Dr. Ragland in Huff Post! "5 Ways To Get Your Routine Summertime Ready"
By RYOT Studio
If you live in a locale that has all four seasons, you know the beginning of summer means a serious lifestyle shift. Puffy jackets are retired in favor of tank tops, cozy nights by the fireplace are swapped for beachside bonfires and complaining about the cold is replaced by complaining about the sweltering heat.
While most of these changes happen naturally, there are probably a few cold-weather habits you’re unconsciously keeping up year-round — habits that could put a real damper on your summer fun...
Step up your shoe game
When it’s nice out, it’s normal to feel an itch to get all your steps in outdoors. Just make sure your feet are prepared for the extra pressure. If you’re regularly going for long summer walks in flip-flops or high-heeled summer sandals, you could be doing your feet a real disservice, said Dr. Yolanda Ragland, a podiatrist and founder of Fix Your Feet.
“Flip-flops are better as shower shoes or walking from the car to the beach, and they should be used in light moderation,” said Ragland. “If you wear flip-flops every day, you are more vulnerable to getting plantar fasciitis because they are too flat. Any heel that is too high is not good for you either. For flip-flops or heels, my advice would be to wear in moderation. A high-heeled shoe or sandal, or even a platform sandal, keeps you vulnerable to an ankle sprain due to turning your ankle inward, or rupturing a ligament that surrounds the lateral ankle.”
Big thank you to the fabulous journalist Caroline Thompson for including Dr. Ragland in her story!