Spring running tips from Hunt Footcare
Spring is the perfect season to enjoy running outside again, after months spent in the gym on treadmills or indoor tracks. The move from inside to outside, however, can put strain on your feet, as you start to run on different surfaces and in different weather conditions.
Choose Your Shoes
A good pair of running shoes is essential, and how you choose a pair should ideally be based on your natural gait and running style rather than what new shoe styles, colours or brands you like the look of! Take time to try on a variety of running shoes with different levels of support and padding, and choose one that gives you the best combination of comfort and flexibility for your running style. Spending a little extra time and money to buy properly fitted running shoes from a specialist store rather than online can pay dividends in terms of more time running and less time recovering from injury!
Better Foot Support with Custom Orthotics
If you experience any foot and ankle pain, or have sore heels or lower leg pain after running, the problem might be that your foot is not in the optimum position when running. Custom made orthotics can radically improve your foot position in your shoe, giving you better support for high or fallen arches, pronated or supinated feet, and reducing the risk of tendon strain and heel pain (plantar fasciitis). Many of our sporting patients report improved performance and freer movement, as well as reduced muscle strain.
Custom orthotics are shoe inserts that are molded to your feet, and when placed in your shoes, gently correct your foot position. It is important that they are fitted correctly, so at Hunt Footcare, we take time to fully examine your feet and legs, discuss any related problems such as back pain, and assess your gait (movement) when standing and walking. We then take a detailed impression of each foot, and create custom orthotics to fit your foot exactly.
The great benefit of custom orthotics is that you can transfer them from shoe to shoe, so you can run in them in the morning, then pop them into your work shoes, for complete comfort and support all day long.
So, if your head says ‘go’ but your feet say ‘no’ this spring, trot along to your local Hunt Footcare Clinic and we’ll help you get back on track in no time.