The Importance of your Shoes in Exercising
Exercising is a way to keep your body healthy, but you need to exercise with the health of your feet in mind, too. If you feet aren’t healthy, then you won’t be able to exercise without discomfort or pain. You’ll more than likely loose your passion for it in no time at all. That’s why your shoes are a valuable part of your routine. If you do have a problem with your feet, bad shoes won’t help them at all so know what to look for in your shoes when you go shopping.
If you are serious about running or jogging for your exercise routine, then don’t buy a pair of shoes that are cheap. You get what you pay for as the old saying goes, so be prepared to shell out a few extra bucks for your exercise shoes. There’s a lot more at stake than just your feet, think about your back and spine which take a pounding when you’re running, these things need to be taken into account also. A pinched nerve in your back or legs could put you out of the game for a very long time and that is why professionals use good shoes, and so should you.
Pronation is how your foot hits the ground, or rather how you walk in shoes. Some people walk to the outside of their feet, while others walk more to the inside. You can tell what your pronation is by looking at some of your older shoes. The shoe’s canvas will either be pushed to the left or right on each shoe. Another way to see what side is by putting your foot in some water, and then step naturally onto a dry colored sheet of paper. This will determine for sure how you walk. The pattern will indicate outside walking if it’s a thin line, and inside if your whole footprint can be seen.
After you determine how you pronate, you’ll need to look at your arch. For your shoes to fit correctly you have to be able to see how high or low the arch of your foot is. All people have different arches, so take this into account when looking for shoes. You don’t want a pair of shoes that are to tight at the arch because it will cut off blood flow, and it can damage nerves after a period of time to the toes. If you have any vascular problems, such as diabetic neuropathy, it’s very important to watch the arch height.
After you’ve gotten your walking style and arch type - go out shopping. It would be a great idea to do a print of your foot again, but late in the afternoon. When you take another print, go ahead and mark the outline with a pencil or pen, and take it with you shopping. Go to a quality shoe store, preferably one that only sells sports gear. Remember, quality is the most important factor in buying your exercise shoes. Also, take the type of socks that you plan on running or jogging in because it will throw off the fit when you’re trying on shoes.
Shoes come in three different styles such as cushioned, motion, and normal. If you’ve discovered that your feet are flat, you’ll have less of a problem with high arches. More people will have low arches, and buy a motion shoe. This type of shoe has a very tight rigid design to them. Cushioned ones will have the feel of softness, so it will absorb the pounding shock. The outer edges are softer as compared to the motion shoes, and will give a little more on the outside. If you have an even stride, think of yourself as lucky because most people don’t have one. Its construction is a combination of the cushioned and motion shoe type.
Finally, make sure to have your feet measured to the inch. You always have one foot that is larger than the other one. That is why a good quality focused sports store that sells shoes is the best place to buy. A sales person will know this fact, and will be precise in measurement. Enjoy running with your new shoes!
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