"I Put Some New Shoes On and Suddenly Everything is Okay..."

Posted by: Dr. Taka Nakaseko

The temperature hit the 80s' last week and everybody seemed to start some activity in the spring breeze. Running is the most cost effective & time flexible exercise. If you can't run, 30 minutes of walking is a good second choice. Research shows even a 30 minute brisk walk 3 times per week can significantly lower the incidence of many health problems such as breast cancer, high blood pressure, and stress.

Go find your pair of running shoes & get ready to run! You don't have good pair of shoes? That's OK, I'd like to share some tips with you on how to choose the right pair of shoes.

Pronation is the key. After you take a shower, step on a piece of paper and look at the imprint. If you have more areas that are wet, you have flat feet (low arch or over pronator), if less surface area is wet, it means your arch is high (under-pronator). An in-between amount of wet area is called neutral pronation. The other good way to tell which pronation patterns you have is to bring your old running shoes to your chiropractor or sports store. Old shoes tell a lot!

As your feet fight against gravity, your feet get wider & longer during a day. Therefore, the best time to buy shoes is in the afternoon. Also, one foot might be bigger/smaller than other. If so, choose the one that fits the larger side.

There are 3 things you need to know before you choose the shoes: where you are going to run, how long you usually run, and what is your pronation pattern. When you pick the shoes, make sure to try them on. Don't go with its appearance!

Stand up and wiggle your feet in the shoes. Make sure your heels don't slide up & down as you walk. Your toes should have enough room to wigg le easily otherwise. You should feel your arch touching in your shoes slightly.

Forward fold, spinal twist, and short lunge are great preparations before a run. Make sure you know how to do those exercises correctly. Doctors at The Balancing Center are very happy to assist you.