Before I teach an exercise camp or start a client on a personal training program, I do a complete assessment. I ask clients to make sure they get a physical testing for the blood sugar levels, blood pressure, cholesterol and HDL, LDL, readings for me to see. I also encourage them to get permission from their physician to start an exercise program and to give me any precautions because of existing medical conditions etc. Once I receive this information, I test for body fat, take measurements and weight. The last thing I do is ask the client to remove his or her socks and shoes. This is done so that I can examine his or her ankles.
The blood vessels to the feet are few and must carry blood from the heart to the toes and back. (When I visited an exhibit in Los Angeles called Body Works I was amazed at the one cadaver that only had its blood vessels exposed. I knew the blood supply to the feet was limited but I was surprised at how few vessels to the feet there were). When there is any kind of clogging of the arteries in the upper part of the body, blood flow to the farthest extremities suffer. One of the side effects then, is the gradual darkening of ankle and even calf skin color.
The skin color in Caucasians starts out as beige spotty areas, and then gradually turns brown. In Pacific Islanders, or people of color it starts out as light brown or black even burgundy then gets much darker as time goes on. Many people simply ignore this not realizing how serious this condition is. The condition I’m referring to is PAD or Peripheral Artery Disease.http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/peripheral-arterial-disease/DS00537/DSECTION=symptoms This condition will worsen with time without proper intervention. Changes must include a low fat, low sodium, low sugar, high fiber diet, daily cardio exercises and lifestyle changes. You want to take immediate action because once the plaque build-up hardens on the artery walls; you will suffer from several life-threatening diseases.
When you have a physical, ask your physician about PAD and show him or her, your ankles. Be proactive. I had a slightly obese 50+ Caucasian student present me with rosy colored ankles. I immediately asked her to see a physician about this condition. She reported that her Physician’s Assistant told her it was cosmetic. I told her to keep seeing other physicians because she may need to take medication to help prevent further clogging of her arteries. I have since run into this student in the past five years and her ankles are now almost burgundy colored. She is so at risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
My older brother suffers from heart disease. Many years ago I alerted him to the fact that his ankles were dark brown. He was surprised to learn about PAD. Sometime later he underwent triple bypass surgery. Three months later when he returned home, we both looked at his ankles and noticed that they were of normal color.
Because we tend to hide our ankles in socks and under pants we can forget that there may be a change in color or not be aware of changes in color to our ankles or even our toes. It’s important that as we age we include a visual check of the ankles and feet to give us an inside look into what‘s going on inside our arteries.
By the way, this change in color can be visible in young adults as well. I noticed a young 20 year old obese male at a fiesta walking with difficulty who at his age already displayed discoloration of the ankles. Changes in diet and lifestyle should start at an early age. If you have children, remember that PAD can happen to them too. Take action now. Don’t wait until it’s too late.
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