numb feet on elliptical/ arc trainer

kerrifair

I have reebok pump sneakers, they seem to fit well but for some reason my feet go numb (specifically from the balls of my feet to my toes... my toes moreso) after a while on the elliptical or arc trainer. I tried different sizes, different sneakers... still they go numb. Do I have a weird stride or something? I can't splurge on custom fitted sneakers right now.. any thoughts?

htimpaired

I have that happen to me as well, I don't think it's my shoes, I think it's the elliptical. I dunno, the movement doesn't feel very natural to me, and maybe I'm pressing on the pedals wrong. I just stay off the ellipticals and stick with treadmills or step mills.

Elise4270

Might visit your podiatrist. Mine are numb but I have nerve damage.

40andFindingFitness

I have a coworker who says being on the elliptical make her feet feel like they're on fire. She tried changing socks/shoes but has the same result each time. I guess it doesn't gel well for some people. I agree, stick with the treadmill/step mills.

tasmin21

I had problems with tingling in my feet, and the folk at my local running store said that it was because my arch was so high that the shoelaces were pressing on the nerves there. I changed the lacing on my shoes to kind of skip over the very top part of my foot, and haven't had a problem since.

schelly81

I get this with new shoes. You're lacing too tight most likely or your shoes are too tight. After my shoes get broken in a bit it no longer happens

lemon629

tasmin21 wrote: »

I had problems with tingling in my feet, and the folk at my local running store said that it was because my arch was so high that the shoelaces were pressing on the nerves there. I changed the lacing on my shoes to kind of skip over the very top part of my foot, and haven't had a problem since.

I was just going to post the same thing. I use the "skip lacing" method.

https://www.on-running.com/en-us/news/tags/the-6-best-ways-to-lace-your-running-shoes

IILikeToMoveItMoveIt

Maybe try pushing down with your heel more/ evenly. This happens to me as well and it was because I was forcing down through my toes when I got tired...

DrLauraDVM16

Same here. As tasmin21 and lemon629 mentioned, it helped a lot to loosen my laces over my (also really high) instep. The other thing I do is try to actually pick my foot up off of the pedals occasionally.

rileyes

kerrifair wrote: »

I have reebok pump sneakers, they seem to fit well but for some reason my feet go numb (specifically from the balls of my feet to my toes... my toes moreso) after a while on the elliptical or arc trainer. I tried different sizes, different sneakers... still they go numb. Do I have a weird stride or something? I can't splurge on custom fitted sneakers right now.. any thoughts?

That happens when you spend over 20 minutes on the elliptical. Your foot isn't getting full motion range. I would spend less time and do short intervals of fast/very very fast instead. I think you target fat more with shorter duration intervals. But if you insist on longer duration, you can do toe crunches with each step. That will get circulation back to your toes.

bbontheb

Do you have metatarsalgia? Ball of foot pain too? You might benefit by getting those little foot pads in your shoe. A podiatrist really helped me determine why I was having pain, and issues. If you can see one, I would recommend it. Also, if I lace too tight it happens.

katscoots

I have this problem too. It's actually quite common. what helps me is to concentrate on a heal to toe motion throughout the workout. The harder I have to work, I find that the more apt I am to go up on the balls of my feet or toes without really thinking about it and that makes it worse.

vixtris

Sometimes I feel a little bit of tingly-ness on the bottom of my feet but I really think its my socks They have this weird netting kind of knit and I think its just really pressing into my skin there. Other than that, I dont feel like my foots going to sleep or really 'numb.' Also the suggestion of keeping your laces tied looser is a good one, I find that its more uncomfortable when theyre tied too tightly

StephenCyrus

I've had this happen until I finally found the right pair of shoes. Been doing an elliptical for 3 years now and feet no longer go numb after I bought a pair of Brooks Glycerin 10s. Even after 45 minutes my feet are fine. I also change the ramp settings and sometimes go backwards to break up the monotony.

GWehsling

Get your iron levels checked.

ninerbuff

Unlike walking or running on machinery, the majority of people leave their feet on the pedals throughout the workout. The constant pressure on the medial plantar nerve causes the numbness (like your foot falling asleep). Lifting your feet off the pedals every 50 steps or so should remedy this.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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callsitlikeiseeit

the only time i had that experience was with a pair of 'bad' shoes. different shoes resolved the problem (for me)

kzzr

rileyes wrote: »

That happens when you spend over 20 minutes on the elliptical. Your foot isn't getting full motion range. I would spend less time and do short intervals of fast/very very fast instead. I think you target fat more with shorter duration intervals. But if you insist on longer duration, you can do toe crunches with each step. That will get circulation back to your toes.

This.

And what I do is do interval training for 20 mins on the elliptical and then move to either the bike or the rower for the last 10mins, and again I do interval training on those, get's more done in less time and it's better for your heart and lungs, I also use a heart rate monitor so I know how hard I'm working.

Marilyn0924

Loosen the laces a bit, they are probably a bit tighter than they need to be, and be sure to push through your heels during exercise on the elliptical, many make the mistake of pushing on the balls of the foot and this can cause discomfort.

miriamwithcats

I participated in a research study after I had carpal tunnel surgery on both wrists. They were recruiting folks that had either both hands (very uncommon in the non-dominant hand) or had to repeat the surgery. The premise was that there is a small percentage of people that have nerves that are very sensitive to compression and they thought they found the gene for it. That suddenly made sense of a lot of things in my life. My feet would tingle and go numb wearing hiking boots, skates, roller blades or ski boots. They would also tingle and go numb riding bicycles for a long time. Lacing my shoes too tight. Walking too far. My hands started going numb when I was just 20 and was carrying coffee pots in each hand to serve lunch to seniors. They also did when I was pregnant and retaining water. I couldn't even hold a sewing needle at times. I suspect that many of the people responding to this post are also super sensitive nerve people- compression doesn't seem to bother the majority of people and many people prefer their shoes/ boots laced tight for support. Now that I am aware of what the issue is, I immediately take action by loosening laces, skipping lace holes, even cutting the back seam of hiking boots! Good luck with your sensitive nerves!

ryan_aye

ninerbuff wrote: »

Unlike walking or running on machinery, the majority of people leave their feet on the pedals throughout the workout. The constant pressure on the medial plantar nerve causes the numbness (like your foot falling asleep). Lifting your feet off the pedals every 50 steps or so should remedy this.

Thanks for posting this, I've had this occur sporadically but never really looked into it. Thinking back on when this did occur it is very likely those instances when I was not lifting my feet while working out.