Make Exercise a Family Affair

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The benefits of being physically fit are numerous and all of them contribute to healthy feet. Strength training (lifting weights) and cardiovascular exercises such as walking, swimming, boxing, and aerobics classes help you 

  • increase your muscle mass and make you stronger

  • keep your balance and avoid falling down

  • keep your heart strong and your blood flowing freely

  • delay the onset of osteoporosis or avoid the disease altogether

  • ease the effects of anxiety and depression

  • control blood pressure and cholesterol levels

  • reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even some forms of cancer

  • stay at a healthy weight 

At Affiliated Foot & Ankle Center, we encourage our patients to engage in regular physical activity for all of these reasons. A strong heart discourages circulation problems that contribute to foot issues like slow-healing wounds. Keeping your weight down helps you avoid flat feet and chronic heel pain. Reducing your risk of diabetes is reason enough to stay active since diabetes and foot problems go hand-in-hand.  

Involve the whole family

It makes sense to jump aboard the exercise bandwagon early in life. As we approach Family Health and Fitness Day (September 29), we encourage families to exercise together. Hopefully, kids will adopt exercise as a habit - and something fun to continue into their adult years. Here are some suggestions for making exercise a family affair:

  • take a family walk after one meal a day

  • plan activities that involve exercise such as mini-golfing or a fall hike through the rolling hills of Monmouth County

  • sign up for a local 5k race and run as a team

  • enroll in a kickboxing or Zumba™ class together

  • teach kids to walk more by parking the car far away from store entrances and taking the stairs instead of the elevator. 

If foot pain should ever prevent you or your kids from the activities you love, our board-certified podiatrists can help. Get expert foot and ankle care from Dr. Samantha Boyd, Dr. Hal Ornstein, Dr. Dan Phan, or Dr. Joseph Saka at our offices in Howell or Jackson, New Jersey. Call (732) 905-1110 or make an appointment online.