From the category archives:
Fitness Testing
Foot strike test for runners – Do you know if you are an over-pronator or a supinator? Here are three methods any runner can use at home to discover his or her individual foot strike.
Midsole Creasing
Look at cushion on the inside sole of your shoe. Creasing in the EVA foam of the midsole is a good indicator of foot motion. (However a polyurethane mid-sole provides no creasing indicators.) The deeper the creases, the greater the wear. You need to compress newer shoes with your hands to show the crease marks, but older shoes show the creases by themselves.
Neutral foot-strikes show creasing in the medial forefront and lateral heel of the mid-sole. Over-pronated foot-strikes cause excessive creasing along the medial side of the mid-sole, along any part from the forefoot to the heel. Supinated foot-strikes create excessive creasing in the lateral mid-foot of the mid-sole.
Outsole Wear Pattern
Another measure of foot motion is the wear pattern of the outsole of your shoe. This pattern might indicate how the impact is distributed along the foot as it strikes the ground. Compare your shoe’s pattern with the diagram shown over at Cross Country Running Shoes 101.
Wet Footprint Test
Here is another way to determine foot motion. With wet feet, stand on any flat material that can show a clear footprint. A paper towel, paper bag, or piece of cardboard works well. Compare your wet footprint to the same images above.
What Does Foot Strike Mean For You?
For a neutral foot-strike:
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You want to leave well enough alone, so neutral shoes are best. Support and motion control shoes might push your neutral foot-strike into the wrong position.
- It’s OK to wear almost any shoe, but NOT one designed for moderate or severe over-pronation.
For over-pronation:
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Look for the shoe that offers just enough support to prevent your feet from rolling inward too far. A little too much support is better than not enough.
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Your primary concern is guiding your feet into the correct position, so the body stays aligned properly. Your shoes could be firmer than others on the market. Support increases as firmness increases.
- If you find the right firmness and support, but would like a softer feel, try out a similar model from a different brand, or buy a cushioned insole.
For supination:
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You want a shoe that is very flexible and soft, one that rolls and twists easily.
- The main problem is that your feet lack natural shock absorption. You don’t need to correct the foot position. Instead, you need a soft shoe that offers good protection.
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Many runners or fitness advocates seek to purchase a heart rate monitor as a tool for analysis and guidance on the road to achieving maximum fitness. For those who don’t want to spend a fortune, a basic heart rate monitor offering considerable performance and reliability as well as essential features for sport and fitness is the Polar RS100 Heart Rate Monitor Watch.
A heart rate monitoring device comprises of a strap that wraps around your chest. The special strap has sensors that measure how fast your heart is beating during exercise – a measurement that is usually expressed in beats per minute (BPM). Almost all heart rate monitor watches feature the ability to set a target heart beat minute – or more specifically a lower and upper range. This heart rate “band” serves as a guide for the exercise intensity you desire in your workout. The popular term for this feature is a target heart rate zone. Watches will also alert you with an audible or visual indicator when your heart rate falls outside of this zone. Running watches like the RS100 Polar will also tally up the amount of time over a training session that you spend within a zone.
On top of this, the RS100 Polar Watch features a basic stopwatch with 99 lap and split times over an exercise session making it ideal for timing the types of repetition workouts that are popular among runners, cyclists and triathletes throughout endurance communities worldwide. The Polar RS100 watch can also measure your average heart rate on a per lap and a per session basis and can record the approximate number of calories burnt.
The watch is designed to be simple and intuitive to use with a large face and layout with three data lines, one of which is customizable. The layout comprises of big digits that are easily viewable in the middle of an intense workout and a lap-counter that lets you view the current lap number in your session.
One of the best places to purchase the Polar RS100 online is the Amazon website. Not only is Amazon one of the cheapest places to buy sports watches – (you might even find a Polar RS100 Sale item in one of their numerous sales events at a heavily discounted price), but you can also learn a lot about products you wish to purchase by reading the customer reviews. A Polar RS100 review will reveal what customers who have actually used the watch actually think of it in terms of how it performs in the real world rather than what is claimed in the sales copy.
Incidentally, the Polar RS100 is a top-rated item on Amazon with over four stars, making it a strong choice for anyone seeking a decent quality heart rate monitor watch that can be used on runs, rides or in the gym.
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Fitness Testing – Before you begin any fitness routine it makes sense to start by getting tested for your current level of fitness. This makes sense both from a safety and planning standpoint. Depending on your fitness level, personal characteristics and traits, and other personal circumstances, your doctor may or may not want you to engage in certain types of activities relative to your fitness plan. It is therefore a good idea to obtain a physical examination, which should be combined with a fitness test. Your doctor may send you to have the fitness testing done elsewhere or allow you to arrange for it on your own.
A well done fitness tests will typically include:
- A review of your health history
- Measurement of your heart rate and blood pressure
- Measurement of your body fat composition
- Strength testing
- Flexibility testing
- Oxygen absorption
A facility that offers quality fitness testing should not only provide you with the results of your tests, but should also review the results with you and explain what they mean. The results of your fitness test will become the basis for formulating a fitness plan to accomplish your goals. Therefore, your fitness tester should be prepared to address the results in the context of how it affects your approach to implementing any eventual fitness plan.
You should schedule a second fitness testing session six to 12 weeks from the date you begin training. This will allow you to track your progress, and will also assure that necessary adjustments to your plan are made early enough that you can benefit from the feedback. After the initial fitness tests and your first reevaluation, be sure to be retested at least once every six months. Don’t allow yourself to go entire year without being retested.
Use these little spot checks to motivate you to continue with your plan, and to reward yourself as you chart the achievement of your goals.