Put Your Best Foot[wear] Forward

As Spring makes an appearance and we spend more time being active, there is one piece of fitness equipment more important than all others... proper footwear!

We all know the foot bone is connected to the leg bone which is connected to the hip bone... but we often fail to realize that the pain we are having in our knees or lower back is due to our footwear and improper body positioning.

There is more to picking proper footwear than just picking out the most stylish, pair of sneaks at your local athletic store. It is very important to select footwear that is geared towards your body movement, the height (or lack there of) of your arches, and also your planned activity.

Gait Analysis

It would be best to go to a running store where the staff are knowledgeable in performing gait analysis - watching you walk, run, and checking the wear on your old tennis shoes in order to determine if you pronate or supinate.

Pronating involves your feet/ankles turning inward with each step, and is fairly common with low and flat arches. Pronators need stabilizer shoes that have more support on the insole.

Supinating involves rolling your foot outward, with the majority of the weight on the outside of your foot. There are also special shoes for supination with more support on the outer edge of the shoe.

When you go to an actual running store, the shoes should be labeled as stabilizers, neutral shoes, etc. However if you just go to a basic tennis shoe store, they may not label the shoes by type, but you can tell what type of shoe it is by where the darker, more supportive base is, like so:

Additionally, regardless of what type or brand of shoes your purchase, you should also get more supportive inserts. Two types that I use and enjoy are SuperFeet and Lynco orthotics. Both come in different styles for different activities and shoe types (athletic, casual, dress, etc.)

I would encourage you to either purchase your shoes and inserts together, or purchase the inserts in advance and take them with you to try on shoes.Also, remember that your tennis shoes should be replaced every SIX MONTHS or 500 miles. Most individuals complain of knee pain when the shoes are too old and no longer supportive. One rule of thumb for tennis shoes or any of your shoes is to try and bend them backwards. If the toe and the heel wrap around towards each other, there is no support left in your shoe!

These were my favorite shoes, which used to be very comfortable and supportive. But last December when I started having a lot of foot pain, I went to both an orthotic shoe store and a podiatrist and both of them commented on the lack of support of these shoes.Alas, we need to be making smart decisions about supportive footwear all the time, not just when doing activity. Don't buy shoes that are uncomfortable, unsupportive, and your toes don't have space to wiggle. And ladies, remember that when wearing heels all day long, you are keeping your ankle in "plantar flexion," which tightens the calves. Therefore, upon taking off your heels, make sure that you warm up slowly and stretch your calves thoroughly before taking off on your activity of choice.
We often don't make the connection that our knee, hip, back pain is coming from the footwear we've selected. I challenge you to check the shoes in your closet and make a commitment to make smart and healthy decisions for your feet and body with future purchases.

Finally, just a few suggested stores to check out:

- If you are in the DC area, look up a Pacers Running Store

- College Station friends check out Shoe Daze (they have casual shoes as well as running).

- All others - do your best to find a running store and specifically ask them if they perform gait analysis. (Let me know if you find a good one!)

Good luck and may your future steps be light :)

Have a HEALTHY day!

~Fit Britt

Run Fit Britt Run!

Well, Fit Britt and Gym Jim (ha ha - he's going to kill me if he reads this) have decided to sign up for a few half-marathons in 2010. Our first one will be a nice way for us to take care of our hearts on Valentine's Day, at the Austin 1/2! We are hopeful that some of our Texas friends, family and coworkers will join for this event.
This will be a nice prep for the main event: The Nashville Country Half Marathon on April 24th... You know, Nashville isn't TERRIBLE driving distance from places like North Carolina and DC for ALL of our friends to join!

In the past, we have ran a few 10 milers, but it's been a few years and while I've been doing other forms of activity, I haven't been running much lately. So this post will give you a few suggestions in case you want to join us and are starting from scratch, or just give you motivation for whatever new training program you are considering!

1. Give yourself credit: One word you will never hear me refer to myself as is an athlete... I enjoy working out and staying healthy, but I personally don't have that strong drive to be "bigger, better, faster." On top of that, I try to refrain from telling people that I am a runner, because really I'm more of a jogger (I truly prefer the 10 minute mile). All of this to say that everyone is going to have different reasons for training and different goals along the way. And that is okay... and that is something that you will want to remind yourself often. Back when I was in my past running phase, I started running with some friends that were a lot faster than me, and they really encouraged me to run faster and faster. And what I personally found, is that I no longer enjoyed the activity... it just wasn't what I was looking for! Even though it takes me longer to run a certain distance than "the runners," in the end I am really proud of myself for running non-stop for whatever the length of time (1:40 for a 10 miler, etc.)!
I'm not saying that you shouldn't challenge yourself and try and improve over time (you'll need to in order to continue to see results... but it will also become easier for you to work harder). But I am saying to keep your personal goal in mind and don't let anyone else's goal or fitness level take away from the great work you are doing for your health or the enjoyment you are having with the activity.
2. Know where to start: Even though I do plan on running the entire race, that doesn't mean that I have to run for ALL of my training! In fact, I have really struggled with running outside now that we have moved to Texas. So I've decided to start by continuing some of the activities I've been doing indoors (attending cycling classes and other group ex classes) and also adding in some long 1 hour+ walks outside so that I can start getting used to the temperature, repetitive motion, and the length of time. Not only does cross training provide another outlet for you to be working on your cardiovascular training, but it is a great way to minimize the repetitive movement of running, keeping your body in better balance.
3. Keep your program well rounded: Regardless of which aspect of fitness you are focusing on, don't forget that all programs should incorporate cardio, strength and flexibility. This can be as simple as making sure that you take 5-10 minutes to stretch at the end of each run, and possibly even perform some crunches, push ups, dips, etc. Otherwise, you can dedicate 1-3 days of the week to add in some strength training days and possibly even a yoga class; both of which will ultimately benefit your running!
4. Have a goal: Your training program should have a deadline. Whether your goal is weight loss, running a certain distance, increasing strength, size, etc - you should have a target date to achieve this by. In our case, we needed the motivation of signing up for an event in order to motivate us and keep us on track. After the deadline, you can revise and set your next goal.
5. Have short term goals: You should also have measurable checkpoints along the way... mini goals that will build up and help you achieve your main focus. If you are signing up for a long race, find some shorter events leading up to the event that can help keep you on track and measure your progress.
6. Design a plan: You should have a fairly good idea of what you want to accomplish each week. I like to try to get a workout in every day during the work week, but we all know that doesn't always happen. Likewise, there is no way that I could have time to do my long runs (once I get to that point) during the week. So my personal plan will be:
2-3 sessions of (30-60 minute) cardio each week,
2 sessions of (30-60 minute) strength training each week
and 2 (60 minute) yoga classes each week.
I will try to do all of the above during the work week and a long run AND REST on the weekend.
This will mean that during the week I will be combining two activities on multiple days. Another option would be to build your rest days into the work week and get more activity on the weekend when you have more flexibility in your schedule. I'm doing this because I enjoy all of these activities, but don't feel like you need to squeeze all of this into your plan in order to train for an event!
7. Take a break!: Build time to rest into your plan. When you strength train, you literally rip your muscles... they need time to rest and rebuild stronger. When you workout at a high intensity (sprinting or possibly endurance) you get a build up of toxins in your muscles and blood that needs time to dissipate and recover. Rest isn't for weenies, rest is for people who want to be stronger and more efficient... once they recover. Allow at least one day a week for rest.
8. Listen to your body: Sorry, but I'm not one of those tough gals that's going to tell you "Pain is weakness leaving the body." My final suggestion to you is to listen to your body. If your knee or ankle is bothering you, maybe you shouldn't go for a run that day. If you truly feel like your body needs another day of rest, give it what it needs. Otherwise, I challenge you to find another activity that you can do that will be more gentle on your joints... or more mild if you are feeling under the weather one day. Cycling is great for the joints, walking is great for less intensity; elliptical-ing is great for both.

No matter your goal, I hope these simple suggestions will keep you on track and feeling successful along the way. Anyone willing to share their goal??

Have a Healthy day!
~ Fit Britt