The Wide World of Walking Equipment

The most common injury (other than the occasional sore muscle) that walkers experience is the blister. They are usually the result of improperly fitted or maintained walking gear and/or walking equipment and can therefore be easily avoided by taking a few simple precautionary steps.

First what are blister and how do they develop? The skin has three layers: the epidermis, dermis and Subcutaneous. A blister occurs as the outer layer, epidermis, of skin separates from the inner layers and the space between fills with lymph fluid. This fluid is nature’s way of providing a cushion, protecting the dermis and subcutaneous layer from damage and possible infection.

Blister can develop in several ways: through heat generated by friction, a reaction to harmful chemical or environmental (sunburn) exposure, the result of certain insect bites and medical issues such as allergies and disease The blisters generally associated with walking are caused by friction. Friction from shoes or clothing which rubs repeatedly on a spot on the skin generating heat and causing the skin to separate and the lymph fluid to collect. Friction blisters are usually not serious and can be easily treated, but can get infected if left unattended.

How to treat one if you get one? According to the Mayo Clinic, if you aren’t experiencing any pain try not to break the blister. The epidermis is a natural barrier to bacteria and if left in tack will greatly reduce the risk of infection. If it’s small, cover it with an adhesive bandage, if large use an appropriate size gauze pad, one with the plastic coating. This will allow air access to the wound and promote healing. If it’s painful and/or keeps you from walking properly you may need to drain the fluid . If you have diabetes or poor circulation, check with your doctor before you attempt this procedure. Drain the fluid while leaving the epidermis intact. First wash your hands and the blister with soap and water. Clean the blister with Iodine or rubbing alcohol. Next sterilize a clean needle with rubbing alcohol. Puncture the blister near its’ edge and let the fluid drain. Cover the blister with an antibiotic cream or ointment and cover with a gauze pad. Change gauze and antibiotic cream as necessary. Check occasionally. If you find any signs of infection give your doctor a call.

Blister prevention is fairly simple and straight forward. Friction blisters are prevalent where heat and moisture is present. Heat from the rubbing and moisture from the perspiration generated while walking. Eliminate those two conditions and you prevent a blister from forming.

The heat./rubbing issues can be addressed in a couple of ways.

• The first and most important is to use comfortably fitting shoes and socks during your walk. Take you time when purchasing a pair of walking shoe. Try them on, walk around in them. Be sure they are not too tight or too loose. Wear the type of sock you’ll use on your walk to ensure a proper fit.

• Break in your shoes before your first outing. Properly fitted but stiff shoes will cause blisters. If you notice a problem with the fit, even thought you may have had them for a while, take them back to the store and get a new pair. Don’t try and “:work through” a fit problem.

• Proper walking shoe maintenance will aid in blister prevention as well.

• If you are plagued by blisters in a specific area you can apply a bit of tape the spot to cut down on the effects of the rubbing.

• Finally there are friction management patch. These self adhering patches are applied inside the shoe to cushion an affected area.

Moisture is the other culprit and it too can be easily addressed

• Wear clean, proper fitting socks made of a wicking materials. There are many synthetic wicking materials around but wool still works well. Be sure that the socks are specifically designed for walking with extra padding at the toe and heel. Lose the tube socks. They have tendency to bunch and cause rubbing.

• As a short term measure talcum power could be used for increased moisture absorption and friction reduction but continual use may actually increase the propensity to develop blisters.

Blisters can be a problem on may levels. Aside from the medical issues, blisters can interrupt your walking routine and be a real de-motivator. So it’s important to take the steps necessary to prevent them from occurring. Proper care and maintenance of all you walking equipment is an important step in preventing injury and keeping your walking program on pace and you on the road.

Technorati Tags: blister causes, blister prevention, blister treatment, exercise walking, friction management patch, walking, walking injuries, walking shoes walking socks

No Comments »

No Comments »

Any list of walking equipment usually includes sun block, sun glasses and brimmed caps. Why? Because we find ourselves in the sunlight for protracted periods of time and therefore need to be concerned with the levels of sun radiation absorbed during our time out of doors. But. do we need to take a look a our clothing as well? Recently you may have begun noticing something called a UPF rating on your walking clothing. What is it and why should we concern ourselves?

Simply put, a UPF is a numeric rating system designed to provide you with an objective measurement of an item of clothing’s level of protection against the UV radiation from the sun. As you most likely know, extensive exposure to UV radiation from sun light can increase the rate of skin aging and can possibly lead to skin cancer. There are certain classification of people that are more susceptible to the damage, namely children and the fair skinned, sun sensitive of all ages. But it’s important that we all take some basic precautions to minimize the levels of UV radiation absorbed while walking. The usual forms of these protections include sun block and hats. But again what about the clothing we wear? This is were the UPF rating fits in.

UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor. The rating you see on clothing typically runs from 15 to 50+. Think of it as being similar too but not exactly like the SPF rating used on sunscreen products. (The SPF rating is used to measure the ability of the sunscreen to block burn generating rays of the sun.) As a general rule the higher the UPF rating the more protection the clothing provides. A rating of 15-24 will provide a “Good” level of protection, a rating of 25-39 is classified as “Very Good” and 40-50+ is considered “Excellent” protection. A “Good” level will allow about 4% of the available UV radiation to get through to the skin while an “Excellent” rated piece of clothing will allow less than 2%. How does that compare with the typical white tee shirt? No definitive studies have been done, but a generally accepted guesstimate is that a cotton tee will allow about 20% of the UV radiation through to the skin.

What are the characteristics of UPF rated clothing: Typically they are treated with UV absorbing chemicals during the manufacturing process. Special UV absorbing dyes are used for coloring. Since natural fibers (cotton and wool) do a poor job of UV absorption, UPF rated clothing items are typically made of a synthetic fibers. Polyester and nylon are the number 1 and 2 rated. Finally, the cloth usually has a very tight weave.

So now the question is do I need to wear UPF rated walking clothing? Most likely not. But if you are fair skinned and sun burn easily, live in an area of high sun intensity and/or suffer from or have a family history of skin cancer you should consider an item’s UPF rating when shopping for your walking gear. Outdoor clothing for children also fall into a concern category since the CDC reports that just a few serious cases of sun burn or high UV absorption during childhood can greatly increase his or her chances of developing skin cancer later in life.

If you find yourself in one of these risk categories it would behoove you to look for walking clothing with some level of UPF protection. A good deal of the allure of walking is getting out into the fresh air and sun light but, like the use of sun block and proper head gear, UPF protected clothing is an “ounce of prevention” worth considering.

Technorati Tags: skin aging, skin cancer, sunscreen, UPF, UV protection, UV radiation, UV rating

No Comments »