Use Your Feet to Keep Your Feet

Use Your Feet to Keep Your Feet

While struggling to run with peripheral artery disease (PAD), I discovered the value of strengthening my feet, especially for effective toe and foot flexion. Imagine gripping the ground with your toes - toe flexion. Imagine gripping the ground with your whole foot - foot flexion. Flexing my "little" toes: second toe, or "long toe,” third toe, or "middle toe,” fourth toe, or "ring toe,” and the fifth toe, or ... Read more

Wake Up Your Feet In The Pool For Peripheral Arterial Disease Therapy

Wake Up Your Feet In The Pool For Peripheral Arterial Disease Therapy

To watch this on Instagram, click this link. I use this exercise to improve my swim, and encourage better blood flow in my feet for my pain in the ass peripheral arterial disease. This strengthens and relaxes your feet, done right. It's basically a simple swim kick, toes pointed. I use bare feet, along with a more interesting workout than just standing in the water, with my mouth just clearing the surface. If ... Read more

Clawing My Way Up Hill Repeats With Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)

Clawing My Way Up Hill Repeats With Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)

It is possible to fight peripheral arterial disease using intense exercise, aka training. I do this by training for Ironman races. Currently, half Ironman distance is the best I can do, but I did make third in my age group at the World Half Ironman Championships in Lahti, Finland, a few weeks ago. Here's my finish photo by FinisherPix (thank you). I missed the 8:30 cutoff, but they kept the course open for ... Read more

Notes on Peripheral Arterial Disease Running Progress: No Socks No Corns

Notes on Peripheral Arterial Disease Running Progress: No Socks No Corns

Foot corns (local hyperkeratosis due to friction and/or pressure) don't look like much, but they are hell to run on. I struggled to fix those corns through running technique, which helped a little, then, for unrelated reasons (wet gear) I tried no socks, and those corns melted away in a week. Damn those corns hurt like crap, making the run hell, and now I had another problem to deal with. Corns. A brand new ... Read more

Peripheral Arterial Disease Running Puzzle Continues: Muscles of the Feet!

Peripheral Arterial Disease Running Puzzle Continues: Muscles of the Feet!

Image purchased with copyright from ShutterStock, Inc. Hi folks, I continue my research into the challenge of running with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), as my right popliteal artery is almost completely blocked, and the other one is starting to induce claudication when I run or walk uphill. My right foot is essentially running on collaterals built over a lifetime of training, including the last 20 odd ... Read more

Triathlons In the Cold With Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD): Use Hand and Foot Warmers

Triathlons In the Cold With Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD): Use Hand and Foot Warmers

Boy, that was a cold wet race. My friend Tracey, who also did the race, took this photo after I changed into warm dry clothes. Wet conditions in the cold, 42 degrees F and cold rain. Cold with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a bad combination. It makes claudication and foot numbness worse as our bodies work to conserve core temperature by reducing peripheral blood flow. This makes a bad (PAD) situation worse. ... Read more

Peripheral Arterial Disease and Penguin Feet: Never Stop Experimenting to Encourage Blood Flow

Peripheral Arterial Disease and Penguin Feet: Never Stop Experimenting to Encourage Blood Flow

I was struggling along on a run fighting off peripheral arterial disease claudication using the methods in my book, plus another couple of tricks, when I thought of penguin feet. I'm a life-long scientist, and my mind is always doing stuff like that. "Penguin feet?" you might be thinking. The connection is readily apparent, if you have an interest in countercurrent flow systems, and a desire to encourage blood ... Read more

Peripheral Arterial Disease Training and Treadmills

Treadmills have their place, but they are no substitute for the road or the track, when growing collaterals using Peripheral Arterial Disease Training. I recently published a book on fighting peripheral arterial disease, but I wanted to emphasize several observations that are helping my battle, as I train for a couple of half Ironman races that are coming up. (1) When doing peripheral arterial disease training ... Read more

Disclaimer: As a veterinarian, I do not provide medical advice for human animals. If you undertake or modify an exercise program, consult your medical advisors before doing so. Undertaking activities pursued by the author does not mean that he endorses your undertaking such activities, which is clearly your decision and responsibility. Be careful and sensible, please.