Archive for the ‘Fitness’ Category
Every athlete has wondered how to prevent foot pain and shin splints during their workouts. Foot or shin pain can cause you to alter your stance and limit the weight and duration of your workouts. It also will set you back day, weeks or even months. Now if you are training for something important, even a single part of your training is of the utmost importance. Miss one….guess what….no first place finish. There are some simple, easy rules to follow to prevent foot pain and shin splints during a workout.
In order to achieve this you must have: – proper shoes – possibly some foot support if needed – good exercise form
But one the most important parts of your success is a stable core.
When you think about it, they are all inter-related. The proper shoes will help with support. Properly supported arches will help stabilize your foot, but if your pelvis is like Jell-o, unstable and very loose, your lower body will endure the pain. The energy from your movement has to dissipate somewhere…..if everything works correctly; the energy dissipates out of your body and into the ground. If not, it finds a place to hide, like joints, ligaments and tendons.
This is why I preach about abdominal and core conditioning. Getting your core working as I have mentioned many times in addition to good posture reduces many problems in your back, legs and feet.
So get that core going and add these extra ideas to your quest.
Shoes: Knowing what to look for in the proper shoe will help to prevent foot and lower back pain. Your shoes should have about ½ inch of room from the tip of your longest toe to the end of the shoe. Be sure to measure your feet often. Your foot changes with age. A good tip, shop for shoes at the end of the day. Your feet swell from daily work, just like they do during a workout. A shoe that fits at the end of the day will fit better during a workout.
I would suggest working out on softer surfaces whenever possible. Some gyms are equipped with floor mats (rubber), also grass works to help insulate your feet. Try your best to avoid concrete. Replacing your shoes every 300 miles walked or when the insole wears out will also help to prevent shin splints and foot pain.
The proper shoes will help you hold your body in good form throughout an exercise. If you have foot pain, your body will instinctively alter its stance to avoid that pain. Without you knowing it, your knees will twist or bend inwards, your hips will rotate and your pelvis can tilt forwards. All of these alter proper posture and human biomechanics and result in overuse potentially leading to foot, knee, and lower back pain.
You have to consider your arches when you look for the proper fitting shoes. You have to pay attention to the way your old shoes are wearing out. That will tell whether you feet overpronate or underpronate. Either of these can cause foot pain and improper form when exercising. There is a simple test to help you know which way your feet go. Look at the bottom of your shoes. The wear pattern will tell you what you need to know.
If your shoe shows the most wear on the inside of the sole, then you have low arches (flat feet) and tend to over-pronate. That means you roll your feet inwards. To avoid foot pain and improper form when exercising you will want a shoe with maximum support. You may want to see a podiatrist for an orthotic insert.
Additional Support: Should your shoes show the most wear on the outside, then you have high arches and tend to under-pronate (supination). You tend to roll your feet outward. To avoid foot pain with this condition you will want a shoe with a cushioned sole and a soft midsole. A podiatrist can give an orthotic to correct this condition also. However, his can be good and necessary and some times very bad. For example if you have a tight quadratus lumborm (a four sided muscle that holds your ribs to your pelvis you will could have one leg shorter then the other. If not evaluated, you could end up in a situation that will make you situation worse. I would suggest a good CHEK practitioner in your area ( www.paulchekseminars.com) or a good Physical Therapist. Again, if you get inserts before a good evaluation you compound the problem.
Form and Exercise: Once you have your shoes with a proper fit and feel, then there are a few other things you will need to know to prevent foot pain and shin splints. Shin splints occur most often during walking or running, on a road or the treadmill. They develop due to a tight calf region. There are a couple of exercises that will help you to prevent, or overcome shin splints.
Strengthen and stretch your calf muscles. Toe raises and shin stretches will help you build shin muscles and improve their flexibility. If you already have shin pain then you should walk (or run) every other day. Ice your shins before and after working out. I have a complete flexibility and stretching e-book in my firm and flatten your abs e-book package for Free.
Do not over-stride: Over-striding is the major cause of shin splints. Keep your stride longer in back and shorter in front. Push off with your back leg to increase your speed.
Stay warm: Keep your legs warm during your workout. Stretch your legs before working out. Warm-up for 10 minutes before working out fast or heavy. Stretch again after warming up.
Follow these simple rules and tips and you will be able to avoid foot pain and shin splints. It is easier to maintain the proper form throughout your workout if you can avoid pain or discomfort. We all know that proper form allows you to workout better and stronger. Add all of this up and avoiding foot pain and shin splints will allow you to workout longer and stronger.
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First things first: There is no such thing as “normal” foot pain for a child. No child should feel restricted in the amount he or she walks because of pain. I am stating this with no exceptions! Here in Houston, Texas we have our kids scheduled nonstop, between sports, school, and dancing. It’s so important to keep our children moving without pain.
Many parents understand that their children should not be in pain and do the right thing when they notice their child is not feeling right – they go to visit their pediatrician. Unfortunately, 90% of the time they will hear what is taught to physicians worldwide who treat children: “He’ll grow out of it.” Sound like a cop-out? It usually is.
Let’s take a look at some different problems. The most common is when a child wakes up in the middle of the night with a leg cramp. This is commonly called “growing pains.” Growing pains should not be of concern if they occur infrequently. When it occurs, have the child stand and “walk it off.” If it is a nightly occurrence, even several times a week, you should visit with your child’s doctor.
More concerning are pains that the child feels when standing, walking, or running. These are most commonly caused by biomechanical imbalances that cause instability of the leg and foot. These children often need to visit with a podiatrist for the issues to be addressed. Usually a custom orthotic is used for this purpose.
Toddlers and young children often have difficulty verbalizing pain in their legs and feet. They often don’t understand what they are feeling but know something is wrong. Parents often get frustrated with these children when they whine that their feet hurt. Sometimes these kids just sit down in the middle of the mall because they don’t want to walk anymore. These children also often seem clumsy and trip over their own feet.
Older children know that activity makes them uncomfortable and will opt for activities in which they can be more sedentary. These kids may feel that they are bad at sports, so they avoid them. Many times, these children will walk “like a duck” with their feet angled away from one another. A parent may also notice the inside of the ankle rolling over the foot. If it looks painful, it probably is.
Just because a child is active and athletic, they are not immune to foot pain. Such children are susceptible to sprains, strains, and fractures just like an adult. Children also have unique athletic injuries. For instance, active children ages nine to fourteen often can have a severe pain behind the heel. This is due to an inflammation of the growth plate on the back of the heel bone. This syndrome is known as Sever’s disease. Like other childhood injuries, this is due to inflammation caused by the Achilles tendon pulling too hard on the back of the heel.
So will these children grow out of their painful conditions? It certainly is possible. Some, like Sever’s disease, are self-limiting, meaning the condition will go away on its own. Unfortunately this can take months or even years to occur. For other issues, they may seem to go away, but presents in adulthood as painful. The instability of abnormal pressures can also lead to bunions, hammertoes, and heel spurs.
All parents want to be proactive to allow their child to feel better quickly. Parents to want to helplessly wait. The solution is to provide stability to the lower extremity to allow to pain to resolve, keep it gone, and prevent future problems.
An orthotic is a custom insole that is made by a podiatrist to stabilize and balance the feet and legs. This will allow the child’s limb to function more efficiently and eliminate the pain. By reducing the pressure, it will also prevent future problems. The orthotic will enable your child to maintain or increase their level of activity. This will enable him or her to run faster and feel better – all without pain!
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Many people are told they have flat feet. Often they believe it is the way they were born and they just need to live with it. They might be right on the first count, but not on the second.
Flat feet is a condition that is technically called over pronation. This occurs when the foot actually rolls inward due to the total collapse of the arch in your foot. Since the feet are your foundation, your skeletal alignment is negatively effected by over pronation.
Sometimes a hereditary condition, over pronation can be present at birth, but it can also develop early in a child’s life. In some cases it can also be a symptom of a foot injury or overuse caused by weakened muscles due to aging or excess strain, and even in cases of standing or walking for extended periods of time in improper shoes, particularly high heels.
Unfortunately for most people, regular shoes don’t offer the arch support that is necessary to counter over pronation, and might even be contributing to the development of flat feet.
Many people are unaware of having flat feet, or at least that it has a negative impact on their lives until they experience pain and discomfort. A common symptom of over pronation is pain in the arch of the foot, particularly while walking. The result of the foot over pronating results in the foot turning outward at the ankle, causing strain on the inner part of the foot as that is where most of the weight is centered.
With the imbalance of the ankle caused by over pronation, the strain placed on the ligaments and tendons of the ankle can also lead to painful bone spurs, higher incidents of ankle sprains, as well as misalignment and pain at the knee, hip and low back. Even arthritis in the joints can be a result of over pronation.
Thankfully, you don’t have to live with flat feet, or at least you don’t have to walk with them. Over pronation can easily be treated by wearing insoles that provide proper arch support, and there is no better choice when it comes to arch support products then Spenco.
Spenco insoles and orthotic arch supports are podiatrist recommended, and with over 40 years of creating the best quality foot care products you can feel safe that you are getting a laboratory tested and proven quality product.
Whether you need orthotic arch supports or just arch cushions, Spenco has the right product. Regardless of the shoes you wear or the activities you participate in, Spenco has a support product that will minimize your arch drop, support your foot and help bring back comfort and balance in your joints.
Don’t suffer daily with the aches and pains caused by the flat feet you were born with. Proper orthotic arch supports can put your feet back into the proper position to eliminate pain, increase comfort and balance, strengthen the weak muscles and eliminate joint imbalances that lead to knee, hip and low back pain.
If not corrected, over pronation can lead to very serious disfunction that might even result in the need for surgery to stabilize the bones in order to improve function and support of the foot. This might minimize or eliminate the pain, but it can lead to different problems down the road. Don’t take your chances. For detailed information or ordering, visit TheInsoleStore today
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We all want a flat, sexy tummy and getting one can be simpler than you think. Fitness routines that you can do at home on your lounge room floor, can create the abs you want. All you need is a little dedication, perseverance and motivation.
Remember all worthwhile fitness routines have a combination of three factors that are essential in getting and maintaining good muscle tone, stamina and a body beautiful.
1. A healthy eating plan
2. An exercise program that benefits the whole body and not just one or two sets of muscles and ignores others
3. Controlled breathing during the exercise routine
Of course there are other important factors to take into account that are common sense, such as being smoke free, taking care with alcohol consumption, avoiding pigging out, cutting down on your late nights etc., but these hints are designed to be of benefit while actually involved in exercising.
Getting a flat and sexy stomach means exercising all the muscles that make up the abdominal group to achieve good hip definition as well as a trim tummy.
The added benefit is that some of these routines will firm up the thighs and for the ladies burn off the pockets of fat in the upper legs that lead to cellulite, but more of that later.
Remember that throughout these exercises it is important to tighten and to keep tensed the abdominal muscles involved in each routine.
Make distinct controlled movements with a slight pause between each phase, by this I mean do every action in a controlled manner making sure to do each one slowly enough for you to distinctly feel the benefit in the muscles the routine is working.
Exhale on every contraction and inhale slowly and deeply as you return to the start position.
Regular rhythmical breathing is very important as it gets essential oxygen into the blood stream to the benefit of those muscles that need it and helps you to breathe out much of the lactic acid your body produces during exercise.
Finally it is important to achieve a balance between overexertion and becoming excessively tired and not pushing yourself past a little initial discomfort.
Repeat each exercise until you can feel the beginning of muscular fatigue, pause for a short while (approximately 30 to 60 seconds) and move on to the next. That way all the abdominal muscles (abs) will get the benefit.
Exercise 1
Upper ab workout
Lie flat on the floor with the knees bent, feet flat on the floor, hands behind the head and the elbows extended outwards.
Keep your eyes looking forward at the ceiling as you raise your head, neck and shoulders upward, then using the natural abdominal muscles lift your chest and chin towards the area you have been looking at.
**Take care of your neck during this exercise by keeping it straight and avoid engaging the neck muscles, use the abdomen to lift your upper torso. Try not to use your arm muscles either, just your abs. You may not life very far at first but this can still be quite tiring.
Hold for a moment.
Slowly return to the prone position and do not forget to control your breathing.
Repeat until you begin to tire.
Exercise 2
Lower ab workout
Lie flat on the floor with your hands flat on either side of your head.
Keeping the hands, head and shoulders flat on the floor raise the legs as near to the vertical as you can, keeping them together and straight at all times.
Hold for a count of three and then slowly lower.
Control is important in this exercise so make the movements definite without hurrying.
If you have access to a bench then this exercise is easier to control as you can grasp the edges of the bench to provide more leverage.
This exercise is great for the thighs and you can vary it by extending one leg at a time.
Optional lower ab workout for those who are just starting out or have health issues like lower back problems.
Lie flat on the floor with your hands beside your head. Select a side to begin on and using that leg drag your heel lightly along the floor upward toward your bottom. When you have reached the limit of your leg to come upward, kick up toward the ceiling with your foot until your leg is straight (or as nearly straight as you can make it). When your leg is straight; gently and slowly lower back down into its original position lying straight on the floor. Repeat using the other leg and then repeat these repetitions until your muscles are tired.
**This Optional Lower Ab workout is great for helping to alleviate lower back pain and strengthen the muscles that support the spine!
Exercise 3
Upper and middle ab workout
Lie flat on the back with the hands behind the head.
Hold the legs together and bending at the knees, raise the legs until the thighs are perpendicular to the floor.
Looking forward and upward lift the chest and head toward that point.
Hold for a definitive moment and lower slowly.
Exercise 4
Waist and hip definition workout.
You will need a bar or straight piece of wood or similar about 4 feet long, a broom handle will do.
Stand up straight and put the bar behind your neck and hold it either side with arms half extended and beyond your shoulder line.
With knees slightly bent and your feet about a foot apart bend sideways from the waist without moving the lower body and, it is very important, to pull up through the torso at all times. Resist the urge to curve the back.
Very slowly return to the upright position and without pause lean to the other side.
Extend the leans either side as far as you can manage comfortably, without curving your back, keeping a nice steady controlled slow movement, upright throughout and breathing correctly.
This is not an exercise that requires great effort, just great control so carry on for as long as you can.
Exercise 5
A great exercise but you need some imagination.
You have to find some way of being able to suspend your body off the ground, could be a tree in the garden, your kids swing set, an accommodating door frame or, and this is the best, the horizontal bars in your local gym.
Just hang and bring your knees as far as you can up to your chest before returning to the start.
There are many variations from a suspended position all of which can be of benefit to many of the muscle areas of the body.
Experiment, try out your own ideas, and hang in there!
Just remember not to overdue it.
If you strain an abdominal muscle it can take a long time before you can get back to any sort of abdominal exercise routine, apart from the discomfort you will experience day to day.
Toning that tummy will have to take a back seat.
Remember control your breathing, control the movements and control the diet. All things in moderation!
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Flat Feet: the condition
“Flatfoot” (also known as pes planus) is a condition where the foot lacks an arch on the inside. It is a very common condition as almost all children start out with little or no arch. When is is appropriate to intervene, arch supports, special shoes, or in-shoe orthotics are an option. Most kids eventually develop a normal arch. However, often people grow to maturity without this development of a normal arch. Having feet with little or no arch causes the foot to over-pronate (bending of the foot) that frequently leads to severe discomfort; including, shin splints, inflammation of the heel and bottom of the foot. While it is not necessary to have an arch to walk, run or live normally, it is very common for people with little or no arch to have pain and discomfort that can lead to more serious problems. Since your feet are your foundation,foot problems can cause pain throughout the body. Over-Pronation, Over-Supination, or flattening of the arches is a major contributor to foot pain, knee pain, back pain and other spinal maladies.
Treatment and Prevention
When a confirmed flatfoot condition exists, a good orthotic arch support is recommended to relieve stress on the foot, tendons and heel areas. This is especially true for overweight or athletically active people. Spenco Orthotic Arch Supports can relieve and/or prevent ailments associated with flat feet by providing proper support to alleviate over-pronation. Spenco Orthotic Arch Supports help to correctly align, balance and stablize the entire foot to help prevent pronation and suppination.
Spenco Orthotic Arch Supports were awarded the prestigious Seal of Acceptance by the American Podiatric Medical Association and are available at www.theinsolestore.com a fully authorized Spenco dealer.
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METATARSALGIA
Metatarsalgia is a general term used to denote a painful foot condition in the metatarsal (ball of foot) region of the foot. This is a common foot disorder that can affect the bones and joints at the ball of the foot. Metatarsalgia is often located under the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th metatarsal heads, or more isolated at the first metatarsal head – near the big toe.
With this common foot condition, one or more of the metatarsal heads become painful and/or inflamed, usually due to excessive pressure over a long period of time. It is common to experience acute, recurrent pain, or chronic pain with metatarsalgia,. Ball of foot pain is often caused from improper fitting footwear, most frequently by women’s dress shoes and other restrictive footwear. Footwear with a narrow toe box (toe area) forces the ball of foot area to be forced into a minimal amount of space. This can inhibit the walking process and lead to extreme discomfort in the forefooot.
TREATMENT
Unloading pressure from the ball of foot area can be accomplished with a variety of footcare products. Insoles and Orthotics designed to relieve ball of foot pain, usually feature a metatarsal pad. The Orthotic is constructed with the pad placed behind the ball of foot to relieve pressure and redistribute weight. For women, Spenco brand Total Support Insoles with Q Factor offer cushioning, arch support and a metatarsal pad to relieve pain and offload pressure on the metatarsal heads. The Q Factor Insoles are designed especially for women, taking into account the different hip angle (18 degrees) females have in comparison to the 13 degree hip angle for men.
Other options for relief includes Spenco’s Polysorb Total Support Insoles, Orthotic Arch Supports or the Thinsole Orthotic Arch Support. Wearing properly fitted quality Insoles/Arch Supports along with correctly fitting shoes will offer significant relief from metatarsalgia.
Spenco brand footwear can be found at TheInsoleStore.com
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If you enjoy watching Survivor on television, you may remember a challenge a few years ago where the winning team won Dr. Scholl’s gel insoles. If you’re a fan of late night infomercials, you’ve surely seen many devoted to shoe insoles to make our feet more stable. We are inundated with advertising for products to make our feet feel better. One thing is for certain…our feet hurt!!
Which is the right insole for us? Is it one that can be found in a drug store or supermarket? One that I saw in a shoe store? How about the guy in the mall who told me I can stand on a platform for a custom fit? Do I need to see a doctor?
Let’s start at the bottom. The insoles you will find in a pharmacy are little more than replacement sock-liners for your tennis shoes. They are flexible and offer little support. The gel insoles offer no support, but do offer cushioning for those whose natural fat padding has worn away.
The next level is an insole that you’ll find in an athletic shoe store. These often have a plastic, graphite, or rubber shell that, while flexible, does offer support. Who are these right for? Anyone having minor to moderate pain in the heel, Achilles tendon, shin splints, or elsewhere in the foot should notice some improvement. If the pain persistes beyond two to four weeks, you should consult a podiatrist. A word of warning: Generic arch supports are only appropriate for those with “flat feet.” If you have a high arch, these insoles may make your pain worse.
Then there are the “experts” at shoe stores and mall kiosks who pull out all of the bells and whistles with a seemingly high-tech computer force plate to measure the pressures beneath the foot. Don’t waste your money! First of all, a static footprint tells very little about how the foot functions when walking. Second, before you drop lots of money on something custom, be sure that the person has a degree and not just bought into a franchise.
I’m not telling you that everyone needs a custom orthotics. I do feel that if you are suffering with foot pain to the point where you need to find a fast solution, visiting a podiatrist will ultimately provide you the most comprehensive evaluation and will work to develop a complete plan for eliminating your pain. A custom orthotic is much more than simply an arch support; it is a device formulated to balance your feet, and entire lower extremity, to allow them to function most optimally.
If you have trouble seeing when you drive, you wouldn’t solve it by buying a pair of one dollar reading glasses in the pharmacy, right? Would you want any less for your foot pain?
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SHIN SPLINTS
What are shin splints?
Shin splints refer to leg pain between the knee and ankle that is caused by damage or inflammation of those tendons and muscles. It’s important to visit your doctor to rule out fractures if the stress is severe.
What causes shin splints?
Shin splints are generally caused by over-using the involved muscles and tendons through increased exercise or running. Over-pronation, or flattening of the arches, can also be a contributor, since arches that aren’t doing their job cause other leg muscles to work harder.
How do I treat shin splints?
There are many ways to treat shin splints; it’s best to consult with your doctor before beginning any treatment. Rest, ice and anti-inflammatory medications are a good temporary fix, though they won’t treat the root of the problem. In severe cases, surgery may be necessary to repair damaged muscles and tendons.
In order to treat the cause of the pain, you’ll need exercise and arch supports. Stretching and strengthening exercises can help take pressure off the shins, and prevent shin splints from reoccurring as your muscles get stronger. Spenco Orthotic Arch Supports are designed to completely support your arch. Wearing quality arch supports, such as the Spenco Orthotic Arch Supports, allows the affected muscles and tendons to heal and prevent shin splints in the future.
Long-term treatment
The long-term remedy for muscle-related pain in the shin is a change in the running style to eliminate the over-striding and heavy heel strike.
Sprinting is performed on the toes, as is some middle-distance running. In most middle to long-distance running, striking with the heel, rolling through the foot and pushing off the ball is the most efficient. Competitive runners vary in styles, but as distance increases, more runners tend towards striking with the heel or mid-foot as the natural gait of the body – most marathoners can be seen to strike with the heel. In preventing shin-splints, heel-striking offers the best shock absorption and natural form, reducing impact stress on the calf and shin muscles. The use of a good cushioning insole can help absorb shock and offer energy return to heel striking. The Spenco Polysorb Cross Trainer Insoles and Polysorb Walker Runner Insoles provide a 44% energy return in the heel strike area.
The shin muscles can also be somewhat alleviated by footwear and choice of surface. Runners who strike heavily with the heel should look for shoes or insoles which provide ample rear foot cushioning. The so-called “neutral” shoes for bio-mechanically efficient runners may not have adequate support in the heel, because the runners for whom these shoes are intended do not require it. Excessive pronation is another cause and can be reduced by the use of orthotic arch supports. Also shoes with cushion shock features and cushioned shoe insoles, such as the Spenco Cross Trainer Insoles or Walker Runner Insoles, can help prevent future problems.
Spenco Insoles and Orthotic Arch Supports were awarded the Prestigious Seal of Acceptance by the American Podiatric Medical Association. Click Here to see detailed information regarding the Spenco line of Insoles and Arch Supports, including the Cross Trainer Insoles, Walker Runner Insoles and Orthotic Arch Supports.
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The foot is a precision piece of machinery.
The foot is a precision piece of machinery which is fundamental for our movement and daily activities. The average person walks over 115,000 miles during their lifetime. Feet are living shock absorbers. Consider when walking, each step puts up to 1.5 – 2 times your body weight on your feet. Running exerts even more, 3 – 3.5 times your body weight on the feet. With this relentless pounding, there is no wonder that 75 – 80% of the adult population have some form of foot problem.
The foot contains 26 bones including 2 sesemoids under the big toe. A network of muscles, tendons, and ligaments support bones and joints in the foot. Muscles give the foot its shape by holding the bones in position. Tendons connect muscles to bones and ligaments connect bone to bone.
Two conditions that affect foot stability are pronation and supination. While both are normal foot positions, over-pronation and over-supination are common causes of foot problems.
Over-pronation and/or over-supination can be easily corrected with proper fitting quality orthotic arch supports such as Spenco brand Orthotic Arch Supports. These arch supports offer firm arch support to help balance and stabilize the foot; are moldable for a custom fit; and help absorb shock.
Several other common conditions exist that are preventable and treatable with proper fitting quality insoles or orthotic arch supports. Shin Splints, Heel Spurs, Bunions, Plantar Fasciitis, IT Band Syndrome, Matatarsalgia, Achilles Tendonitis, and Neuroma to name a few.
Visit TheInsoleStore to see the full line of Spenco footcare products including insoles, orthotic arch supports, arch cushions, gel insoles, heel cushions, ball of foot cushions, heel supports, diabetic insoles, arthritis insoles and more.
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WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF GOOD INSOLES?
People use insoles for a few primary reasons – comfort, relief from pain, prevention of foot problems and to help achieve greater performance during athletic activities. While runners/joggers benefit due to greater performance achieved with the wearing of quality insoles, everyday people likewise benefit as prevention and relief from foot pain enables them to enjoy life and perform daily activities better.
Two key benefits are Cushioning and Support. Cushioning provides greater comfort by helping to absorb the shock that makes the feet feel tired and sore. Support helps improve the alignment and balance of the foot. While some insoles offer greater cushioning and others focus more on support, most people benefit from an insole that offers both cushioning and support.
Research has shown which types of insoles are good for the different types of foot arches. And while many people will experiment to see which product works best, there are a few general rules of thumb when it comes to matching insoles with arch types.
Low/Flat Arches are more prone to over-pronation (rolling over) and require something with high support. An arch support with a rigid base is best. The Spenco Orthotic Arch Supports have received the prestigious Seal of Acceptance by the American Podiatric Medical Association. The Spenco Orthotic Arch Supports offer rigid arch support and moderate cushioning.
Medium/Neutral Arches are very uncommon as only approximately 15% of people have neutral arches. Those people benefit from the use of an insole that offers moderate support with a focus on cushioning. The Spenco Polysorb line of Insoles are ideal. The Total Support Insoles offer a combination of cushioning and support while the Cross Traine Insoles offer slightly more cushioning with slightly less arch support.
High Arches are prone to imbalance and over-flexing which can lead to painful foot conditions such as Plantar Fasciitis. Because the foot predominantly balances on two pressure points – the ball of the foot and the heel – it is best to use an insole that offers cushioning for the arch rather than one that offers firm arch support. This cushioning allows the arch to relax and allows weight distribution over the whole foot rather then just two points. This more even weight distribution results in better balance. The Spenco Arch Cushions work best as they offer cushioning for the arch along with moderate cushioning for the ball of foot and heel strike areas.
Spenco Insoles and Arch Supports are available at TheInsoleStore.com