What’s the best flooring for your feet and joints?

One thing that a lot of people do not really think about when choosing flooring is how it will affect their feet and joints. Walking on hard floor surfaces causes lower body stress that can have real physical effects over time.

It is precisely because it is a longer-term issue that it is so often neglected during the floor consideration process. If you will be walking or standing on the floor a lot though, it is something to bear in mind.

These are the surfaces that will be best for protecting your joints and feet.

Carpeting

Installing carpeting in rooms that you will have to walk or stand in a lot is the best choice to protect joints and feet. Carpeting softens the floor surface, which reduces the impact on the lower body as you walk about on it.

It is important to make sure the carpets that you install come fitted with some thick padding on the underside of them though. That is particularly true if they are going on top of very hard surfaces like concrete. This padding will be needed to provide further protection and absorb the shocks that can lead to conditions like plantar fasciitis, which is an inflammation of the plantar fascia ligament that leads to pain through the feet.

Vinyl

Vinyl can be another very good choice for preventing foot and joint problems. It will be an effective flooring selection in rooms where carpets are unsuitable due to the potential for water damage. Examples of that include a bathroom or kitchen in the home, or a commercial kitchen in a business.

Again though, the vinyl should come with a good quality shock-absorbing underlay. Either cork or felt will work very well for that and will be vital if the floor beneath is made of something hard like stone or concrete.

Rubber

This is a less well-known floor choice, but can sometimes be found in places like garages. It is now starting to become popular for commercial kitchen floors where people are walking about constantly, due to its durability and the foot and joint protection that it provides.

Cork

Cork is another decent choice. It typically has a springy feel when you walk on it that is gentle on the feet and joints.

Overall, carpeting with underlay is the best choice where possible, but any of these flooring selections will protect feet and joints.