Importance of Having the Correct Shoes for Exercise
No matter what sport you are participating in, it is important that you have the right equipment and the right clothing. This is true for the shoes that you choose to wear too. Wearing the correct shoes for exercise, depending on the sport you are taking part in, can prevent unnecessary injuries; good shoes can lessen the impact of your step and even cushion your foot from heavy landings.
There is a big difference in the way various sports shoes can support your feet. You shouldn’t wear the same shoes for football or tennis as you do for running, as different trainers are designed for different purposes.
Ill-fitting sport shoes can cause a range of problems including back pain, knee and hip pain and even injuries such as Achilles tendonitis and shin splints. It is important that you invest time and money into having the correct shoes fitted if you want to avoid hurting yourself. If you do come across pain when you exercise, sport injury rehabilitation could help.
What shoes do I need for different sports?
In football, there can be a lot of stress on your feet especially if you are playing on hard surfaces such as artificial turf. It is important that football boots are fitted properly. Tennis, squash or other racquet-based sports involve a lot of side to side movement, meaning shoes designed for these sports are heavier and stiffer than the likes of running shoes. The toes of tennis shoes are built for stop and go action.
When it comes to running shoes, they are generally quite flexible but should only be worn for running. It is important that you buy the correct shoes as you could have a degree of over- or underpronation. If you have overpronation, the outside of the heel makes ground contact but the foot rolls inward more than 15%. This can cause stress and tightness to the muscles. Underpronation is an insufficient inward roll of the foot after landing. This means forces of impact are concentrated on a smaller area of the foot.
Possible injuries caused by wearing the wrong shoes
If you don’t have the correct shoes, you could be at risk of injuring yourself. Iliotibial (IT) band syndrome is a strain within the IT band; this is the connective tissue that runs along the outside of your thigh from your hip to your shin. It often feels like a dull pain on the outside of your knee. If you think you have this, it is worth getting your shoes checked as you may need a pair that offers more arch support to help correct pronation.
Shin splints are a common injury in runners; they are small tears in the muscles around your shinbone. They often occur in new runners or those who are returning to the sport. Shin splints can be caused by overpronation or wearing worn out shoes!
If you think you have caused yourself an injury while exercising, book an appointment today and see how we can help you!