With the beautiful summer weather, many of us are heading outdoors to get some exercise. And walking is one of the best, as well as one of the most economical, methods of exercise. In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control tells us that people of all ages benefit from participating in regular, moderate-intensity physical activity, such as 30 minutes of brisk walking five or more times a week.

The latest data from the National Center for Health Statistics show that 30 percent of U.S. adults 20 years of age and older—over 60 million people—are obese. And when we think about losing those extra pounds, a program of exercise walking usually pops into our minds, right?

Of course, exercise walking is difficult, if not impossible, when our feet hurt. And very often, being over weight has contributed to foot problems such as heel pain (plantar fascitis) and flat feet. So what’s an overweight person to do?

If your feet are keeping you from exercising, make an appointment with our office for an evaluation. Very often there are some simple approaches we can recommend that will ease the pain and make it possible for you to get started on your fitness walking program in very short order. In other cases we may recommend a surgical procedure to ease the pain of deformities such as bunions or hammertoes, and we’ll be able to suggest alternative types of exercise you can do until your feet are ready to take you out on the walking paths again.

Don’t let painful feet keep you from losing weight! Eliminating that pain is the first step in regaining physical fitness and having a more active and fulfilling lifestyle.