In spite of being on their feet four or more hours each day, most people don't give their feet a second thought until they begin to hurt. For diabetics, monitoring the health of their feet is crucial, as they can be the place where many conditions known to accompany diabetes begin.
Foot and ankle health is important to overall health, well-being and mobility, and plays a major role in the pursuit of fitness. The following "How Fit Are Your Feet?" Self Assessment Quiz will give you an idea of just how healthy your feet and ankles are.
| 1. | How much time do you spend on your feet each day? | ||
| a. | less than 2 hours | 0 | |
| b. | 2 - 4 hours | 1 | |
| c. | 5 - 7 hours | 2 | |
| d. | 8 hours or more | 3 | |
| 2. | How old are you? | ||
| a. | under 40 | 0 | |
| b. | between 40 and 59 | 1 | |
| c. | 60 and over | 2 | |
| 3. | How would you describe your weight? | ||
| a. | less than 20 pounds overweight or at ideal weight | 0 | |
| b. | 20 - 39 pounds overweight | 2 | |
| c. | 40 or more pounds overweight | 3 | |
| 4. | Have problems with your feet or ankles ever prevented you from participating in: | ||
| a. | leisure/sports activities? | ||
| yes | 2 | ||
| no | 0 | ||
| b. | work activities? | ||
| yes | 3 | ||
| no | 0 | ||
| 5. | Have you ever received medical treatment for problems with your feet and/or ankles? | ||
| a. | yes | 3 | |
| b. | no | 0 | |
| 6. | Do you regularly wear heels two inches or higher? | ||
| a. | yes | 2 | |
| b. | no | 0 | |
| 7. | What types of exercise do you engage in or plan to engage in? (check all that apply) | ||
| a. | walking | 1 | |
| b. | field sports (e.g., softball, golf) | 2 | |
| c. | winter sports (e.g., skiing, ice skating) | 2 | |
| d. | court sports (e.g., tennis, basketball) | 3 | |
| e. | aerobics | 3 | |
| f. | running | 3 | |
| g. | none (if you chose answer g, skip to question 11) | 0 | |
| 8. | Do you have the appropriate shoes for your sport or sports? | ||
| a. | yes | 0 | |
| b. | no | 3 | |
| 9. | Do you experience foot or ankle pain when walking or exercising? | ||
| a. | rarely | 1 | |
| b. | sometimes | 2 | |
| c. | often | 3 | |
| d. | never | 0 | |
| 10. | Do you: | ||
| a. | exercise in footwear that is more than one year old or in hand-me-down footwear? | ||
| yes | 3 | ||
| b. | stretch properly before and after exercising? | ||
| yes | 0 | ||
| no | 3 | ||
