One of the things that hold people back from doing physical activities is the injuries that come after. It’s common to hear from individuals how their backs hurt, their knees shake, and their arms get bruised.
These uncomfortable situations also apply to skateboarding. Often, we’d find someone asking, “Why do my feet hurt when I skateboard?” Besides using your feet to push, which is a probable reason for that pain, you could be using the wrong footwear or missing a warm-up.
Keep reading to know more reasons behind skating-related discomfort.
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Causes of Foot Pain in Skateboarding
Many skaters have shared that their feet hurt when skateboarding. But here’s what these skaters have in common that cause these unfortunate pains.
1. Shoes That Are Too Tight
Imagine wearing a size-9 shoe when you’re size 10. While such a setup won’t make you feel intolerable pain if you take the shoes off right away, skateboarding with them will.
A pair of shoes smaller than your size will squeeze your feet, restricting them from being relaxed. There is also another agony called lace bite. That is when the tightly fastened shoe’s tongue grinds against your ankles, causing them to swell.
That’s not all. Wearing a tight pair of skating shoes may also leave you with top of foot pain, blisters, and redness caused by muscle inflammation.
Ultimately, tight shoes are also the culprit of plantar fasciitis, a condition that leaves the heel and arch sore during or after skateboarding.
2. Lack of Recovery Sessions
Almost every sport requires an athlete to recover by having a post-game warm-up or rest. Hence, some skaters’ complaints can be due to their missed recovery period.
Failure to spend time recuperating will strain your Achilles tendon. And putting more pressure on it will not only be painful when skating but also cause serious injuries.
3. Flat Feet
Not to put flatfooted people on the losing end, but having such a condition entails disadvantages.
To be a flatfooted skater means your arches are low. That means riding could be more painful as it pressures these parts more. It’s easy to recommend using arch supports or additional cushioning, but shoes designed this way compromise the feel of the board.
Hence, the best remedy is to use high-quality shoes for flat feet. These sneakers have balanced cushioning, a comfortable footbed, and a subtle heel.
4. Pre-existing Foot Injuries
Sometimes, we may not know we’re dealing with undiagnosed feet discomfort, knee pain, or injuries that only get triggered by some activity like skateboarding. Such conditions may not be solvable with a new pair of shoes or added cushioning. Instead, they need medical attention.
5. Cramp-inducing Conditions
Our feet may experience cramps during skateboarding, another painful episode you don’t want. And these could be due to a lack of potassium, misuse of muscles, or dehydration.
Another cause of foot pain from cramps is prominent among beginners, which is the adaptation process of their muscles. In the early stages of skating, beginners are prone to experiencing foot cramps because the muscles in these areas still need to adjust to a new movement routine.
Preventive Measures for Foot Pain From Skateboarding
So, how can we avoid or reduce the risks of these painful and unwanted skateboarding mishaps? Let’s see the steps below.
- Use appropriately sized and designed skateboarding shoes.
- Skate with a quality skateboard that’s grippy, free from cracks, and has solid wheels. It should have the proper size, not too small that it fails to accommodate your feet nor so big that you have trouble flipping or steering the deck.
- Learn to take a rest when your feet begin to feel sore.
- Consider using added heel support to counter heel bruises.
- Never miss a warm-up before and after a strenuous skate ride.
- Be vigilant about potential skateboard injuries you’ve had before skating.
- Take breaks often, and keep your sessions no longer than two hours.
- Make sure you master the basics of skating (form and foot positioning).
Foot Pain Relief and Recovery
We’ve learned how recovery warm-ups help prevent skateboarding foot pain. Here are more ways to alleviate these aches and restore our feet for another skate ride.
- Stretching – This method restores your muscles to their relaxed pre-skating condition. It also helps with flexibility, so you can do tricks more easily.
- Icing – Ever wonder why athletes take ice baths after training? Ice helps boost recovery by hastening the pain-relief process on the inflamed body part. And the same remedy will also work for skaters, especially those experiencing a ball of foot pain.
- Rest – Like icing, rest is a significant component of the RICE recovery method (rest, ice, compression, elevation). It doesn’t require you to do anything but take ample sleep, about 7-8 hours. Not only will it restore your energy, but it will improve your mental state as well.
- Nutrition – Regardless of whether your back or front foot hurts, physical activities like skateboarding deplete the fluids and nutrients in our bodies. Hence, it’s best to boost our water intake and healthy food consumption when recovering from pains caused by this sport.
Conclusion
Skateboarding is an entertaining, thrilling, and fulfilling outdoor activity. But just like team or extreme sports, it needs physical work from our bodies. Hence, we should always consider temporary pains and aches, as these are part of the process.
So, the next time someone asks, “Why do my feet hurt when I skateboard?” or “why does my ankle hurt?” you finally know what causes it. The good thing is these pains are curable, and you are sure to get back to the skatepark recovered.
Remember to rest, be healthy, and address your pains, so they’ll be out on your next ride.
Hi, I am Charles Harris. I opened this site to write as much as I can about my biggest passion – skateboarding!
I started as a clumsy yet passionate rookie 10 years ago to now a still passionate yet much better skateboarder! But I have to tell you, the whole journey has always been fun and rewarding, indeed not without hardship.