Get Fit with Endorphin Junkie Fitness

Personal Training with David Hawkins-Weeks

David Hawkins-Weeks is a YMCA Personal Trainer based in York, England. Through one-to-one sessions, I can help you to make some major changes in your life by improving your health and fitness. My clients have achieved weight-loss, increased muscle tone, a better diet, as well as becoming much fitter. And it isn't just for celebs and high-earners! Learn more...

Journal Notes

Are your training shoes up to the job?

Photo of a pair of worn-out trainersDid you know many of the injuries that people suffer when running are caused by inadequate shoes or ones that are old and worn out! Some of those injuries can include shin splints, hip and knee pain as well as foot pain. Making sure that your footwear is right for you is important and, although the price of trainers can be high, it could mean the difference between continuing your running injury-free or having a long time off!

Trainers should not only be comfortable for you but also provide cushioning and support as well as fitting well. The average running shoe will last about 500 miles, but they will probably be ‘on their knees’ by this point. It is vital that you regularly check your shoes and change them well before they become completely worn out. And it’s not just the soles that will wear; as the shoes age, the heel, outersole and midsole will deteriorate, giving you progressively less support and cushioning.

There are many brands and different types of shoe available, according to your feet and running gait and it is best to visit a dedicated running store and try on a number of different shoes. Unfortunately, many of the high-street stores are more interested in selling you fashion items rather than footwear that does the job. Two excellent dedicated stores in York are Up and Running along Fossgate and Sweatshop in the lobby of Next Generation Health Club off Hull Road. Both of these stores use computer gait analysis and will be able to give you much more accurate advice on the right shoes for you. They’ll also allow you to try on many pairs (don’t be shy about it) and test them out on a treadmill.

No matter what the advice you may be given, the overriding question you must ask of yourself is ‘are they comfortable?’. If they are not, then don’t buy them! Other good advice would include:

  • Take your old pair with you; a good sales person can judge an awful lot by how your old shoes have worn
  • Always maintain at least a thumbnail of extra room between the end of your longest toe (not always your biggest) and the tip of your shoe; your feet will swell during running
  • Try shoes on with the socks and any orthotics that you may use when you run
  • Be sure the sole flexes easily where your own foot flexes

If you need more information on shoes, try Runner’s World: Choosing a Shoe.

Don’t let your shoes get too worn out before you think of changing them!

Posted on Sunday, 1 June 2008 at 8:00 pm

Comments (0) for Are your training shoes up to the job?.

Side Notes

More GP's recommending exercise for depression

Recent research by the Mental Health Foundation has found that more GP's are recommending patients to exercise to help depression. From their survey, 61% now believe a supervised programme of exercise to be 'very effective' or 'quite effective' in treating mild to moderate depression, in comparison to 41% three years ago.

This is good news and is demonstrating a greater commitment to exercise as therapy.

Posted on Saturday, 7 June 2008

Wiggle adds new triathlon section

The superb online store, Wiggle, has just introduced a new section to its site specifically for triathlon. The section appears to be extensive already and it comes with the excellent customer service and fast turnaround of orders.

Posted on Sunday, 2 March 2008

Government launches £372m strategy to fight obesity

The UK government has published a new £372m strategy to reduce the rising levels of obesity by 2020. The new strategy will focus on healthy eating advice, increased cycling routes and 'healthy towns', and will particularly concentrate on childhood obesity. For the full briefing see the Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives strategy at the Department of Health's website.

Posted on Wednesday, 6 February 2008

Being physically active really does slow the ageing process

A new study on twins by researchers in the UK showed that people who are physically active in their leisure time aged more slowly than their more sedentary counterparts. See the research at Archives of Internal Medicine.

Posted on Wednesday, 6 February 2008