Having an athletic husband and son, I know a bit about shoes. I have to say that I never paid much attention to which shoes I wore when I worked out. I just assumed that any shoe would do the job since I was not doing anything athletic or running. However, I have friends who tell me how much switching shoes improved their workout. My husband insists shoes can make or break your workout. Even my 11 year old son knows exactly what he needs to play baseball, basketball, soccer, football or whatever sport he is interested in at the moment. My husband is always telling me about how to pick a shoe and what mistakes are common. Seeing the improvement myself and how it helped with my kneed that was injured in a car accident, I thought it important to share a few tips. The right shoe can make a painful workout painless! So what common mistakes so some of us make?
Wearing your work out shoes for everything: Your workout shoes should be considered part of your work out gear. You will wear through them much faster if you wear them to the mall or just around the neighborhood. If your shoes wear out then you will not benefit from the support you need when you do a work out.
Wearing the wrong shoe for your workout: When you go into your local athletic store you will find shoes of all kinds separated into categories. Take heed of those categories. You cannot play basketball in running shoes. Running shoes provide for the movement of running and what your body requires for that activity. Basketball relies on lateral movement and if your shoe cannot provide for that expect your shoe to wear down or worse a sprained or broken ankle.
Old Shoes: My son has a real problem throwing away his old shoes. There is no denying his shoes are old worn by the bottoms and the tearing at the sides. However, shoes do not need to look like garbage to start to wear down and not provide the cushion you need. If you find that your hips, ankles, knees, and back are more sore now than before check your shoes. You will be surprised how much better you will feel with supportive shoes.
Christian Perspective: Is Yoga a Conflict?
Weight Loss and an Injured Knee