Tag: Walking

Multi-Day Hiking Blister Prevention and Care Kit

AS YOU’RE READING this blog post, I’m either sleeping or out walking on the other side of the world. A dream and Heavenly direction that began a little over a year ago and that has involved months of study, preparation and training has arrived. And my beloved and I are on a life-changing pilgrimage. At least that’s what everyone who has experienced it says it will be, and I have no reason to doubt these friends. That’s the expectation we have.

But preparing for this hasn’t been easy. Especially in the what-to-take category. Most specifically in what to take in case of …

 

My background in play—

As an athletic trainer, I’m used to carrying around an arsenal of goodies to treat athletic mishaps on the spot. Whether it’s blisters, nosebleeds, dislocated fingers, broken limbs, brain-jarring concussions or spinal injuries, we’re prepared.

While the books I’ve read tell me that the countries I’ll be in really do have nice grocery stores and pharmacies, that won’t do me a lot of good if I have to hobble ten miles through a forest or pastoral farmland before reaching one. So, I aimed to be prepared. But prepared meant a small amount of items in very small sizes. Things that would fit in the portable “house” I’m carrying on my back and help aid my walking comfort and sanity.

 

My hiking mini-arsenal for my feet—to prevent and treat foot injuries and blisters—and why I selected these items: 

  1. Two pairs of shoes, a road/trail shoe and a strictly trail pair.

The road/trail shoes provide more support and handle the pounding my feet take on asphalt, which I will be walking on. When I hit the dirt trail, though, I’ll switch to the trail shoes. Better, more lax and forgiving structure for wobbly surfaces.

I had to make the difficult decision to forgo my Keen hiking shoes. I knew I needed to take two pairs of shoes, and the hiking boots are too heavy and too big to fit in my backpack when I’m wearing the other pair. I didn’t want them swinging back and forth on my backpack, either. These Altras are more compressible.

 

  1. Hiking Poles!

As I mentioned in my last post, I wouldn’t go anywhere without my beloved hiking poles. I’m taking a pair of poles made in England, called Pacer Poles that my younger son gave me for Christmas. I like them because they help me navigate rocks and take the load off my knees, especially on descents.  They’re light and the hand grip has an anatomical/ergonomic slant to it, which helps me avoid irritation to my compressed wrist nerves.

 

  1. Water, Water, Water!

As far as my body and I are concerned, one can never carry enough water. I’m prone to dehydration, especially in heat, so I always need to have water available. No waiting until the next fountain makes its appearance. It reduces my chances of suffering a migraine or other effects of insufficient hydration. Even if it adds weight to my pack (and back), I’ll be loaded up.

Staying hydrated also reduces my chances of getting swollen feet.

 

  1. Electrolytes

Along with the water, I’ll need to replace electrolytes lost through sweating. I’ve found the Sports Beans brand to help me immensely and perk me up. One bean every fifteen to thirty minutes.

 

  1. Energy Snack

I discovered the StroopWaffle-style portable energy snack at Seattle’s REI in June, and I LOVE them. I’ll be taking the Stinger brand with me, because they still make a variety of flavors besides chocolate and caramel, including our favorite ginger flavor. They’re easy to pack and eat on the run (or hike) without too much down time or fanfare.

 

  1. Kinesiotape

I’ll be taping my left ankle, several toes, left hamstring, (allowing that to hurt changes my gait and thus overloads my feet), and left outside foot area, and the ball of my right foot. My tape is a godsend to me. It will also be handy in a pinch to cover a hot spot.

 

  1. Foot Glide

This is the lubricant I use to apply a light glaze to the ends of my big toes and heals and the ball of my left foot. Works great to reduce hot spots.

 

  1. Double-layered socks

These socks are light enough and padded enough to be comfortable in my shoes and reduce the friction and shear forces I’ll confront over miles of walking day after day.

 

  1. Sock liners

These will go on under my double-layered socks. They wick sweat away from my foot and provide an extra layer of friction and shear protection. They’re so thin that they don’t provide additional bulk that make my shoes too tight.

 

  1. Spenco Second Skin Kit

This will provide me with moleskin and gel pads to patch up any blister that pops up.

 

  1. Pedicure appliances

Clippers, nail file, scissors and tweezers are essential to keep my nails properly trimmed and rough and hanging skin under control.

 

  1. Gold Bond Powder

I’ll use this to help keep my feet dry and medicated, especially after a shower.

 

  1. Lotion

I’m taking a little Gold Bond tube to slather my feet with before bed, but it could be any brand of deep healing lotion. The lotion will keep the calluses down and manageable.

 

  1. Ibuprofen

An anti-inflammatory will help in a variety of areas, not just in case of an altitude headache. If my feet get uncomfortably swollen, an anti-inflammatory will help reduce it. It will also help if I suffer a case of hiker’s vasculitis—breakdown of blood vessels under the skin and leakage of blood into the tissues. I hadn’t incurred that problem for years, but it happened one night while hiking just prior to my departure. I have to be careful with anti-inflammatories, though. I was prescribed way too many of them when I was competing, which left my stomach damaged. They can cause internal bleeding and blood thinning, so I tread carefully when using them. Fortunately a little for me goes a long way.

 

  1. First Aid Kit

The little kit will provide me with some antiseptic, more ibuprofen, tape and gauze. Little emergency essentials. I can order refills for this bag.

 

  1. Emergency reflective blanket

This might not help for my feet, but it will come in handy if one of us gets injured and needs some warmth. Always an essential because you never know what’s going to happen.

 

  1. Emergency ice pack

This is the kind you squeeze to activate. It’s a chemical-based, one-type use bag. Good for injuries, swelling and reducing swelling around insect bites. It might come in handy for foot and toe hot spots too.

And, finally,

Gaiters—

These will help keep grit, pebbles and dirt out of my shoes and socks. When worn with my rain pants, they’ll also help keep water out of my shoes. While they’re not specifically made to repel rain, they will slow it down.

 

That’s a wrap! (No intended.)

That’s my care package. See anything you use or think you’d do well to try out?

I’ll let you know how successful I was at selecting my items when I return!

 

WORKOUT WEDNESDAYS will be on hiatus until October 19. I’ll give you a foot and blister care wrap-up and then head into eating and diet strategy for brain care and aging. I’ll be sharing some great information I’ll be learning at an October 9 conference.

Until then, choose your first aid kid treatment and prevention kit and supplies carefully to keep your feet in shape to keep trekking!

Blessings,

Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).

Photo by Andrea A Owan

Knowing Your Socks—Materials Matter

Ever spend much time considering the socks you wear, especially the ones you put on for exercise walking, running or hiking? If not, you should. They’re critical to your foot health and exercise enjoyment. And the all-important blister prevention.

 

4 Basic Functions of Socks—

Socks do have some important functions, besides just keeping your feet warm and comfy, and maybe adding extra padding. The functions are:

Protection

Warmth

Cushioning

Absorbing or wicking moisture from the feet

 

While you may head to the ubiquitous white, six-pack tube socks for every need, those might not be the best choice for your feet or your activity. A shapeless cotton sock may be more harmful than helpful.

There’s much to consider when selecting a sock, something I’m really just beginning to appreciate.

 

My experience—

Growing up in Hawaii, socks were not a go-to wardrobe item. At least not often. Open-toed shoes and slippers were clothing staples, and Keds for physical education classes were the norm, which were often worn sans socks. And as a gymnast, bare feet or little white Peds anchored on the feet and ankles by elastic were the norm. I spent hours stitching quarter-inch elastic in crisscross fashion on my peds; and when they got holes in the balls of the feet, I’d use those as top layers to two or three (or more) bottom layers. Even back then, I wanted as much padding as I could get on my feet. Having all that cushion also helped when I ground my socks in resin to keep my feet well-anchored to the balance beam.

But what’s available now is light years away from what you could find on the shelves several decades ago.

 

Sock materials and construction—

Cotton. Silk. Spandex. Nylon. Wool. Blends. A ton of choices. What works for someone else may not work for you. What works for one type of activity and shoe may not work for others.

Dense weaves provide more cushion and often more warmth, which may not be ideal if you’re out running or hiking in hot temperatures. Double layers of socks (as I used to wear as a gymnast) provide cushion and the added benefit of reducing friction, critical to longer days of walking or hiking. (Can anyway say blister prevention?!)

 

 Different benefits from different materials—

Let’s look at the benefits and drawbacks of each type of material, so you can get an idea what you might want or need.

 

Cotton—While these might be your first and cheapest selection, it is probably best to avoid them. Cotton socks, especially 100% cotton, provide no moisture wicking, so when you sweat, your feet are more likely to get wet, possibly cold, and blistered.

Cotton blends—Anything containing cotton plus spandex, rayon, acrylic, or nylon provides some stretch, better conforming to the foot, and some advantages over the 100% cotton models.

Silk—Once a man and woman’s staple, and primary choice, silk socks are now most often used as liners. I have a pair of silk liners I LOVE! I wear them between my wool hiking socks and boots. They reduce friction and have the added benefit of allowing me to slide my thick hiking socks on without much effort. I also wear them between my ski socks and ski boots. Very comfy! I have to replace them, though; I’ve worn them so much they have runs in them. Can’t bring myself to toss them out!

Wool—The advantages of wool are that it usually provides more cushioning, definitely provides more warmth, and wicks moisture away from your sweaty foot. But it’s also a comfortable sock to wear in the heat.

Wool blends—Again, comfortable in temperature extremes. They can also be soft and long lasting.

Fleece socks—Fleece is soft and warm and dries faster than wool. Fleece socks can be baggy, though. I like to wear fleece as ankle warmers—they roll down around the ankle and keep me warm.

Synthetic blends—The majority of synthetic sock materials are blended with cotton, nylon, spandex, or acrylic. They can offer protection against a wide range of problems, such as moisture-driven blisters, friction hot spots, and droopy socks that just don’t want to stay up. Many are moisture wicking, which is great for reducing blisters. Some have good insulation properties to keep you warm (such as ski socks). You can find them in single or double layer (now my favorite type of sock to wear).

 

Check your drawers—

Pull out all of your socks. What kind of blend do you have the most pairs of? Can you remember why you bought the socks? (They were cute and stylish? On sale? Cheap?)

Ask yourself what kind of activities you do on a regular basis. What kinds of needs you, and your feet, have for socks. What your budget is. (Try not to skimp in the sock department.)

 

 

Go window shopping—

Go to your department store and look around to see what they carry. Inspect the package to see what the material content is.

Head to your local outdoor activity or shoe store, particularly the stores specializing in walking or running, to see what they carry. Get with the professional staff at these stores to see what they recommend, what they wear when they’re out for a day hike.

 

Change your shopping approach—

It may be time for you to start being a little more need-based than utilitarian in your approach to buying and wearing socks!

 

NEXT WEEK: We’ll look at the different kinds of socks available for exercise.

 

Until then,

take care of your feet!

Blessings,

Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).

Want to Keep Your Feet Happy? Get to Know Them!

When you begin a walking, hiking or running program, what’s the first thing you need to take into consideration, after making sure you’re ready, willing and able to partake in one of those activities?

If you’ve been reading Workout Wednesdays for a while, you’ll probably hit on the right answer.

Your feet.

And if your feet are so important, it’s critical that you know them well, so you’ll be able to take better care of them and reduce your your chance of suffering injuries from the toes all the way up to the ankle, legs, knees, hips and back!

What do I mean by knowing them well?

 

Give them a close examination—

Sit down with your favorite pair of walking or exercise shoes and really take a good look at the shoes and your feet.

  1. Examine how narrow or wide your foot is.
  2. Do you have a high arch when your foot is relaxed? Or is it flat? There are lots of technical names for the kind of arch you might have, like a functional flat foot, a rigid, pes equinus (where the arch doesn’t flatten out when you stand on your feet, so all of the pressure is on your heel and ball of your foot; and you have limited ankle range of motion).
  3. Where do you tend to get calluses on your feet and toes? On the side of your big toe? The heel, or ball of the foot?
  4. Do your calluses get really thick and then crack and bleed? Where does that happen most often on your feet?
  5. Is your second toe longer than your great toe? (Something that may indicate you are prone to having a balance problem.)
  6. Do you have bunions or corns, plantar warts, or any other issues you need to address?
  7. Are you prone to getting ingrown toenails? Blisters anywhere on the foot?
  8. Examine your toenails. Do they run into the toe of the shoe when you’re walking? Have they thickened?
  9. Is the structure (and size) of one foot drastically different from the other, requiring different treatments or support material for each foot?
  10. Stand on a piece of paper and trace outlines of both feet. Do they look identical? What’s the length and width difference?

 

*A good way to determine if you have a compensating arch that drops a little when your foot gets loaded with weight is to get a brown paper bag that’s bigger than your foot. Get the bottom of your foot wet and then rest your foot on the flattened bag for a second. Then stand on the paper bag for a couple of seconds. Look at the foot form left on the bag. Is it flat? Is there an arch? Did it change when you went from non-weight bearing to full weight bearing? Where does it look as though your foot is not making any contact with the ground?

 

Knowing these aspects of your feet will help you when you head to the store to purchase shoes and any supportive insoles you think you need or just want to add for some cushion to your feet.

Now for the shoes—

Take a really good look at your shoes—tops, bottoms, sides, toes and heels. And the insides.

  1. What kind of wear patterns do you see?
  2. When you hold your shoe up and look at it from the back, does the heel look worn down on either side? A wearing down of the inside ankle bone side indicates that your heels tend to pronate (roll in) when your foot strikes the ground? If they lean to the outside ankle bone, then you might have what’s called hind foot supination.
  3. What does the toe box area of the shoe look like on top and underneath the shoe? Does the toe box look as though it leans to the outside or inside, giving you an indication of the pressure your foot exerts on the material or sole when you’re walking? Is there a more pronounced wear pattern on the outside of the toe area, indicating your foot rolls to the outside and you tend to push off the fourth and fifth toes (supinate) during push off?
  4. Does the insole provide sufficient padding for your feet, or did it break down quickly and leave you with little or no arch support?

 

Case study—

In the pictures below, you can see the dramatic wear patterns of my Altra road shoes, with the distinct medial breakdown of the right shoe in the heel area and the outside (fourth and fifth toes) in the toe area.

I have significant rear or hind foot pronation and forefoot supination. For some reason, the right shoe has taken a particularly hard beating and already—after six weeks—needs to be replaced because it’s no longer giving me the support I need.

Two possibilities come to mind:

  1. I wore the shoes on both blacktop and trail, which may have stressed the shoe material too much; or
  2. The shoes simply don’t provide me with the arch support I need in my right foot, which is a problem for me. I suffered a severe fracture (segmental, displaced) of the outside leg bone (fibula), which caused my right leg to be slightly shortened and twisted. I already had foot problems. This may have worsened the condition.

Clearly I need some kind of posting, or support, on the right foot.

What’s frustrating is that when I walk, I can feel the broken down shoe actually shifting my foot more severely to the inside, which creates more problems and causes me to try to reposition my foot in the shoe while I’m walking! Not good or efficient.

My trail shoes have not shown such severe wear patterns, so I think the material and lighter support in these road shoes may be the culprit for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are all critical questions to ask yourself when you’re going out to buy new athletic shoes. Take notes with you, or take the shoes with you to show the shoe salesperson. They can better recommend shoes and insoles for your particular needs.

And when you go, take the socks you are most likely to wear with you to try on the shoes. That will help you decide which shoes will fit and be most comfortable.

 

And speaking of socks! We’ll be discussing those next week. They’re a critical component of exercise and can make or break an otherwise enjoyable hike or walking outing. One experienced hiker said he’d lean toward buying a cheaper pair of boots and an expensive pair of socks for his trips.

Yes, they’re that important!

 

So until next week,

Keep those feet happy and moving!

Blessings,

 Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).

 

When Walking is Bad for You

Walking is one of the most rewarding forms of exercise, physically, mentally and spiritually. You can walk and pray, you can walk and socialize with a walking buddy. You can strengthen the body, heart and mind. It’s inexpensive and handy—just lace up those walking shoes, step outside and hit the road.

So, with all of these phenomenal benefits, why would I say that there might be a reason for when you shouldn’t walk?

Today I’m going to cover one big one.

You need to rethink walking for exercise if you are an urban dweller.

 

A 2016 University of Cambridge study published in Preventive Magazine indicated that the benefits of walking in polluted city air far outweighed the negatives. But they used a computerized health model, not real people for their research.

Now a new study published in The Lancet, one of the world’s oldest and best-known, peer-reviewed medical journals, suggests that where you choose to walk does matter.

 

What happens when you walk those city streets—

Researchers found that walking along heavily polluted streets does cancel out many of walking’s benefits.

The researchers gathered 119 people, all over the age of 60. Of this group, 40 of them were considered healthy, 40 had diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is a chronic inflammatory lung disease, and 39 had ischemic heart disease, a condition caused by artery narrowing that reduces blood flow and oxygenation to the tissues.

Then the researchers gave them their walking assignments. Some were instructed to walk two hours a day along London’s Oxford Street, a downtown road heavily traversed by buses and cars. The other group spent two hours strolling through a quiet part of London’s Hyde Park.

After each workout, the researchers measured the pollution concentration in each location and then measured the following health markers in the participants:

  • lung capacity
  • breathlessness
  • wheezing
  • coughing
  • arterial stiffness (related to high blood pressure).

 

What do you think the researchers discovered?

If you think that walking in Hyde Park allowed the walkers to experience better health, you’d be partially right. Actually, they experienced big improvements in lung capacity and arterial stiffness.

After the participants walked along Oxford Street, inhaling its air pollutants, they experienced modest improvements in their lung capacity, but they experienced a worsening of arterial stiffness. Those findings led the researchers to suggest that the poor air quality negated many of walking’s benefits.

 

What about the COPD walkers? While they did experience some lung capacity improvements during their walks in both locations, the researchers considered the improvement to be negligible.

But the walkers with COPD demonstrated more respiratory issues, like coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath, after walking Oxford Street. They also ended up with more arterial stiffness.

The walkers with heart disease also suffered in the polluted urban environment. Unless they were taking cardiovascular drugs, which appeared to offer some protection against the bad air, they suffered more severe arterial stiffness.

Kian Fan Chung, lead researcher and professor of respiratory medicine at Imperial College London’s National Heart and Lung Institute, said, “You should avoid polluted areas for doing any form of exercise, specifically walking.” He added that if an outdoor, less-polluted green space is not available, then you should probably exercise indoors.

And I think even suburban dwellers need to think carefully about when and where they walk around their neighborhoods.

 

 

Case Study—

Within the last thirteen months, I’ve suffered and recovered from a decent bout of pneumonia and been diagnosed with lung nodules. Not large enough yet to be considered cancerous, but still there, and disconcerting. My once clean lungs have caused me to rethink, re-plan, and re-execute my neighborhood-walking program.

After trying both late afternoon and morning walking programs, I’ve discovered the times people are usually leaving for work, which means I get to inhale a lot of carbon monoxide fumes and burned gasoline byproducts if I walk when they drive. I usually end up feeling worse when I arrive home. And I cough a lot.

So when the weather was cooler, I’d wait until after 9:00 AM to walk, or walk around 3:00, before the coming-home rush. That worked well for several months.

But now it’s HOT, and I can’t handle walking in the blazing inferno here in Tucson. (I’m a beach babe by design, not a desert rat.) So I needed to alter my walking times again.

On the weekend, the engineer and I roll out of bed at 4:30 AM, get dressed and drive to a local mountain to walk while the sun’s rising and for about an hour after it starts warming up the desert floor. At a 2.25 mph pace (this mountain’s grade is STEEP!), we can do the 2.9 miles up and back in about an hour and twenty minutes. But now we’re walking up, back, up halfway and then back down to increase our mileage and stamina for our hike over the Pyrenees for our Camino pilgrimage.

On weekdays, we’ve switched to strapping on our headlamps and walking at night around our neighborhood. We’ve discovered that garden spiders are nocturnal and have the most glorious, prism-like eyeballs that reflect our light beams! Sometimes we even catch cottontail bunnies or a pack rat enjoying the cooler night air. And we can also see the airborne dust particles floating across the light beams. We’re stunned at how much dust floats around us that we never see! But it’s a truly lovely time of day to walk.

But when it’s windy here and the dust is really flying, I head to the gym to walk on a treadmill. I’m allergic to dust (really), and it’s one of the environmental issues that will clog up my respiratory track and flatten me within hours. This year, thank the Lord, is the first time in three or four springs that I have NOT succumbed to dust-triggered bronchitis or pneumonia!

I think my new training plan is reaping benefits!

 

 

How about you?

Where and when do you usually walk (run or bike), and is it a potential health hazard for you?

Would it be possible for you to drive to a green belt location or park to walk instead of walking vehicle-clogged city streets?

Start monitoring your breathing after walking in different environments, and maybe measuring your blood pressure.

 

NEXT WEEK: More on walking, and finding green space to enjoy it!

Until then,

Happy walking, wherever it may be!

Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).

Photos courtesy of Google Images

How to Begin an Effective Walking Program (Part 1)

Want to get started on an exercise program but haven’t done any exercising for a while, or ever?

Try walking!

 

You’ve probably heard about the benefits of a walking program, like—

  • Social benefits
  • Brain health
  • Heart health
  • Toning and weight loss
  • and, best of all, Mental health—Getting Outside in Nature and Fresh Air!

We’ll cover the benefits in more detail in future posts. But today we’ll look at how to get a walking program started.

 

First things first—

If you’re just starting a walking program, what do you think you first need to consider?

If you said your conditioning level, you’d be partially correct. But we’ll cover that point next week.

The first things you need to consider are:

  1. Where you’ll be walking; and
  2. What equipment you’ll need.

 

Equipment? Yup. Those shoes you’ll put on your walking feet.

 

One of my specialties in sports medicine was the biomechanics of the lower extremities. A fancy title for how the hips, thighs, knees, legs, ankles and feet work together when moving, or ambulating, to be exact, on a surface. I would observe you walking across a floor or on a treadmill and discern where you had a biomechanical problem in any of those areas that might cause injuries in a particular joint or body part.

One of the courses sparking my interest in this area was the conference “When Your Foot Hits the Ground, Everything Changes!” And it’s so true! Your gait can cause a chain reaction that spreads clear up to the spine, trunk and shoulders. And neck and head.

 

I can’t stop evaluating people’s movements. It’s automatic for me to mentally assess everyone I see out on the road running or walking. I cringe when I see people running (or some version you’d try to describe as running) and know they’d be better off physically and efficiency-wise walking rather than doing what they’re doing. It makes me shudder to see them move. And my brain automatically compiles a list of all of the physical problems they must have, or will likely have from their efforts.

 

      

 

First—What’s your training surface?  

This is one of the first things a knowledgeable sales person will ask you. What do you plan to use your shoes for? Running, walking, cross-training, etc.

And you need to know what kind of surface you plan to train on.

Will it be asphalt, packed dirt, a combination, inside track, treadmill? Your surface will decide the shoe tread and style.

 

For example, I’m training to walk the Camino de Santiago, the pilgrimage path in France and Spain. It covers a range of surfaces, including asphalt, hard packed dirt and other assorted surfaces, if I wander off the main path. My first choice would be trail running/walking shoes. Why? Because they have great, nubby soles that grip uneven surfaces. They’re good for day hikes on mountain paths and trail running.

But those great little grabby nubbies will quickly break down on asphalt. For asphalt, I’d need a road shoe. So I may carry both with me.

Sound indulgent? For me, it’s critical. My feet are so beaten up and broken down from gymnastics and dance that I need shoes that will go the distance (and surface) for me. And because of my flat feet, plantar fasciitis and pronation-supination problems, I have to be really picky. My shoe choice is an Altra.

I fell in love with my Altra trail shoes, with their wide toe boxes that let my toes splay out, wiggle and breathe. I violated my own rules with them, though, and wore them everywhere, so they broke down quickly, and I have to buy another pair. This time, though, I’ll be buying both the trail and road models. And I’m also training in Keen hiking boots that have a lower ankle profile, since I don’t like the high ankle style. It’s too constricting for me. My older son swears by the higher ankle, though. The takeaway?

 

Get the type of shoes you need and feel comfortable in!

 

FYI: I DO NOT get any money from Altra shoes for recommending them. There are a lot of good shoes out there. Do your research, go to a good store, a store focused on runners and walkers and outdoor enthusiasts is best, although I wouldn’t recommend Big 5. While I have purchased shoes there (they often sell last year’s models at reduced prices), I know what I’m looking for. But I have my doubts about whether their sales staff is knowledgeable enough about shoes to make a good recommendation, or fit you properly.

I’m a REI shopper. Their staff is knowledgeable and helpful! Summit Hut would be another great place to go too. But in either case, I do not recommend purchasing shoes online, unless you’ve already tried them on in a store, or you’re re-ordering a shoe you know works for you!

 

Then—what shoes to buy!

When a patient came in to see me, one of the first things I did was evaluate their shoes.

  • Were they wearing running shoes or shoes made for walking or tennis, or just casual strolling?
  • What did the wear patterns on the bottom of their shoes tell me about their gate or issues they might have?
  • Did they need orthotics or “posting” in their shoes to help alleviate stressors?

 

And the big question?

Had they outworn their shoes? Had their shoes broken down to a point where they needed to be trashed and new shoes purchased. Take Note! A typical exercise shoe, if worn daily, will last you only 3 -5 months (although some manufacturers claim a longer period). Ask the sales person how many miles you could expect to put on the shoe before having to replace it. That will give you a better idea of how long they’ll last. But don’t balk at buying an expensive shoe. This piece of equipment is critical to your physical health! A fact most people never think about.

 

What shoe is right for you?

Shoes are usually built on what is called a last—a mechanical form having the same shape or form as a human foot. Back when I was in practice, most shoes were built on a man’s last, meaning everyone—male and female—had shoes built primarily for a man, with only minor modifications made. Yuck!

Today, women’s shoes are built on a women’s last (thank goodness!). And you have a wide variety from which to choose! (That can be a challenge just by itself!)

So the first thing you need to do is buy the right shoes! And to buy the right shoes, you need to make a few notes about what kind you need.

 

First, decide whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, advanced or extreme exerciser. Your answer will help in selecting the shoe that’s best for your ability level.

And PLEASE don’t plan to wear the shoes you’ve had in your closet for years, or the ones you use to clean up the backyard. Your feet change over the years, and you need shoes that accommodate that change. Do you have flat feet that need more support? Do you have high arches that need a ton of support? Do your feet roll inward when you walk? Does your forefoot roll outward when you push off?

Spend some time watching yourself walk, by walking toward a big mirror at a gym or at home. Watch your feet, how they move. Have someone stand behind you and watch you walk forward. What do they see? Write it down. Then take that information with you to a GOOD shoe store, one where the sales staff understands shoes and styles and customer needs, and don’t just try to sell you the “latest and greatest” and priciest model.

Try them on with the socks you plan to wear. Run around the floor with them on. Jump up and down. Don’t pick out the cheapest just because they’re cheap. Plan to spend some money and pick out comfortable shoes that do what you need them to do.

Your feet—and the rest of your body—will be so happy you did!

 

 

And take care of those shoes!

You’ll make a big investment in your footwear, so take care of your shoes so they can take care of you.

  • Lace them correctly!
  • Unlace them when removing them, instead of stepping on them with the opposite foot to yank them off. You’ll break down the back of the shoe.
  • Remove the liners/arch supports, if they come with them, to air out.
  • Keep them clean and remove the rocks and pebbles that might lodge in the treads.
  • Know how your shoes should be cleaned and clean them properly.
  • Don’t squash them in your bag or suitcase. Make sure they have room so they won’t get broken down when packed.

 

For those of you who would like to get a jumpstart on researching shoes, here’s a link to a great article in “The Strategist.” It lists some of what they think are the best running, training and workout shoes available for women and why. (They even have tips for beginners.) You can find good shoe recommendations for men on their site too.

Have fun shoe shopping!

http://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-running-shoes-workout-shoes-women.html

 

NEXT WEEK—we’ll talk about the progression of a good (effective) walking program and how to get the most benefit from it. I’ll give you some tips to avoid injuries and even cover why a walking program may not be good for you.

 

Until then,

Blessings,

Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).