Well, Superbowl Sunday is upon us once again, the culmination of a season of Sundays spent enjoying one of the top American pastimes, punctuated by a few exciting moments of thrill fueled by screaming, jumping, and fist pumping.  And it’s the big day, in which my NYC podiatry patients and millions of others will enjoy sitting on the couch, in a bar, at a friend’s house watching the Baltimore Ravens play and maybe even beat the San Francisco 49ers.  The calories build up and the pounds really rack up on a day like this, so with that in mind, here are a few tips on how to stay active, keeping your feet, ankles, and legs healthy.

Chipdipping:

Take the chip of choice, move your arm down, and dip into the dip of choice.  Repeat as necessary.  Works out the biceps, triceps, deltoid, tongue and stomach muscles.

Fistpumping:

Upon seeing your favorite team score, jump up, scream, and throw your fist in the air.  Works the hamstrings, quadriceps, triceps, and vocal cord muscles.

Couchsitting:

Sit on the couch and watch the game.  Works the glutes.  Not very well.

And then there is always the halftime show.  Not exactly my bag, but a chance to get up and dance and work out all kinds of upper and lower extremity muscles.  Don’t work it too hard and risk tendonitis, heel pain, Achilles tendonitis or even a metatarsal fracture.

Whatever your bag is, it’s a big day for a lot of people.  Not likely a great day for getting up and getting out, but that can probably wait for another day.  So whether you’re in NYC or elsewhere, keep your feet elevated, enjoy the game, and see you in the office.

Dr. Ernest L. Isaacson