Wearing the wrong shoes
This is probably not news for women who wear high heels: They kill your feet, and your whole body can feel the effects. “Your footwear influences the health of your feet, knees, hips, and back,” Dr. South-Paul says. “We weren’t built to wear high heels, and that predisposes women to bunions, Achilles tendon tightness, and associated problems.” But it’s not just stilettos that are causing shoe woes—flip-flops and other shoes without support can damage your body as well. A study from Auburn University showed that wearing flip-flops actually changes the way you walk, which can cause problems from your feet up to your hips and lower back. For long-term use, make sure your feet and ankles are properly supported. For working out, make sure your shoes aren’t too worn. “If you are a runner, you systematically wear down the support within your running shoes—we often think your shoes are good for no more than 300 miles,” Dr. South-Paul says. “After that, even if the uppers aren’t raggedy, you have lost the necessary support in the soles of the shoes to protect your feet—predisposing the bones in your feet to soreness and stress fractures.” These 15 common bad hygiene habits are even worse
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