Find the best shoes for your workout

The asphalt jungle
Humans may be the only animals that do most of their running and walking on hard, man-made surfaces like concrete and asphalt. Of course, I am referring to modern man, particularly people who live and work in urban areas and rely on roads and sidewalks for level surfaces on which to exercise or get back and forth. This is a shame, because grass or a level dirt path would provide far more shock absorption than pavement. In most urban areas, a nice level path of grass or dirt to run on is difficult or impossible to find, so runners train on sidewalks or roadways.

It is imperative that the surface on which you run should at least be free of potholes and sudden, sharp dips, and not be overly canted. One bad step on an uneven surface could result in a severe ankle or knee-joint injury. As well, runners often neglect to take into serious consideration the pounding to which their bodies are being subjected as they run on hard surfaces. The added shock of a hard landing on the foot accentuates biomechanical foot faults, and can lead to injuries such as stress fractures. The most important thing runners can do is wear running shoes that provide the best shock absorption. Extra shock-absorbing material in running shoes will considerably reduce the jarring forces to which the body is subjected with each stride.

The floors on which aerobic exercises are often done have also been blamed by sports medicine specialists for development of problems caused by excessive shock to the foot and leg. One common injury is shin splints. Fortunately, good fitness clubs have recognized the problem and have sought more resilient surfaces to install in their exercise areas. They have found that not only do their members remain more injury-free, but their instructors miss fewer classes because of shin splints and other overuse problems. As I mentioned above, if you do aerobic exercises on a very hard floor, you should wear running shoes, because they provide the best shock absorption for your feet. And, as I noted in the previous chapter, switching to low-impact and step aerobics will dramatically reduce the number of stress fractures, shin splints, and knee and iliotibial band injuries.

Read more:
• Well-heeled: The right shoe for you
• How to start your own walking or running regime
• Top workout-wear trends

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