Running
How to choose the best shoes for running
Running shoes are a critical component for performance when going for a run. Despite equipment being scarce for the sport, your shoes will define how well you perform for your daily jogs. If not chosen properly, long term injuries and other unnecessary risks could surface. Here are some tips to show you how to choose the right shoes for running.
Factor to consider while choosing shoes for running
Finding The Right Fit
Identifying the arch of your feet is possibly the most important thing, but the width and length of your foot in its entirety isn’t something to brush off. For example, if you have wide feet, a narrow pair of shoes may suffocate your feet and cause discomfort and even bruising.
Oddly enough, the spacing between your toes and length of them from your mid foot is equally important. Cramming your toes into a nice pair of shoes won’t do you good if blisters and swells start to surface after some time.
Ultimately, looking online can only help so much, but trying different pairs on will give you a proper feel that will make your decision much easier.
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Knowing Your Foot Arch
Other than shoe size, there doesn’t appear to be anything else to look for - but with running, you’d be surprised. Every foot has an arch and determines how well your feet can traverse terrain and how much damage one might sustain after some time.
High arched feet and flat feet will cause strain to the foot and muscle aches when running long distances, and certain shoes have the proper technology to minimise said risks. According to studies by podiatrists, low arch feet are the best feet for runners as they have a higher amount of flexibility while still offering support between each stride.
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Identifying Your Gait
Now we’re getting into more technical territory. Gait is basically how your feet react when they make contact with the ground when running. Overpronation occurs primarily with those who have low arch feet who make contact with the heel before other parts of the foot. The motion is followed by the foot rolling inwards ever so slightly which will cause a lack of stability.
Neutral gaits are common for those with medium arches where the middle part of the heel makes contact with the ground before anything else. Although it will bend inwards too, there is more stability and does a better job at absorbing the impact of each stride. Supination is for those who have high arches and this results in the outer part of the heel making the main impact on the ground when running. This is possibly the most dangerous as the foot is not capable of absorbing shock when impacting the ground.
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Knowing Your Running Route
Before even choosing your shoes, it’s important to plan your route and understand whether it could affect your balance, joints and overall momentum. If your running posture is rather sporadic and has the potential to cause great injuries, simple shoes for sidewalks and brick roads would be the ideal choice. While it is rarer to find a strong community taking the time to get a jog in offroad, it isn’t unheard of and definitely can be done.
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Setting Your Running Goals
In tandem with understanding the route you want to take for your regular jogs, understanding the purpose of your runs and what you are training to accomplish is a big consideration before picking the right pair of shoes. If it is speed and racing, shoes that are better at dealing with friction would make sense. Shoes that are better suited for tar and concrete would be perfect for such a goal.
Alternatively, it could just be for keeping fit. If that is the case, you could be less picky about your footwear, however if your route has a chance of uneven terrain and even unpredictable weather, getting a durable pair of shoes would be the wisest choice.
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Starting With Walking
The common saying is that people should learn how to walk before they can run and it is possibly the most apt adage to remember for this sport. By walking at a steady pace and observing your methods of walking, you start to have a rough idea on how you would be as you pick up speed.
As your walks turn into brisk walks and eventual jogs, your arm motions, stride distances and even pacing will determine the kind of runner you’ll end up being. While it is possible to alter your running style through training and a staggering amount of self awareness, it’s easier to play to your strengths and work with what comes naturally to you.
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Types Of Running Shoes
Stability running shoes are designed for those who either have their feet rolling inward or outward most of the time. While this doesn’t hurt the feet on its own, this type of footwear does its best to restrict excess movement so that your running can have a straighter form and better stability.
High arched feet will find comfort in Cushioned running shoes, specifically designed with a soft base to ensure that every impact on each step is softened, minimising long term damage.
Last but not least, neutral running shoes are for those that don't fall into extremes of arches or have glaring running habits. Medium height arches need the least amount of assistance as this archetype is better at handling impact while retaining stability.
In essence, these are the most common pairs of shoes that are easy to find and simple to customise from a fashion standpoint. As these are the majority on the market, chances are that you won’t run into problems finding the right pair for you.
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3 years ago
Running vs. Swimming vs. Cycling: Which Is Best for Burning Fat?
The trinity of cycling, running and swimming is one that represents one of the purest ways of fitness throughout history. Triathlons are often celebrated as events that can appreciate the endurance and will of each contestant that are dedicated enough to attend. Many people may argue placing these three sports against each other, wondering which one is the most effective for losing weight, building stamina and is overall worth the commitment. Today, we will be determining which of the three (running, cycling, and swimming) is best for burning fat and improving daily living.
How to Burn Fat by Running
Let’s start with running: the best sport out of the three that requires the least amount of spending and preparation type. Running is by far the most approachable for those newer to exercising. It can be done outdoors and indoors, it can be done with friends and it can be done without any setup.
Many people may find running to be the simplest of the three exercises, but does its job by providing massive amounts of fat loss and even helps with leaning out your muscles. Despite being the most popular out of the three, surveys have indicated that running loses out to strength training and walking in terms of long-term fitness habits people tend to commit to.
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In terms of its capacity to burn fat, it solely depends on your distances against the speed at which you are running. A light 10-minute job will probably not do the trick for you, but passing the 45-minute threshold will be when your body starts tapping into its fat reserves to burn as you begin to metabolise.
Running is a constant exercise that needs to be done and is the prime representation of fitness and endurance. It is a common exercise for a good reason and is incredibly dependable when you’re short of time or need to commit to a weight-loss programme for that summer body in the near future. Naturally, dieting takes priority, but committing beyond half an hour at a steady pace during each run will make a world of difference to your body.
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How to Lose Weight by Cycling or Bike Riding
Unlike running, cycling is seen more as a hobby than a fitness routine to many. Off-road and on-road biking can have either united or separated communities and the range of bicycles is in abundance. Ever since the pandemic surfaced, many more are riding due to the sheer convenience a bicycle can offer, even without being part of the cycling community.
Although it leans towards being specialised, the passion for riding comes from its versatility as a sport, the plethora of equipment, and the skills required to master riding.
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Hand-eye coordination is key to knowing how to ride a bicycle, and knowing how to handle your vehicle on different terrain, and in different climate conditions does help riders to cultivate skills that transcend a mere cardio workout plan. In terms of accessing this sport as a viable fat-burning activity, cycling can be a mix of low impact and high impact, which is phenomenal for those who suffer from stressed joints.
As cycling burns fewer calories than running at the same distance, you’ll have to cycle further to get the same amount of calories burnt. Which means that you’ll have to take out a larger portion of your time to burn the number of calories of your choosing? This doesn’t necessarily mean that cycling is worse than running, but you will require going the distance to get the same results. With resistance in the pedals and terrain to consider, there are variables that prove to be exceptions.
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How to Maximize Fat Burning while Swimming?
Unlike running and cycling, swimming is a full-body workout that does a lot more for the body than just burning fat. The natural resistance of water allows each stroke to give the body some sort of muscle training. With your core holding you in place, it is your legs and arms that will be doing all the moving, making this exercise possibly the most well-balanced out of the three, but does it burn fat just as effectively?
Swimming has multiple strokes and some of them are low intensity that does not put mobility as a priority; while other strokes are far more intense and will require proper breathing, detailed movement, and practice in order to get the hang of it.
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Like cycling, swimming can be both low intensity and high intensity, but you will want to stick to the latter for proper fat loss. Fast lap-free strokes and breaststrokes are the best for burning fat, documented to burn 590 calories per hour if under 60kg.
One factor that could deter many from committing to swimming as a hobby is having access to a proper swimming pool for this kind of training. Apartments and some single houses are completely out of the question, and condominiums may not have the right kind of Swimming pool for training.
Weather also plays a big part: unlike the other two exercises, swimming is unrealistic (outdoors) if it’s too hot or cold outside. Granted, there are indoor complexes, but they aren’t necessarily common. If these drawbacks are not a determent, picking up this hobby will get you far.
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Cycling vs. Running vs. Swimming: Which One Is the Best for Weight Loss?
Before coming to a conclusion, it is important to distinguish the terms that fall under the “best” when assessing the criteria.
If we are talking about versatility, running loses to both cycling and swimming due to how versatile the other two are. Swimming gives you a full-body workout, natural resistance, better breathing skills and can be done to relax too. Cycling is also versatile; being a solid solution for those with joint problems, effective at burning calories, and requires very little equipment.
However, if you are considering the “best” to be one that can burn the most amount of calories under a specific time - running and swimming beat cycling.
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Cycling naturally requires more distance to get the same kind of impact as a run under half an hour for example. The rules for this may not apply to swimming as variables like strokes and pool sizes can change up the ability to determine how many calories burnt at that point in time. Overall, running is the safest choice for reliable fat burning, if you are tight for time, but all three require hard work and dedication to see proper results.
3 years ago