Wear water shoes. If you’re hiking through marshes and other swampy areas or swimming in rocky beaches, wear sandals with back heel support or water shoes. Walking on rocky beaches can make you feel unstable, and you can fall or twist an ankle otherwise.
3. Carefully choose a spot to rest your feet when at a park: Feet need relaxing, too. Find a spot with shade, and remember feet do get sunburned. Make sure to bring an extra pair of socks or take off your sandals to provide air conditioning for the bottom of your feet and in between your toes. Your feet will thank you.
4. Wear sandals at the pool. When entering a pool area or the nearby showers and dressing areas, keep the bottom of your feet in sandals, thongs or flip-flops. Dressing area surfaces including bathrooms and showers are perfect resting spots for fungi looking to attach themselves to your feet. Also, pool decks receive direct sunlight, so your first step on them can burn. Be careful. Wear sandals to the pool lip so that you (and especially little children whose feet are not as resilient as older feet) do not burn the soles of your feet.
5. If you’re planning to hike, make sure to wear boots that are flexible and offer protection, especially in rough terrain. Especially if you walk through swampy areas, make sure dry your feet afterwards since damp, confined shoes can lead to bacteria and fungi and wet feet tends to blister more than dry feet.
Enjoy the parks and the pools, it is summer time. Make sure that your feet enjoy them, too.
