It’s the deepest, darkest part of the winter in Cincinnati, and that means feet and toes might be having a tougher time than usual staying warm! If you’re going out for a trudge in the snow, sleet, or chilly puddles, make sure you have the necessary protection. Feet are particularly vulnerable to cold weather damage, since they receive less circulation than the rest of your body and are more likely to get wet or be under-protected.
Here are five quick tips to keep feet warm and protect feet from the cold winter weather:
- Double up on socks. An extra pair (try heavy wool over a lighter cotton base layer) can add much needed warmth, indoors or out. You can also look into picking up a few pairs of thermal socks.
- Get a good pair of waterproof winter boots that also cover the ankles. If you’re going to be outside for any significant length of time this is obvious, but even if you’re just going between the car and home or work, you want to minimize exposing breezy tennis shoes or more open dress shoes to snow and cold.
- Replace any wet footwear (socks or shoes) immediately. That includes socks that are wet from sweating—not just snow and puddles. Get inside and get dry! Wet and cold is a fast track to frostbite or hypothermia.
- If your feet are chilly indoors, and you’ve already covered them properly, try moving them about and doing a little exercise—standing on tiptoes, wiggling your toes, etc. This will increase circulation to the feet and warm them up a bit.
- To warm up cold feet safely in a hurry, immerse them in a pail or bucket of warm water for about 20 minutes. You should avoid direct dry heat (such as from a space heater), especially if you suspect frostbite.
Don’t take your toes and feet for granted as you enjoy the brisk weather and winter activities! Treat them well, protect them from damaging cold, and they’ll take care of you, too. To schedule an appointment with the Family Foot & Ankle Center specialists, please give us a call at (888) 689-3317. We have several offices in and around Greater Cincinnati (including one in Kentucky) to serve you.
