Saturday 29 September 2012

Get your kick’s in shape

Here's an interesting article to cover the basics on buying running shoes from friends at www.itendswith.us.
 
The heats’ coming in quick, and the time has come to shed the clothes. Here’s a running shoe’s buyer guide for you lazy hipsters because we’re all tired of you taking off your shirts at the beach.Starting to run’s not exactly the most fun thing to do; in fact it’s downright awful. Trying to get yourself out of your door is almost a good enough reason to just open up the fridge and crack another cold one. Especially when its summer and it seems like every temptation is inviting you onto the next patio bar. Whether you’re a pack a day smoker looking to cough up some phlegm, a heavy drinker who needs to sweat out the toxins, or just someone looking to replace your ripped sneakers. Here’s some tips, so you can toss on your fresh kicks, crank up the tunes and head out into that sunshine.



There are three types of Shoes we’re going to cover:
  1. 1.     Neutral
  2. 2.     Stability
  3. 3.     Barefoot
It all comes down to the type of foot you have. If you have the wrong shoe, every step you make is going to put pressure on different joints and muscles because your body is not aligned properly in its gait cycle. To test which type of foot you have, take a look at your arch.
Types of arches:
  1. 1.     High
  2. 2.     Normal
  3. 3.     Flat/Collapsed
A simple test is to stand on one leg, holding both arms out at shoulder height and try to do a squat.  If you find that you roll inwards and your foot collapses in than you “Pronate.” If you find that you roll outwards, and put pressure on the outside of your foot you “Supinate.”

1.     Neutral Shoes
A neutral shoe is ideal for someone who has either a high or normal arch and/or supinates. They range from a heavy cushioning shoe, to something more flexible. A better-cushioned shoe will help with long distance runs, as well as getting familiar with your body as you run. The benefit of flexibility in the shoe is that it hits core muscles in your feet you wouldn’t traditionally hit with a more structured shoe. They also help to transition into something more minimalistic down the road.

2.     Stability Shoes
A stability shoe is ideal for someone who has more of a flat foot, and/or pronates. It is also ideal for someone doing a long distance run. The added support can help to push you an extra couple of kilometers when running longer distances. They range in levels of support and cushioning.

3.     Barefoot Shoes
A barefoot shoe is something with minimalistic structure and cushioning and can be used to strengthen the feet. It is designed to encourage a more natural movement of the body. Typically with a bare foot shoe you land mid-foot on your stride, avoiding putting pressure on your heel. If you do not take the right steps and transition into a barefoot shoe, you risk the possibility of injury.

Top Running Shoes Categorized

Neutral Cushioning
  • Asics Pulse/Cumulus/Nimbus
  • Saucony Excusion/Ride
  • Nike Dual Fusion/Pegasus/Vomero
  • Mizuno Rider/Enigma
  • Adidas Glide/Response Cushion
Neutral Flexibility
  • Nike Free Run’s
  • Adidas Fresh Ride
  • Reebok Optimal
  • Under Armour Charge RC
  • New Balance 730/1080
Stability
  • Asics 1170/2170/Kayano
  • Saucony Guide/Hurricane
  • Nike Lunarfly/Lunarglide/ Lunar Eclipse
  • New Balance 990
Barefoot
  • New Balance Minimus
  • Merrell Pace Glove
  • Vibram Toe Shoes
The truth is as you work your way up in price. There is more cushioning distributed throughout the shoe, smoother transitions, lighter rubbers, and more comfortable performance fits.
To all you Monday-Sunday PBR drinkers, pack a day smokers, beer guts and fat butts. Get up and sweat you’re shit out, you’ll thank yourself later.

http://itendswith.us/get-your-kicks-in-shape/

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