TL;DR
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Podiatrist Steven Thomas says plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy and toenail trauma are among the common injuries he sees in walkers and runners. He advises gradual training increases, recovery, lower-leg strengthening and properly fitted footwear; persistent or worsening pain should be assessed.
Podiatrist Steven Thomas says three injuries he commonly encounters in walkers and runners are plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy and toenail trauma. In a report published by Fit&Well, he links injury risk in part to increasing walking or running mileage too quickly and outlines warning signs and prevention steps, including gradual training changes, recovery and well-fitting shoes.
Plantar fasciitis commonly causes pain under the heel, Thomas says. It may be worse when a person first stands after resting, ease after a few steps, then return during or after a longer period of walking, running or standing. He recommends building up training gradually and doing lower-body exercises that work on calf, ankle and foot strength and flexibility. His suggestions include straight-knee and bent-knee calf raises two or three times a week, alongside comfortable, well-fitting footwear.
Achilles tendinopathy can cause pain at the back of the heel, where the tendon attaches to the heel bone, or along the tendon itself. Thomas says people may notice morning stiffness or tenderness, and in some cases visible thickening. Symptoms can ease while the tendon is in use and return afterward or the next morning. He advises progressive calf strengthening, gentle stretching and adequate recovery, while avoiding sudden changes in distance, speed or hill training. A sharp change to flatter or more minimalist shoes may also increase load on the Achilles, he says.
Toenail trauma may involve pain, throbbing or visible damage, including bruising beneath the nail, ridges, splitting or lifting. Thomas says it can occur after an increase in activity and is often associated with poorly fitted shoes. He recommends checking that footwear has enough length, width and depth for the toes while holding the heel and midfoot securely. Short, filed toenails and moisture-wicking socks may also help; runners should test a shoe-and-sock combination before using it over a long distance.
How Training Choices Affect Foot Injury Risk
The advice matters to people who increase their walking or running volume, because symptoms can interfere with everyday movement as well as exercise. The report does not establish how frequently these conditions occur across all walkers and runners; Thomas is describing injuries he encounters in clinical practice. Its practical point is that training load, recovery and footwear are factors people can review when pain or nail damage appears.
Thomas cautions against trying to simply continue through warning signs. He says pain that progressively worsens, changes a person’s walking or running pattern, or does not settle between sessions may mean the current training load is exceeding the body’s capacity. Symptoms that persist or begin to affect normal walking warrant professional assessment, according to his guidance.
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The Three Injuries Thomas Describes
The Fit&Well report presents Thomas’s clinical observations and prevention advice rather than a new epidemiological study or a formal ranking of injury rates. Thomas is identified in the report as a podiatrist and foot and ankle specialist based in London, with a podiatry degree and a master’s degree in podiatric surgery theory. The source says he is a member of the Royal College of Podiatry and registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.
The report’s common thread is avoiding abrupt increases in physical demand. For heel and tendon symptoms, Thomas discusses strengthening and flexibility work for the lower legs. For nail problems, he focuses on shoe fit and reducing pressure or forward sliding inside footwear. He also notes that feet can swell during activity, so a shoe that feels adequate at rest may not provide enough toe space over a longer outing.
“The body adapts to increased activity, but only when the increase is matched by sufficient recovery.”
— Steven Thomas, podiatrist, as quoted by Fit&Well
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What the Report Does Not Establish
The source does not provide a publication date, study data, prevalence estimates or a comparison showing that these are the three most common injuries across the wider population. The description reflects injuries Thomas says he sees in his clinic, so it should not be read as a population-wide ranking. It also does not specify a single training plan or shoe model suitable for everyone.
Foot pain can have different causes, and the report does not offer individual diagnoses. Thomas says a clinical examination, gait analysis and sometimes a weight-bearing X-ray may help distinguish causes and treatments. The report does not state how long a person should wait before seeking care; it advises assessment when symptoms persist and pain affects normal walking.
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When to Seek a Foot Assessment
Thomas advises monitoring how symptoms respond during exercise, afterward and the following day, rather than trying to run or walk through worsening pain. People should reduce or reconsider their current training load if pain changes their gait or does not settle between sessions, based on his guidance. If symptoms persist or affect ordinary walking, he recommends having them assessed by a clinician.
There is no scheduled follow-up or further development identified in the source. For now, the report’s practical next steps are to increase activity gradually, allow recovery, check shoe fit and seek professional advice for persistent or function-limiting symptoms. These measures are general guidance and do not replace an individual assessment.
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Key Questions
What three injuries does the report identify?
Podiatrist Steven Thomas names plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy and toenail trauma among the injuries he commonly sees in walkers and runners. The report describes his clinical experience; it does not provide population-wide injury statistics.
What can plantar fasciitis feel like?
Thomas describes pain under the heel, often worse when standing after a period of rest. It may ease after a few steps and return after longer periods of walking, running or standing.
How can runners reduce the risk of toenail trauma?
Thomas recommends shoes with enough length, width and depth around the toes, while securing the heel and midfoot. Keeping nails short and filed, wearing moisture-wicking socks and testing the full shoe-and-sock combination before a long outing may also help.
When should foot or heel pain be assessed?
According to Thomas, seek an assessment if symptoms persist or begin to affect normal walking. Pain that worsens, changes how you walk or run, or fails to settle between sessions is a reason to review training load and consider professional advice.
Source: rss
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