Is your child ready for the fall sports season? While activities such as soccer, swimming and hiking are all good ways to keep children fit and active, it is important that we don’t take any shortcuts in ensuring their health and safety. At Step by Step Family Foot Care, we see many injuries in young athletes that could have been avoided if the preseason conditioning was exercised.
Below are some of the do’s and don’ts to be kept in mind so that your children have a safe and injury-free season.
Do: Always encourage your children to take part in all kinds of sports activities and make them aware of the importance of pre and post warm-up routines.
Do: Make sure you set up an appointment at our office in Parsippany NJ (973) 917-3785 to consult our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Debra B. Manheim. The foot doctor can help address all podiatric health concerns of your child and formulate a suitable course of action to avoid any unforeseen problems.
Do: Stay in touch with your child’s physical training instructor so that you can share your feedback on any issues that need to be considered before your child takes up a certain activity. This will also help the instructor to determine which exercises may be assigned for their strength and a healthy start to the season.
Don’t: Wearing last year’s shoes may be tempting yet damaging for your children. Over time shoes tend to wear out and lose their support structure especially in areas like the padding at the heels and the arch. Make sure to check their shoes to avoid any issues like heel pain, sprains, blisters, etc.
Don’t: You will be able to find shoes now that are designed for specific sports. Don’t opt for shoes that were handed down or passed on because new shoes will help your child’s feet by adjusting according to their shape and size.
For any questions or concerns regarding your child’s foot and ankle health, feel free to get in touch with our experts.