Basketball is one of the favorite sports of many people. Athletes belonging to this sport have to engage in a lot of physical exercise and endurance to improve their game. One of the most important aspects to take care of when playing basketball is the player’s feet. The feet are not only important in running, but also help in tight maneuvers, as well as high jumps and landings. With extensive pressure on a basketball player’s feet, the following tips might help in proper care as well.
How to Care for a Basketball Player’s Feet?
Make a Daily Feet Care Routine
Always remember that the pro-tip for caring for a basketball player’s feet is to care for it as much as you utilize it. For example, if you are practicing basketball for hours every day, you need to care for them highly as well so that there are reduced muscular issues. There are many ways to have a foot care routine.
Firstly, whenever you come home from the game, we recommend that you soak your feet in warm water with salt inside it. This will be quite comforting for the feet and will reduce the roughness while making the feet softer. It will also relieve the stress from feet muscles. Most importantly, saltwater is quite beneficial because it helps in killing bacteria and other kinds of germ agents. In case you have been playing basketball in dirty environments, a saltwater bath of feet will make sure no germs cause major infections.
According to experts, soaking feet in saltwater is going to be quite helpful if you have a splinter in the sole. It is also beneficial if you have any kind of injury on this part of the foot. Ultimately, you will benefit from the reduction that was caused due to inflammation. Drinking juice is also considered good for athletes and helps in relaxing as well as numerous other health benefits.
Get Foot Massage
Basketball players should get foot massages on a regular basis. It depends on how much you play. A person playing basketball daily should get a foot massage daily. If you play occasionally, then a daily foot massage is not important. The foot massage should be on the specific stress points, particularly between the toes and the sole. There are two ways to get a foot massage.
Firstly, if you have someone around, you can ask them to massage your feet. It is a common misconception that one can give themselves a foot massage as well but this is not only wrong but also quite inconvenient. Therefore, ask someone to massage you. The duration of this massage could be between 10 minutes to 15 minutes. Using certain foot creams can also help for making sure that the basketball player’s feet are not impacted in any negative way.
Alternatively, if you don’t have anyone around you to massage you, you should invest in a foot massager. Don’t worry! Not all of them are expensive and there are plenty of budget-friendly options available as well that perform in an optimal manner. We have reviewed one such foot massager which is specifically useful for people who frequently experience pain or discomfort in their feet, particularly after having intense physical exercise.
Foot Massager Machine with Heat, Shiatsu Foot Massager with Kneading
If you have a good budget for buying a foot massager, this is what we recommend you consider looking for. It does not only offer you pain relief, but with the smart technology, it helps you have better blood circulation in the feet as well as release stress and extra fatigue from the feet. This is made possible with the small heads shaped in the form of rolling balls which massage the specific stress points in the feet. Besides, this one-foot massager is no less than a professional massager.
This is because it comes with specific intensity levels as well allowing you to adjust the massage intensity, just how you would like it. There are 3 different intensity levels to choose from. One thing we found unique in this foot massager and not the other foot massagers is that it comes with an automatic turn-off function. This is quite useful because some people tend to sleep while they are having a foot massage. As a result, this safety measure makes sure your feet are not exposed to the heating for a long time.
As far as the heating is concerned, it isn’t the oddly tingly one. Instead, you will have a soothing heat function that will relax your feet as well as improve the blood flow. This one-foot massager is not only going to be useful for you but also the elders at your home. Therefore, it is truly going to be an investment that is not going to waste at any time. The best part? There is a 1-year warranty with it as well so you can have a stress-free purchase experience. Keep in mind that people with shoe size 12 or below can use this foot massager.
Buy Custom Fit Shoes
It is a major mistake made by many athletes that they wear tight footwear with the thinking that it helps in improved performance and effective running. However, it is actually painful for the feet and creates long-term damage as well. You may suffer from athlete’s foot, blisters, bunion, and even ingrown toenails as well. Therefore, it is always advised to get custom-fit shoes.
The custom-fit shoes are neither too big nor too small for your feet. They are specifically designed in accordance with the feet type, shape, and size just for you. Therefore, it helps in even better performance while making sure that there are no health concerns associated with the feet. Besides, we also recommend using custom fit orthotics to help in the overall improvement of feet’ shape and efficiency. The custom-fit orthotics are quite useful for keeping the muscles in their place.
One of the most important things to consider in this regard is that you need to get custom-fit basketball shoes and not the regular ones. Shoes such as Nike Air are quite helpful in making high jumps because they provide extra support to the feet when landing. Always make sure you consider all the aspects of basketball when getting the shoes custom-fitted.
Avoiding Sweat
While it is impossible to avoid sweat during the game, one should make sure that they are not having any sweat on them after the game. This is because the more sweat stays on you, the higher are the chances of germs causing infections. There are multiple ways to avoid sweat.
Firstly, right after the game, take off your socks and shoes. Wash your feet thoroughly. Some people take off their shoes but not socks. However, this practice should be avoided. A wet towel can also help you in this case.
The second way to avoid sweat is to change your socks when there is halftime in the game. Clean your feet after taking off the old pair of socks and then wear the new ones. This will make sure that you are not in contact with body sweat for a long time. Damp footwear, no matter if it is shoes or socks, can be quite harmful to the feet which is why they should be avoided by all basketball players.
Keep in Practice
It may sound odd but staying in basketball practice will help your feet stay fit and fine. With activity levels not oddly increasing or reducing, the player’s feet will stay in their optimal health condition. Some people under-exercise. Although, providing a suitable amount of rest to your feet is good, as mentioned above.
However, this does not mean that you completely go out of form and stop exercising. It means that you should be moderately staying in practice. Ultimately, when you will be practicing for a proper match, your feet will already be good enough to endure further physical fatigue. If you stop practicing and then suddenly go for intense exercise, it might cause intense sprains in the feet.
Indulge in Other Sports
While basketball is one of the most physically intense sports for the feet, there are other sports as well which you should play. This is important because playing basketball only will affect a few muscles of the feet. Indulging in other exercises and other angles of physical exercises will make sure that your feet are engaged in terms of other muscles as well. When a limited range of muscles are used, any slight use of the other muscles is a bother.
One muscle that has not been in use for quite a long time may get ruptured or develop several problems. Therefore, don’t just play basketball. Rather, run at high speeds, try the stair climbing exercise, go trekking, and do other such activities which require footwork. Despite the fact that it is a physically demanding challenge, it is beneficial for the feet in the long run.
Visit a Doctor
A big issue that has arisen recently is that many people do not take medical issues seriously. While the foot pain may not sound as big of an issue, more long-term foot pain or persistent one could be an indicator of a bigger problem such as gout. Visiting a doctor is something that you should not hesitate on, especially when you have tried out all the tips to care for a basketball player’s feet at home and they have not worked out.
Your doctor will thoroughly examine the foot and evaluate the extent of the problem being caused. Keep in mind that you might have to undergo an X-Ray or an Ultrasound as well. This will identify the root cause of the foot problem. Antibiotics and painkillers are mostly used for treating foot pain or other issues. In case of a more serious issue, the doctor may recommend surgery for the benefit in the future. The tip is to not delay a doctor’s visit.
Conclusion
Basketball players have to go through a lot when it comes to their feet because the feet are used in various ways. However, if the basketball players take certain precautionary measures, the chances of developing any short-term or long-term problems with the feet reduce significantly. They will also help in improved performance. We hope that the above-mentioned tips help you out in caring for your feet.