Getting the Right Shoes for the Job

With all the gadgets and gizmos available to use while working out now a days there is still one thing I see everyone from beginner to advanced overlooking, their shoes.  We see it all the time and have probably all done it at least once.  We begin getting soreness in our legs, hips, or lower backs that over time progresses to a consistent annoying pain every time we workout.  We begin to analyze everything we do while working out to find the root of the problem while the answer is right in front of us.  You only feel the aching while working out, but not during your everyday life.  You’ve been able to do the same workouts you do now with no issues. The pain subsides when not working out.  Well the answer may be your sneakers.

When it comes to sneakers there are so many options its no wonder we don’t know where to start. We go to the big box stores and are confronted with a wall of shoes so big we don’t know where to start.  There is tennis, basketball, cross training, running, casual, aerobic shoe’s and so on.  The best way to narrow down what you need is to look at what activities you’re going to be wearing the sneakers for.  Specifically the movements you will be making.  For example a running shoe is great for walking, running, elliptical and some light weight lifting.  Basically anything that involves strait line movements with minimal lateral movement.  Running shoes aren’t built to support your foot from rolling side to side off the sole of the shoe.  The support given by a running shoe is to support the foot from the impact being applied to it from the ground.  Like wise a cross training or basketball shoe is going to supply plenty of lateral stability to hold the foot over the sole of the shoe but less cushioning than a walking or running specific shoe.  In general getting the right shoe for the job can have a huge impact on how comfortable you are while working out.  Don’t get me wrong though we are working out it is going to be strenuous and cause us to be uncomfortable at times so a shoe won’t change that.  They can help to drastically improve your comfort though.  Just don’t expect them to make you run faster and jump higher, unless you have a pair of PF Flyers hidden away.

Keep an eye out for additional segments on what shoes to get.  Since the big focus on this blog is endurance training I will narrow my focus to just running and cross training shoes.  Next up I will breakdown the actual inner working of sneakers and the technology now being built into them.

Endurance = Strength = Speed

Happy Running and Training

Matt

Foot Type, Foot Strike and How it Affects You

Foot Type, Foot Strike and How it Affects You

                Instead of writing about the types of shoes available today and what to look for I decided it would be much more beneficial to go over foot types, and the foot strikes associated with them. 

When it comes to feet there are two factors that play a pivotal role.  The first of the two is your foot type.  This is the factor which most everyone has heard of.  Foot type can be classified into three categories: Normal or neutral arch, high arch, and flat foot or low arch. 

Of these three foot types by far the most common today is a low to flat arch.  The height of the arch is determined by the plantar fascia.  A more elastic plantar fascia will result in a higher arch while a more lax one will usually result in a flat foot.  So how does your arch height affect you while running? 

The simple answer to this question is PRONATION.  Many may have heard of this before, it is usually the thing the sales people at the big box stores categorize as either fix it or your foot will fall off or they have no idea what it is. Yes excessive pronation isn’t a great thing it places excessive rotational torque/stress on the lower leg and can lead to a slew of overuse injuries. Some pronation is also a very normal and necessary thing in the gait cycle though.  Everyone has some form of pronation as it is the foot and ankles mechanism to absorb the impact when the foot strikes the ground. Pronation is broken down into three categories and directly correlates with the three foot types. Pronation is classified as: neutral pronation, overpronation, and underpronation (more commonly referred to as supination.)

In the neutral pronator the Achilles tends to stand straight up and down with a 0˚ curvature medially or laterally.  In the overpronator the foot is angled medially or to the inside of the foot with a high˚ of medial curvature.  Last but not least is the supinator which I’m sure you have figured out by now is angled laterally or to the outside of the foot with a high˚ of lateral curvature.  The picture below is a great example of each foot type.

Next up is foot strike.  This is the way that your foot strikes the ground.  Once again this is broken down into three categories just as arch type and pronation.  Foot strike is classified into heel striker (the most common), Fore foot strike/ toe runners, and midfoot strikers (by far the least common).  I won’t go into to much detail about foot strike since it can be a very complicated subject and can lead to many issues if one tries to manipulate their foot strike.  It is possible to change your foot strike but it’s something that takes a long time and a keen eye to make sure it doesn’t cause serious injury.  There is also a lot of controversy about which foot strike is better with the sudden boom of barefoot running.  This is a subject that has intrigued me quiet a bit.  For years heel striking was always said to be how we should run and walk yet the top runners barely have their heels touch the ground while running and seem to be doing fine.  I personally midfoot strike and have never had an issue and after over a decade of running have only had one major injury which I needed to take time off for.  With that said I do feel the terrain and situation dictates our foot strike to some extent.  While running downhill we naturally heel strike, leaning back and loading the heel is how we slow forward momentum.  A good thing to remember is heel = brakes.  While on flat or technical terrain many will switch to a more midfoot strike, midfoot = cruise control. Then when running up hill or sprinting we go to our toes, toe/forefoot = accelerator.

                With each foot type we see a much different shock applied to the body.  In the heel striker more shock is seen in every step.  Striking heal first causes a straight line from the foot to the lower back and a perfect path for that shock to follow up to your pelvis and lower back. In a midfoot or forefoot striker this shock can be seen to be greatly decreased by a smoother transition through the gait.  That’s all I will say about this as it really is not something anyone should worry too much about till you get to the upper levels of training.  The images below are great examples of the differences between a heal strike and forefoot strike with the impacts associated with them.

Now that you know the different arch types and pronation types its time to find out what category you fall into.  This can be done by a simple wet test.  In the wet test you step into water then on a sheet of paper. Looking at the print left behind you can determine your arch type and the pronation type most likely correlating with your arch type.  The wet test is only a glimpse of how your foot is reacting while running.  For the best results I recommend going to a reputable physical therapist, movement specialist or running specialty store where they will analyze your stride for you and determine the best shoe for you. All good specialty stores will do this. Some will do it automatically others you may have to ask for them to assess your stride.

Here’s a great description of the wet test process for anyone who would like to try.

www.runnersworld.com/running-shoes/take-wet-test-learn-your-foot-type 

I hope after reading this everyone has a little better understanding of the role the foot and ankle play in our running.  Any questions which may come up feel free to post in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer them.

Endurance = Strength= Speed

Happy Running

Matt

Setting Appropriate Goals to Get Started

So the time has come. You have decided to get into shape and become that lean mean calorie burning sex appeal machine that you know you have inside. Well unfortunately I have to tell you to stop right there.  Before jumping head first into a fitness program it’s important to have the proper goals to get the job done.  The goals you set will have the biggest impact on your outcome.  So what is considered an appropriate goal?  First I’ll tell you the number one goal in history that has caused the majority of the public to fail in their fitness attempts. 

“I want to lose weight and get back to the weight I was in (insert said period here)”

Yes losing weight is the number one goal for most people, and it is not so much a bad goal as much as to general.  With a broad goal such as this it makes it way to easy to get frustrated and in the end drop your fitness program.  Shedding pounds is a combination of lifestyle choices.  The only truly effective diet out there is a healthy combination of exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle. What is a good goal to set for the beginner? Easy, make them short term and achievable.  Something that can be accomplished with a little hard work within an eight week period is perfect. Such as

“I’d like to be able to run for 20 minutes without walking by (xxxx)”

“I’d like to exercise for 30 minutes five days a week by (xxxx)”

“I’d like to be able to do 30 push-ups by (xxxx)”

These are just some simple but very effective goals which can be achieved reasonably easy for the beginner.  You’ll notice a few similarities with each of these goals.  First they all have a very specific objective stated: run for 20 minutes, exercise for 30 minutes five days, 30 push-ups. They all also have a set time that you hope to reach this goal.  By doing this you hold yourself to your goal and see a realistic definitive out come.  Setting short term goals like these will lead you to your ultimate goal much quicker and with less frustration then trying to hit it out of the park every time you exercise.

So everyone get out there, set some basic goals and achieve them.  Just remember to big a goal will have you frustrated real fast and ultimately make wanting to exercise very difficult.  The more fun you have achieving your goals the more likely fitness will become a life long habit for you so go have some fun getting into shape.

As a side note, be sure to align your goals to be attainable with the fitness level your at right now, not the fitness level you hope to be at three months from now.  Setting goals beyond your capabilities is a guaranteed way to get frustrated.

Endurance = Strength = Speed

Good luck with your goals
Matt