Good Exercise Shoes Are Important to Your Workout
Sometimes it is a bad posture that is at the basis of an injury;
sometimes it is genetic. Begin by wearing a shoe appropriate for aerobics. This kind of shoes should
include:
- Padded heel collar
- Sole is flexible at ball of
feet
- Toe box is to an adequate
height
- Support strap (shock
absorption)
- Strong arch support
- Sole width matches heel width having a slight heel
lift
When you run, your feet can strike the floor with the force equal 3
times your weight. The foot plays the role of a cushion, i.e., you land on the outside, lateral part of the foot
and you roll toward the inside, medial part of your foot. This phenomenon is called ‘pronation’ and it helps
distribute the force of the shock on your leg evenly.
After the pronation phase, you go through a ‘supination’ phase, in
other words, you roll back toward the outer lateral part of your foot. The supination phase raises yourself on the
ball of your foot in order to move forward. Now, people who have flat feet roll in so far when moving that their
arches roll underneath their feet, touching the ground. But they may also be born without an
arch.
This excessive roll of the foot can cause foot, leg and knee pain,
even hip and lower back pain. These people need special shoes with an extra arch to rectify the position. They can
also find an insole with an artificial arch they can place inside their shoes. As a rule, if you feel pain in your
heel, stop exercising or trade walking, running exercises for cycling or swimming.
Stretch your calf muscles, but if the pain persists consult your
doctor. In addition to wearing arch supports, look for shoes with a flexible sole at the toes. People with rigid
ankles and high-arched feet can develop a stress fracture on the bones of the feet (metatarsal).
This occurs when you increase your work load suddenly and when your
foot do not roll normally inward to cushion the shock. Usually, it heals by itself after a few months. To avoid
feet problems, reduce the force striking on your feet by running on the grass, and wearing shoes with extra
cushioning.
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