Foot pain, especially arch pain, you must often encounter if you love cycling. After all, the power from the thighs when riding a bicycle is transmitted to the bicycle through the sole of the foot, so why is it easy to have foot pain when riding a bicycle? There are two main reasons:
①The shoes do not fit well
A shoe that doesn’t fit properly can have friction problems, which can lead to blisters and skin ulcers. So I remind you here: When buying cycling shoes, pay attention to whether the shoe type matches the foot type. Inappropriate cycling shoes can compress the metatarsal arch, causing numbness and tingling in the foot.
②This may be due to plantar fasciitis, etc.?
So, the question is, what is plantar fasciitis and what to do?
01. Why does the arch of the foot hurt?
As you ride, the plantar fascia tightens and the medial arch stiffens so that force can be transferred from the bottom of the foot. And if you keep riding, riding, riding ~ the plantar fascia will be strained or repeatedly micro-teared, and the problem of arch pain will naturally occur after a long time.
02. Is plantar fasciitis serious?
Because so many people love cycling, plantar fasciitis is very common in sports such as cycling…
But! ! ! but! ! but! If you think it’s okay to be patient, you’re wrong. Because collagen degeneration does not heal properly, it can lead to the formation of calcium deposits called bone spurs. If you’re a little less lucky, the bone spurs right where the plantar fascia inserts into the calcaneal tubercle (heel bone) can cause chronic heel pain.
03. How to prevent arch pain (1)
As I said just now, one of the reasons is that the cycling shoes do not fit well. So, you can find a comfortable pair of sweat-wicking cycling socks and cycling shoes that can greatly reduce arch problems.
Different brands of cycling shoes have slightly different foot shapes, so pay attention to finding a brand that suits your foot shape. In addition, the proper hardness of the sole of the cycling shoe, maintaining a good riding posture, etc.
04. How to prevent arch pain (2)
After solving the equipment problem, let’s talk about the second solution, which is also the focus of today’s article! You can do the following sets of exercises before and after cycling to ease your foot pain.
Toe extension
Step back with your left foot and reach your toes over a small block or paperback. Keep your left knee straight, then bend your right knee to the right so that your heel is on the floor and your ankle and ball of the foot are extended. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat three times.
Foot arch massage
Use a foot massage ball (or something similar) to help relieve muscle tension or pain in your feet. Slowly roll your feet forward, then return to the massage ball for two minutes. You can change the depth of the massage by standing or sitting. Repeat massaging the medial, medial, or lateral portion of the arch of the foot.
Walking method
Just like walking normally, lift your toes and heels firmly on the ground (as the left in the picture below); then press the toes on the floor (as the middle in the picture below), press the center of gravity on the midfoot, and exercise the muscles of the arch of the foot; Continue forward, then tiptoe and shift weight to the other foot.
Then do it backward: drop your big toe first and shift your weight onto foot, midfoot, then heel; rock back and forth on the arch of the foot for a minute…
Then repeat the above movement on the other foot…
