by Casey Clay

Created on: July 13, 2007

In recent years many people have taken up walking and running as forms of exercise. Most of these individuals begin working out at high intensities without giving their bodies time to adapt to the forces being put on them. Because of this, many people trying to get back in shape end up injured. This often scares people away from exercise and causes them to become disenchanted with walking and running. Here I will give some instructions on how to avoid one injury that tends to put an end to anyone's workout regimen.

Heel pain is a common problem that occurs when walking or running for exercise. There are a few different causes of heel pain that develop because of walking or running. There are many reasons that these problems develop. Here is a list of these common maladies that affect the heel when walking or running:

1. Heel Contusion (Bruise)
2. Heel Inflammation
3. Plantar Faciitis

Because these injuries can oftentimes put an end to a workout regimen it is important to try to avoid them. There are many things that you can do to protect yourself against these disabling conditions. Here is a list of the things you can do to avoid heel pain:

1. Wear proper shoes
2. Correct abnormal gait issues
3. Wear a protective heel cup
4. Strengthen muscles and tissues of the foot and ankle
5. Walk or run on good surfaces
6. Stretch the muscles and tissues of the foot, ankle, and lower leg

I will go into a bit more detail here about how each of these preventative measures helps to solve the problem of heel pain.

Proper footwear can help prevent a variety of injuries associated with walking and running. In the case of the maladies mentioned above, having proper footwear can actually prevent all of the injuries from developing. Heel contusions and inflammation both occur when large amounts of force are placed upon the heel. By purchasing a shoe that provides adequate shock absorption you can prevent these conditions from developing. Plantar Fasciitis develops for a variety of reasons, but the reason of relevance is arch support. Wearing shoes with inadequate arch support causes the development of plantar fasciitis. Straining the plantar fascia (a sheath of tissue that runs the length of the sole of the foot) is what causes plantar fascia. The arch naturally expands with each step to absorb shock; shoes with no arch support allow the foot to expand excessively.

Many people think that their natural gait is correct. This is a fallacy. There are proper ways to walk and run that prevent injury.

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