The Health Benefits of Wearing Shoes in the House

Every day, people with foot pain hobble into Dr. Priya Parthasarathy’s podiatry office, and she asks them the same three questions: “What do you do for work? Where do you work? And what do you put on your feet when you’re working?” More often than not, they work from home, barefoot. Over the past few years, there’s been a “significant increase” in people experiencing foot pain, says Parthasarathy, a podiatrist with Foot and Ankle Specialists of Mid-Atlantic in Silver Spring, Md. A rise in remote work is partly to blame, she believes. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] There is a solution to the aches, strains, and even stress fractures, though it’s not one patients like to hear: Start wearing shoes inside. “It makes such a big difference,” she says. Hard floors are bad for your feet There are lots of reasons why people go barefoot at home. It’s a common and expected practice in some cultures; others do it because they’re grossed out by tracking dirt and germs inside. But for people without strong feelings on the subject, and whose home doubles as their office, indoor shoes are a good idea. People who work remotely tend to underestimate the amount of time they spend walking around barefoot during the day. “You’ll get up and stand around the kitchen and chop vegetables, or clean, or go up and down the stairs to do laundry,” says Dr. Jackie Sutera, a podiatrist based...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Evergreen healthscienceclimate Source Type: news