Fitness Review Guru

You choice of shoes is a very important aspect of your workout. There are hundreds of shoes to pick from, so how do you make sure that the pair that you have your eye on is going to be a good fit for you? By adding careful consideration to your shoe choice to your list of tips to be a better runner, you will be better off with your fitness goals.

Figure out your size

Besides knowing your shoe size, there are a couple of other specifics that are good to know when it comes to your feet. First, you should know the width of your foot. Many shoes come in a regular and a wide fit, but you can also find some brands with shoes that are available in a narrow fit. Most shoe stores are able to measure your foot for width, so even if you are ordering online, you should go to your local shoe store and get measured for your size and width, just to make sure before you place an order that you have your measurements correct. If you can’t find a shoe in your correct width, you may want to consider taking a look at shoes made for the opposite gender. In general, women’s shoes are more narrow, and men’s are wider. So if you are a woman looking for a wide shoe, just take a look at some shoes in the men’s section, and learn what your size would be in men’s. Men can look for a more narrow shoe in the women’s section as well. As long as the shoe fits comfortably, it won’t matter if you are a cross-dresser when it comes to shoes!

Foot shape

Everyone has a differently shaped arch, and arch support is very important when you are looking for a pair of shoes that will be worn often. If you get your foot wet and make a foot print, you will be able to tell what your arch shape is. If there is a thin line (or no line) connecting your ball and heel, then you most likely have high arches. If the line is about half the width of the ball of your foot, then you are probably in the normal arch range. If the arch connects your heel and ball with a wide line that doesn’t have much of a curve, then you probably have flat arches.

Strike

Everyone strikes the ground in a different way when they run. Most runners step heel to toe, but some (especially barefoot and minimalist runners) hit the ground first with their arch/ball of the foot. You strike will also vary depending on the side of your foot that you land on. If your foot lands straight up and down, then your pronation is neutral. You will see the most wear on your shoes in the middle. If you overpronate, then you are landing more on the outer edge of your foot. You should be able to see signs of wear on the outer part of the soles on your shoes. Supination occurs if you tend to land on the inner part of your foot. the sole of your shoe under your arch will see the most wear if you supinate. The graphic below (from www.rei.com) gives a visual of the way that your foot rolls!

The way in which you pronate is often related to the level of your arch. Overpronators usually have flat feet, and supinators generally have high arches. When you look for a shoe, pick one that will support your arch type and encourage neutral pronation so that you can avoid injury.

Barefoot / Minimalist Running

Some runners choose to go totally barefoot. This provides a more “natural” way to run, but it can be dangerous since the skin of your feet can easily be punctured and damaged.

There are also minimalist, or zero drop shoes out there that encourage running as if you were barefoot. These can take some time getting used to, but they can help you to adjust your running so that you aren’t landing heel to toe (which can cause certain injuries), while keeping your foot protected from the elements.

After you have figured out your foot type, it is a great idea to go to a shoe store and try on a couple of pairs to see what is most comfortable for you and your stride. Even if you plan to buy shoes online, trying on a few pairs in the store can let you know a little bit better exactly what you should be looking for.

You probably have not heard of slide boards, but they are one of the best pieces of equipment to use to get a solid cardiovascular workout. Slide boards are often touted for hockey players and are said to provide those in hockey with a better aerobic workout than biking, running or a cross-trainer. This is a sport-specific piece of equipment, but anyone can use it to reap the benefits.

Start Slow

Slide boards are very slick and if you go to fast and are not paying attention, you can easily fall. When you first start out, have a friend spot you. This friend should stand in front of you and offer you some support as you get your rhythm down. Start with smaller sessions and work your way up to 30 to 45 minute sessions on the board.

Finding Your Rhythm

This is a piece of equipment modeled for hockey players, so as you can imagine a skating motion was the motivation behind its design. Even if you have never been on the ice, think about how your moved your body when roller skating or roller blading. The movement is largely in the hips. You want to use this motion and turn it into a steady rhythm. Depending on the size of the board, you can go side-to-side or forward and then back.

Wear Thick Socks

When you are on a slide board, you will need to remove your shoes and use your socks so that you can easily slide back and forth. A thin sock could snag and cause you to fall. A thick sock is less prone to snagging, getting sweaty and wearing down. This will allow you to slide without worrying about falling and “getting stuck” on the board.

Focus on Your Muscles

Those that skate, either on ice or on ground, know that it provides an effective core and leg workout. As you are making your moves, squeeze the appropriate muscles. These would be the abdominal muscles, thigh muscles, calf muscles and even your hip flexors. This will help to give you a small strength training boost as you go through this cardiovascular workout.

Use It as a Combination Exercise

It can become tedious to slide around for 30 to 45 minutes so many people find that incorporating it into another workout breaks it up, but still allows for the benefits. For example, use this during your strength training to add some cardio and break up the calisthenics and weights. Do two arm strength-training exercises, use the slide board for five to 10 minutes, then do core training exercises, then five to 10 minutes on the slide board and so on and so forth. This will break things up and allow you to keep your heart rate up during strength training which can help to burn a few extra calories and make the experience new and more fun.

Place the Slide Board Carefully

A slide board must be placed on a flat and level surface. A gym floor is a good example. It is sturdy, not on a slope and is completely flat. You do not want to be sliding to the side on a slope or have bumps interfering with smooth movement. This will not only disrupt your workout, but it can also make you more prone to falling and getting hurt.

About the Author: Kennith Campbell is a personal trainer specializing in slideboard exercises. Ken is committed to healthier living through diet and exercise.

So everyone knows that stretching is a pretty important part of the exercising process, right? Well you should if you don’t already! So you know that it is important, but do you know why? Maybe you do, but I’m going to assume that you don’t!

Many people will try and tell you that if you don’t stretch before you exercise, you will suffer from a serious injury. This is actually not very factual. Stretching before you exercise will only decrease your chances of being injured while exercising. There is always a chance of getting injured, no matter how much you stretch; heck, you may even get injured from stretching! But the chance is much greater if you don’t stretch out your muscles before rigorous exercise.

The first thing you need to know about stretching, is to stretch! Obviously… But more specifically the two times that you should be stretching should be before and after your workout. Stretching before your workout will help warm up and loosen the muscle, preparing it for your workout. And after your workout, stretching will serve to “cool-down” you muscle, relaxing it so that you won’t get as sore from working out.

But hey, those aren’t the only times that you can stretch. Stretching throughout the day will most certainly improve you flexibility. So pop in a movie and just do some stretches; hey you could even stretch while you are reading this hub! Speaking of flexibility… here is my next point:

Gaining flexibility, through stretching, allows you to have a full range of motion. What is full range of motion, you ask? Well you see those huge guys at the gym who care about getting their upper-body big, but nothing else? Those guys, most likely, do not have full range of motion in their arms or even their mid-section. Being flexible will help ensure that you can move your body in normal movements without really trying.

Just a couple quick notes about stretching: You should stretch areas of your body that are going to be in use in your workout… That may sound obvious but, more than likely, you’ve stretched a muscle out that isn’t going to be used. Now there is nothing wrong with stretching out your whole body, but make sure to include the area that is going to get used. You don’t want to stretch out your arms when you hop on a treadmill. What kind of sense does that make? Also, stretch good… What I mean is don’t hold a stretch for 2 seconds and then quit. You need to make sure you get in a good stretch that is going to wake the whole muscle up, that should usually last for about 10-15 seconds.

The benefits that come from stretching are many, it might even help you .