Avoid walking barefoot. Your feet will be more prone to injury and infection if you do. It may seem obvious to us here in the British Isles with our cold weather and rough pavements, but even when you are abroad in hot climates, don't walk barefoot on paved streets or sidewalks. At the beach or when wearing sandals, always use sun block on your feet to prevent sunburn just as you would on the rest of your body.

Because it is difficult to avoid contact with microscopic organisms like fungi, the toenails are especially vulnerable to fungal infection around damp areas where people are likely to be walking barefoot, such as swimming pools, locker rooms and showers, for example.

Plantar warts are caused by a virus entering the skin through small cuts on the foot and infect the skin often as a result of walking barefoot on dirty surfaces or littered ground. Children, especially teenagers, tend to be more susceptible to warts than adults. Most warts are harmless and benign, even though painful and unsightly, but they should be seen to before they grow. There are several simple procedures to remove warts, including surgical removal by a medical specialist or chiropodist.

Your feet are made for walking

Psychologically, walking generates an overall feeling of wellbeing. It can relieve depression, anxiety and stress by producing endorphins, the body's natural tranquilliser. A brisk walk will relax you and stimulate your thinking. However, when a 150-pound jogger runs three miles, the cumulative impact on each foot is more than 150 tons. So how does this kind of wear and tear affect our feet and how should we care for them?

Metabolically, walking helps control weight, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. A brisk walk can burn up to 100 calories per mile or 300 calories per hour. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, walking is the perfect complement to a sensible diet.

Walking improves cardiovascular fitness. As an aerobic exercise, walking gets the heart beating faster to transport oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the muscles. The heart and lungs grow more efficient with regular walking, reducing blood pressure and the resting heart rate. Walking is even a central element of medical rehabilitation: recovery from many ailments, including heart attack, is facilitated by a regular walking regime.

If you are more than 40 years old and have any problems with weight, respiration, blood pressure, pulse rate or cholesterol, check with your doctor before starting to exercise by walking. The same goes for people with diabetes, with pre-existing injuries or a family history of heart problems and smokers.

If you have poor circulation to the hands and feet, walking can increase the size and improve the efficiency of the tiny vessels that supply blood for cellular respiration. However it is important that anyone diagnosed with poor circulation sees a doctor before beginning exercise walking.

Walking is not only the best exercise for your general health, but also for your feet themselves.

63-1 Andrew McCloy

Tips for healthy walking

Loosen up
As with all exercise, loosening-up exercises should be undertaken for ankles, feet and legs prior to serious walking or sports. Exercises loosen up the heel cords (achilles and calf) and thigh muscles (quadriceps in front and hamstrings in back). Ankles, knees and hips as well as spine should also be 'warmed' at the same time. On the following page are a number of stretches that I recommend clients perform after an initial warm-up (i.e. light jog on the spot). Take five deep breaths for each slow stretch and hold the stretched muscle firm without bouncing.

After every walk, stretch again to improve circulation and decrease build-up of lactic acid, the chemical by-product that causes muscles to ache.

Setting goals
Setting appropriate goals is vital to a successful walking programme. First, make walking a habit. Start slowly, with five- or ten-minute walks three to five times a week. As walks get longer, their frequency can be adjusted.

To get significant benefits from walking, you must eventually be able to walk 20 minutes at a brisk pace without stopping - but don't overdo it. Starting too quickly and getting injured or uncomfortably sore can stop you in your tracks before you've had a chance for walking to work its magic on your mind and body.

Gradual increase
Start your walks slowly and gradually work up to a brisk speed that will cover a mile in 15 minutes (that's four miles per hour). Measure a one-mile stretch, record your time and see how you improve as the weeks go by.