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The first thing I do when I get home...

How many of us kick our shoes off as we walk in the front door? Going barefoot is synonymous with being at home and being relaxed.

Do you know this is the WORST thing we can do to our feet (and ankles, knees, hips and low back)? And it contributes to the new “f” word—FALL.

Saying this doesn’t win us any popularity contests. But, if you take a moment and think about it, you’ll probably agree. For example:

 Does linoleum or tile flooring provide support to your arches? Can any of us pass a simple balance test when standing on hard surface floors in our stocking feet? Carpet may be soft, but does it have enough density to provide any protection against step shock? How about your mother or father, what does this do to prevent them from falling?

What most of us really want when we take our shoes off is to simply allow our feet to cool down, dry out and breathe. They’ve been cooped up all day and they want out!

Is there a solution? Yes. Change shoes, change or take your socks off and switch to other footwear. Be sure the shoes you put on—even if they are flip-flops or house shoes—have arch support in them. You can wear an arch support in mules, sandals and flip-flops by placing Velcro on the support and shoe. This way your feet are cooling down, drying out and breathing and you reduce your chances of FALLING!.