By the time they enter school, approximately 45-50% of children suffer from such a disorder as flat feet, and by the age of 12 their number increases, and already every second student has a similar diagnosis.
Flat feet implies a flattening of the foot, arising from the fact that under the weight of the body the arch slowly lowers and the foot spreads. There may be several reasons due to which this violation occurs — a weak muscular-ligamentous apparatus, excessive body weight, wearing the wrong shoes, etc. At first it seems that a flat foot does not cause any inconvenience, but soon it can lead to serious diseases, such as curvature of the spine and poor posture. Problems associated with the arch of the foot can lead to discomfort in the lower back and hips, as well as cause headaches and stomach pains.
But this health problem can be avoided. The main thing is to start preventive work in time. And work in this area should begin at an early age, namely from 3 years. After all, it is at this age that the formation of the arch of the child’s foot occurs. From now on, parents should closely monitor its development, and even better if they and the baby perform a set of preventive exercises.
Golden rules to follow to avoid flat feet.
one. Invite the baby to collect pebbles as often as possible, draw on paper or a piece of wallpaper, sculpt from clay or plasticine, build towers from large cubes, string rings on a pyramid. But the main condition of this exercise is that you need to perform actions only with the help of your legs, your hands should not participate in the game. Such tasks are not only beneficial for health, but also bring a lot of positive emotions.
2. Don’t be homebodies. Try to spend less time in front of the TV on the couch watching children’s cartoons. It will be much more useful for the crumbs to take a walk in the fresh air. And on a warm summer day, do not miss such an opportunity as walking barefoot on a sandy shore or pebbles, walking on the grass will be no less useful.
3.Make sure your child always wears shoes that are appropriate for their size. There can be no talk of shoes for growth. You need to explore the catalog of children’s shoes and choose only orthopedic. At the same time, try to avoid shoes with a solid sole, preferably with low heels and a high solid back.
four.Perform a series of exercises, you can do them together with the baby and it’s useful for you and inspire the baby with your own example for gymnastics.
«Who is higher?»
Stand up straight, gently rise on your toes, linger at the top for just a few seconds and go down.
«Turtles».
Stand so that the heels and toes are together, Next, pick up the toes of the right foot and, due to its contraction, move forward, do the same with the left foot.
«Tower».
Place 5 to 10 cups upside down in front of you. Grab the cup with both feet and carefully stack them one on top of the other.
«Hedgehog».
Sit comfortably on the floor, put a small massage ball between your feet and move it back and forth, roll the «hedgehog» for 10 seconds.
5. Don’t forget the foot massage as well. It will be especially useful after the exercises done by the baby.