Diet and Exercise Plan - Essay Example

?Diet and Exercise Plan Life offers a lot of nice things. One of these things is waking up in the morning, seeing a shed of light passing through my window and feeling the cool morning mist that dampens my cheeks and the tip of my nose. Mornings like this are nice to recall because they ease out the pressures and stress brought by the day that passed. However, the pain I feel at my feet that makes it uneasy to even reach for my window takes away the beauty of the morning. Suffering from plantar fasciitis (PF), I find it difficult to get on my feet every morning or within the day, after at least a 30-minute of sitting or immobility. My morning routine started to change when I bought a shoe from (manufacturer). I used to think that the worst thing that could happen to a person wearing uncomfortable shoes is to have blisters which are easy to cure with ice, ointment and a piece of gauze but when I realized I have PF, I changed my mind about having blisters. I could say that plantar fasciitis is probably the worst condition one could get from not wearing proper shoes. Finding it difficult to get up in the morning, I swore to myself that I would never buy shoes from the same manufacturer. Plantar fasciitis, otherwise known as “policeman’s heel,” is the painful condition of the plantar fascia, the connective tissue found on the soul of the foot, usually at the heel part. According to Roxas (2005), the cause of this pain is multifactorial, including excessive mobility, wearing tough shoes, walking or running on hard surfaces, and being overweight. In my case, I believe it started when I started using the shoes I bought from --- but I am also considering the fact that I stand and move a lot during the day and I am overweight by --- kilos. My work as --- could have also contributed to my condition, and the effect of PF may be irreparable or may take a long time to heel at this time. According to studies, worse PF condition may require surgery of the plantar fascia, which I never want to undergo. Plantar fasciitis is a condition common to the adult population. This may be due to the wearing out of the tissue in the heel, which is often pounded when we walk or run. describes PF as a degenerative syndrome resulting from repeated trauma on the calcaneus. In other words, ignoring pain in the heel can lead to a worse condition. In my case, I can say that I am guilty of ignoring the pain when it first occurred, thinking it was only part of physical fatigue. Before I knew it, I have already damaged my heel pad, making it difficult to rid of the ailment. Nevertheless, with proper exercise and treatment, I am hopeful that I would enjoy the morning with the same feeling I had in the past, no more heel pains and difficulty going to the bathroom. Another factor adding to my present condition is the fact that I am overweight. My current BMI is ______. I reckon that if I exercise and lose weight, I will recover faster from PF and do my daily routines without the hassles. As it is with other illnesses, careful treatment of PF could lead to faster recovery. Therefore, I should stick to an exercise and treatment plan that includes recommended actions based on current research. Stretching exercises is the first in my list of treatment plan. Pfeffer, Bacehetti, Detand et al. (1999) and Stratton, McPoil, Cornwall & Patrick (2009) found out that stretching and strengthening exercises helped to treat PF patients more than the use of prefabricated orthoses. These exercises include feet exercises that flex the plantar fascia, allowing the tendons and muscles of the feet to relax. Exercises for PF are light ones, they involve minimal movements and weight for the feet. One form of exercise is the leaning wall stretch which is done by leaning with two hands on a wall and one foot bent forward, allowing the tendons at the heel stretch without giving much effort. When I did this stretching exercise, I felt some ache in the tendons and muscles in my heel but after two sets of eight counts, I felt relaxed. I should like to continue doing this twice everyday until I overcome PF. Another stretching exercise in my treatment plan is the curb or stair stretch in which I stand at the edge of the stairs using only half of my feet, leaving the heel part unsupported. This allows heel flexes that may relieve the pain. When I did this stretching exercise, I felt the same pain I had with the wall stretch exercise but it was more excruciating with the latter. After the stretching, I felt some relief as I did in the leaning wall stretch but the former involves more effort due to the use of stairs. The other exercise that Roxas (2005) recommends is the ball rolling exercise which requires the use of a tennis ball to be rolled by the heel. This exercise allows the ball to hit the painful part of the heel, relaxing the tendons of the feet. However, it only gives momentary relief. Nevertheless, I would continue doing this at least once a day in order to relax my feet. Still, another exercise is lifting marbles using my toes. This involves the use of around 7 marbles which need to be transferred from one container to another. Mario (2005) recommends doing this in three sets on both feet. Doing this activity allows flexes of the toes and the muscles of the feet, especially those at the side. Besides exercises, the second in my list is the cross-frictional massage, which I can perform, myself. This entails rubbing the center of the heel with my thumb or going to a spa and for a foot massage. This practice feels good and eases the pain but not for long. Likewise, a lot of effort is needed to get to the pain in the inner heel. As such, I can only do this occasionally, maybe once a week or when I have the time. Other treatments for PF can also be helpful. Among these are towel curl, which lets the toes do the exercise to stretch the tendons by curling up a towel using the toes. Another exercise is the toe taps, which is done by tapping the toes on the floor. This exercise may relieve pain but only momentarily. As regards stretching and exercises, I am aware that being overweight contributes to PF. As such, I also intend to follow an exercise plan to treat PF and continuously maintain a healthy lifestyle. This exercise plan should only involve a light exercise because according to Kornfield (2010), people with PF should not heavy weights because such would worsen the PF condition. Therefore, I will just do some treadmill exercises that can make me lose some flabs and some stretching for flexibility. Considering that PF is associated also with heavy weight, I will also try to lose some weight by eating a good diet. Kornfield (2010) recommends a diet composed of omega-3 fatty acids that can be found in fish oils to help regulate blood circulation. He also states that PF patients need amino acids and anti-oxidants for tissue repair and cell renewal. To obtain omega-3 fatty acids I need, I will see to it to include mackerel, tuna or sardines in my everyday diet. For cell repair, I will take in amino acids, which come from leafy vegetables and legumes. Likewise, I will increase my water intake to help in my body’s metabolism and losing of fats. Furthermore, I will try to avoid carbohydrates and caffeine and increase my intake of fruits and vegetables. This way, I would not only manage PF but likewise lose weight to prevent further damage to tissues and nerves at my feet. Stretching exercises, losing weight, and eating recommended food can improve my condition day by day. However, all these efforts will be wasted if I do not wear proper feet support. Thus, the fourth in my list is to avoid wearing flats. I believe I started having PF when I began to wear flat shoes. I thought all the while that wearing flats is comfortable because that is the usual thought. However, reading from the current literature about PF, I found out that people should wear shoes according to their needs. For instance, Roxas states (2005) claims that people who are flat-footed or with highly arched feet are more prone to PF. In my case, I have highly arched feet. Because of this, I need to wear soft-padded rubber shoes, which I have done for two days now. The soft pad on the heel part of the shoes is enough to support my heels. With the little improvement I feel, I know I should avoid uncomfortable shoes from now on. Treating PF is not a difficult thing to do but not doing anything to improve one’s condition may worsen the case and lead to more difficult problems. The four interventions that I intend to follow will definitely help me treat my PF but such do not guarantee that I will not encounter the same problem later in life. In order to avoid future problems, I will continue with my diet plan and avoid processed food and alcohol. I will also try to life a healthy lifestyle by doing stretching exercises everyday or at least three times a week to sweat out and flex my body. References Kornfield, R. (2010). Plantar fasciitis: overcoming heel and arch pain naturally. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-robert-a-kornfeld/plantar-fasciitis-overcom_b_444325.html Pfeffer, G., Bacehetti, P., Detand, J., et al. (2010). Comparison of cusUMii and prefabricated orthoses in the initial treatment of proximal plantar faseiitis. Foot Ankle. 14-22. Roxas, M. (2005). Plantar fasciitis: diagnosis and therapeutic considerations. Alternative Medicine Review. 10 (2), 83-93. Stratton, M., McPoil, T., Cornwall, M. & Patrick, K. (2009). Use of low-frequency electrical stimulation for the treatment of plantar fasciitis. JAPMA. 99(6); 481-488. Read More