HOW TO AVOID BLISTERS WHILE RUNNING

Have you ever worked out so hard that your body begins to show signs of physical wear and tear especially within your ankle and underneat your feet regon? When running as a form of exercise or for a competition you need to be kind to your body despite keeping fit or getting to the finish line first seems to be your ultimate goal. There is need to know your limits during any physical exercises as this will keep you well informed how far you can go so as not to get your body injured or even collapse in the process.

With that said, I’m guilty of over testing my limits and have had to deal with the consequences.

A couple of years ago during one of our annual inter-school running, I started sprinting super hard just to beat the line without taking caution about my body limit and possible danger on the sprint field I may encounter. I keep running until it got to a point where I could no longer run fast due to some bruises developed on my feet which I later got to know was caused by my boot. I stopped for a while without minding if I will lose out from the race because I was really in pain. Then as I tried to bend over to feel what was going on within my feet region I noticed it wasn’t really easy for me bending down because my back felt so tight that I couldn’t.

I knew there was something really wrong. I went to the sport co-coordinator the next day and got X-rays done. Turned out that my ankle bone has been dislocated!!! I had to go through a series of adjustments and muscle stimulation sessions to get me back to normal. IT WAS NOT CHEAP.

Hopefully that will never happen to you! But something you may have experienced if you’re a runner are annoying BLISTERS!

What are blisters?

 A blister is a pocket of fluid between the upper layers of skin. They are bubbles that form right underneath your skin due to friction against your foot. The most common causes of blisters are friction, freezing, burning; infection and chemical burns.

 How to prevent blisters?

 1. Don’t wear shoes that are too tight! 

You should be able to snugly stick your finger between your heel and the back of your shoe. If it’s too tight, get a half size up. If it’s too loose, go a half size down.

2. Wear breathable, sweat wicking socks that are made of nylon or a wool blend. 

You don’t want your feet to sweat, get clammy, and stay wet inside your shoe.

 3. Wear double sock

If you’re still feeling like there’s too much friction between your foot and the shoes, double up your socks for extra cushion! This way the friction is happening between 2 pairs of socks, not you and the shoe.

 4. Prevent friction with lubrication!

There are plenty of powders and creams you can buy at your local drugstore to lessen the friction, but one of my secrets is to use petroleum jelly! I know it sounds weird but it really helps lessen the rubbing on the area where you’re starting to feel the blister coming on. Just don’t put it all over your foot as you might actually just slip out of your shoe as you’re running.