Caring for dancing feet

When you see a ballerina twirling gracefully, or watch Fred Astaire sweep Ginger Rogers across the dance floor in an old movie, you probably don't think about the stress their feet are undergoing. But dancing puts an enormous strain on feet and ankles. Sprains, stress fractures, corns, calluses and blisters are all among the unfortunate consequences of dancing without proper attention to the feet. The first thing to keep in mind is that your shoes should be comfortable. If they're painful when you put them on, you can be sure that they'll be worse after a night of dancing. There are shoes specially designed for aerobic dancing. No matter what type of dancing you'll be doing, pick appropriate footwear. Do some warmup exercises to loosen up your feet and ankles before going out on the town for a night of dancing. It pays to get your feet used to the activity. Finally, have your feet checked by a foot specialist. Tiny abnormalities can become big problems if they're not identified and corrected ahead of time.