by Liz Bonis, WKRC

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CINCINNATI (WKRC) – If the unofficial start of summer over the weekend is motivating you to start a seasonal shape-up plan, sports injury experts urge caution.

For power walkers or runners, nothing can sideline you faster than foot problems.

“I run 5Ks with my children, marathons by myself, and my passion is the ultra-marathon distance, anywhere from 50K to 50-miler,” said Patrick Messerschmitt.

As a competitive runner, he knows what those foot problems can feel like, having suffered from Achilles tendonitis in the past.

He learned that stretching can help reduce that kind of tendonitis as well as a few other common foot problems.

Dr. Gordon Yun, an OrthoCincy podiatrist, says these kinds of injuries tend to show up around the start of summer.

“Three most common things I’ll probably see this time of year are plantar fasciitis, something called capsulitis, which is more forefoot pain, and Achilles tendonitis,” said Dr. Yun.

He says all of those overuse injuries tend to happen when a person starts walking or running and does too much too soon.

“People just get out there and overdo it, more or less,” Dr. Yun said.

So, how do you fix these problems?

“The plain, awful truth is time and rest, which is the most impossible treatment plan,” he said.

Messerschmitt says, to help prevent it, “it’s keeping your pace low and having a good balance between your training and your rest.”

Dr. Yun also says that running footwear generally loses shock absorption after about 300 to 500 miles, and that replacing shoes can help reduce impact on muscles and joints.