Important Extra Steps Towards A Better Life

By David Williams

Framing your journey

The SHAPE Analyser begins your longevity planning. Step by step you review yourself to enable an estimate of your journey time. The typical three stages are revealed, and you realise that for most of the journey you are likely to live independently, and that the longer you live, the final stage is likely to get shorter. These quick and simple steps help you frame your own unique journey and can make a difference to how long and well you proceed.

Immediate and Longer Term Steps

The heading says it all. Just like any journey, we are more likely to make the best of it by getting our priorities right. The five SHAPE categories make this simple and you are encouraged to manage the likely few that can make a real difference, perhaps with the help of professional health advisers.

It’s also highly likely you will be encouraged to get more exercise and for most people more steps are involved — which is where our feet come into focus! With your longevity plan you can insert a specific ‘do by’ plan to keep reminding you to get on with it and stay in control.

Stepping Out

Our feet and the steps we take can be an enabler of a healthier lifespan, or a barrier. Walking is a key element of many exercise programs and requires feet in reasonable condition — not just to minimise pain but also to support a range of exercising that benefits other parts of our bodies.

Your feet may have physical problems or be affected by conditions of the whole body — such as diabetes. Simply being overweight can contribute. However, foot problems themselves are rarely life threatening, so they tend to get relegated to the ‘down the track’ file.

Most of us aren’t born with a foot problem. Experts suggest it’s more a matter of neglect and wearing ill-fitting shoes — and that a big majority wear shoes that are the wrong width or length.

Ongoing foot problems and pain can benefit from professional guidance. Here are some basic steps to get in control:

• Always make your feet part of your regular health reviews.
• Only wear shoes that fit well with plenty of room for your toes. Feet flatten and expand with age, and our correct shoe sizes change. Good shoe stores have a range of tests you can take to help make the right decisions for your own feet and your own exercise ambitions.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight increases the load on your feet, the risk of foot problems and the risk of falls.
• Inspect your feet regularly for any signs of skin issues and take professional advice if any aberrations occur.

In planning for a healthy lifespan, doing the best we can by our feet makes good sense.

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