When I was starting my running journey in 2019, a common piece of advice I received was that you can just start running, and really don’t need anything fancy – including trainers. While this can help us to get out and get going to quickly improve our running, the chiropractor in me knows how important a supportive pair of trainers can be. They can enhance your running, but, more importantly, they can also help prevent injuries. So this week I want to give you some tips on how you can set yourself up for success with a good pair of trainers and then get running!

It goes without saying, but if you are going to invest in anything to help your running, it has got to be your shoes. Specific running trainers are key because they help to support you for the specific action of running. Other sports, such as basketball or netball, have shoes which are specifically designed to absorb impact from performing those sports. Running shoes are designed with flexibility, support and comfort to help with the repetitive gait of running.

Your running shoes are not like a pair of leather boots, they don’t need to be ‘worn in’, they should be comfortable from the get-go. This is especially important if you have the intention of running longer distances. Shoe fit for your unique foot size, shape and use is so very important. A great tip is to get your running shoes a half or one whole size up, to allow for the swelling in your feet as they warm up as you run. With running socks on and feet in your laced up shoes, there should be at least a thumb’s width space at the toe end of your shoes to comfortably accommodate foot splay and any foot swelling.

In the pursuit of finding the right pair of trainers, visit a specialist running shop with a treadmill. You can run on the treadmill to have your gait analysed and trial different shoes. If you don’t have access or time to do that, we normally advise starting with a neutral shoe and one that isn’t highly cushioned.

Our feet our designed to splay and have the ability for our toes to spread. Not only our running shoes, but our daily shoes should reflect this. When picking your running shoe, your shoes should not feel cramped, but they should feel like they have some room either side of both your big and little toes. According to Nike’s research, women tend to have broader forefeet, a narrower heel, longer toes and higher arches than men, so it could be worth buying the female specific shoes to cater for these different biomechanics.

When it comes to arch support, this is very individual. The stability level that is best for you, is determined from the pronation of your feet. If you have a lot of pronation, commonly referred to as ‘flat feet’, it is likely that you will need a higher level of support in the arch of your shoe. If you have a low or neutral arch, a neutral shoe will tend to suit you better. A key point here is that your pronation levels can vary from when you are stood still versus running. You can get someone to film you running in barefoot and watch it slowed down and see if your foot stable or does your ankle roll in? It is important to note that, just because your feet work in a certain way, doesn’t mean you ‘have’ to have a certain type of shoe, it needs to be comfortable for both your feet and ankles. Sometimes people with ankle pain but no pronation find that a more stable shoe does work better for them.

To get some benefits of running, you don’t have to be training for a marathon or abandon all other types of exercises. Just 30 minutes of running 3-5 times a week can be enough for your body to receive the health benefits that running can provide. If running for 30 minutes is too much to start with, build it up. Start with walking for 30 minutes then add in 30-60 seconds of running throughout the 30 minutes. A great tool we know has helped many people, is the Couch To 5K app!

Its’ easy to forget that the whole range of benefits don’t show up after just one run. Whatever the exercise, consistence and persistence is key. If doing something every day is not realistic for you, start with making something a habit, at very least, every week.

Heal < Adapt < Evolve