• HCF data reveals members claiming for podiatry services increased 173% from August 2021 to January 2022, signalling summer injuries on the rise
• New survey shows more than half of Aussies who own sports shoes only replace them when they start to fall apart
  
• Running revealed to be the most injury prone sport among the 46% of Aussies who have sustained an injury from an individual sport
  
• Podiatrist shares top tips to prevent injuries to keep a spring in your step this running season
  
• Eligible HCF members may be able to get 100% back on initial podiatrist treatment through the More for Feet program
  

Friday September 23, 2022: Australians are being urged to head to the podiatrist to check any niggles in their feet before hitting the ground this spring running season, as new data from HCF revealsthe number of members claiming for podiatry services almost triples in the summer months.

Claims data from HCF, Australia’s largest not-for-profit health fund, shows a 173 per cent increase in members claiming for podiatry services last January (2022) compared with August 2021. This is a regular trend as it was up 148 per cent the summer before, and 168 per cent the summer before that.

A survey of more than 2,500 Australians conducted on behalf of HCF revealed:

• Two thirds of Australians own a pair of sports shoes
• Of those, more than half (51%) say they only replace them once they start to fall apart
  
• One in eight replace them once a year, or have several on the go at once that they rotate, so they only replace them every few years
  
• Just five per cent replace their sports shoes at the start of every season
  
• Almost half of Australians (46%) have sustained an injury from an individual sport
  
• Of those, the most common injury-prone sports are running (35%), walking (27%) cycling (24%) and weights training (18%)
  
• Other injury prone solo sports included swimming (17%), horse riding (10%), skateboarding (9%), and surfing and golfing (8%)
  

HCF Chief Officer Member Health, Julie Andrews, said the fund’s guiding principle of putting health before profit meant members could be offered no-gap (100% back) programs with participating providers.

“The More for Feet program is a fantastic way for otherwise fit and healthy members to make sure they’re getting access to affordable, quality care to help them stay fit and healthy,” Ms Andrews said.

“We want to make sure that cost of living pressures don’t affect our members ability to access the care they need when they start tonotice a niggle that could otherwise cause more serious health issues down the track.”

Podiatrist Sarah Sweeney said it was important people book into a podiatrist the moment they start feeling pain.

“Chronic injuries are much more difficult to treat,” Ms Sweeney said.

Sarah’s tips for preventing foot injuries this spring and summer are:

• “Before hitting the pavement and getting into the gym to get that Summer body, remember to ease yourself slowly into exercise. The number one reason people injure themselves is going from zero to 100, increasing their activity too quickly without giving their body time to adjust and without slowly loading their muscles and tendons to be able to handle the activity.
  
• “Warm up and cool down before and after exercise. This is a great way to prepare your muscles/joints/tendons/ligaments for what is to come which decreases your chances of hurting yourself.
  
• “Stretch regularly. I tell my patients to stretch before and after exercise as it is a good reminder at that time to stretch and it also prepares the body to exercise and to wind down the body after exercise.
  
• “Ice your feet after activity. Activity causes inflammation in the muscles and ice is great natural effective way to reduce inflammation.
  
• “Invest in a pair of good supportive walking or running shoes. Book in to see your podiatrist to figure out what shoes works best for youand for your activity. A lot of people don’t know what a good supportive shoe is.
  
• “Get those feet looked at by a podiatrist. Regular skin and nail care at your podiatrist can prevent painful ingrown toenails and blisters as well as preventing or managing thickened toenails, corns and calluses.
  
• “If you are looking to increase your activity, a biomechanical assessment with a podiatrist is a thorough way to look at exactly how your feet and body move, to see if there are any potential issues with your feet and to prevent or manage injury. When we exercise, we are increasing the load on our muscles and tendons and expecting so much more from our body.”
  

HCF Members who would like to find out more about their level of cover can call 13 13 34 or visit their local branch.

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Media contact: Rebecca Page 0439130400 rpage@hcf.com.au

ABOUT HCF

HCF, Australia’s largest not-for-profit health fund protecting Australians since 1932, covers more than 1.8 million members with health and life insurance, and travel and pet insurance. HCF has been awarded Outstanding Value Health Insurance by Canstar 6 years in a row from 2016-2021. Onaverage over the last five years, HCF has paid out more cents in every dollar in premiums to members as benefits than the industry average. To learn more about HCF go to hcf.com.au/about-us

ABOUT THE SURVEY

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Galaxy Pty Ltd. Total sample size was 2579 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 29th October -3rd November 2021. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all Australian adults (aged 18+). Please attribute all statistics to HCF Australia.