Apparently I walk wrong...

hmhill17

Had some pain after walking a 10k (more like 10 miles all said and done) so I went to the ortho. He said I have high arches and need inserts and the physical therapist can take care of it for me. PT told me I walk wrong (supination) and have to re-train my body to walk correctly. I have some semi custom inserts to help, but a lot of it is thinking about my stride as I walk.
Anyone had to do something like that? Any tips or tricks?

corinasue1143

Yes, I wear custom orthotics if I plan to walk very far or be on my feet very long. No tips or tricks. The more you walk (build muscles) and the more you are aware, the better it will get. Lots of people over pronate or supinate.

Lindyloo54321

Check out Joanna Hall's DVDs. She's a qualified sports scientist, and her Walkactive methods are very good. I'm in the process of re-learning to walk properly. Wish I'd taken more notice of her when she was a guest speaker on a cruise I did, a few years ago!

FatButtFunny

My doctor says I have a pronated gait

aokoye

Any tips or tricks?

Did your PT give you any exercises to do to help change your gate? If so my biggest tip would be to do those exercises.

Machka9

Keep working with your podiatrist and physiotherapist.

LivingtheLeanDream

Lots of people have to wear orthopaedics, they will really help.

hmhill17

PT said make sure to stretch my calves and feet and to try to make myself walk on the inside of my feet and push off with my big toe instead of my pinky toe. Says that based on muscle development in my calves, I used to walk/run properly but that I must have changed my stride at some point. I'm wondering if it was back when I ran regularly and was working on forefoot running instead of heel striking and overcompensated on pronation.
Tried it this morning and my calves hurt where they're supposed to for a better gait, so hopefully it won't be as hard as I though.

deannalfisher

hmhill17 wrote: »

PT said make sure to stretch my calves and feet and to try to make myself walk on the inside of my feet and push off with my big toe instead of my pinky toe. Says that based on muscle development in my calves, I used to walk/run properly but that I must have changed my stride at some point. I'm wondering if it was back when I ran regularly and was working on forefoot running instead of heel striking and overcompensated on pronation.
Tried it this morning and my calves hurt where they're supposed to for a better gait, so hopefully it won't be as hard as I though.

it could be something as simple as a minor sprain/strain that caused your gait to change and it just stuck around

I had epic hip issues a few years ago and did PT for it - when i was talking to my physical therapist trying to figure out the root cause she was asking me about running etc - and we identified that i had slightly rolled my ankle while on a run one day - not enough to stop me from running, but enough that i adjusted my gait - which then in turn caused my knee and hip to get out of whack

Cherimoose

hmhill17 wrote: »

a lot of it is thinking about my stride as I walk. Anyone had to do something like that? Any tips or tricks?

If you listen to audio to tune out, don't, so you can pay attention to how your feet are landing.

And walk in shoes with no raised heel. Most shoes have a raised heel, which prevents a smooth, natural gait. Good "zero drop" shoes include Vans, Altra, skateboard shoes, etc.

Terytha

Make sure you get a shoe that fits, and tie it properly. Sounds silly, but if I don't properly tighten my shoes I'm more prone to walking on the edge of my foot.

hmhill17

Wearing my shoes too tight was causing me pain interestingly. Looking for something in the middle. PT recommended a new way to lace them so see what happens with that.

OldAssDude

In my opinion shoes are casts and orthotics makes it even worse.

I have spent about the last year (maybe 2) or so using minimalist footwear more, and regular running shoes less.

The longer I have been doing this the more I think that minimalist is the way to go, but it must be done gradually over at least a year.

When your foot is restricted by shoes and orthotics, it does not use all the muscles, which causes atrophy in your feet as well as other muscles in your legs and elsewhere that do not have to work the same way when you are walking or running.

Shoes with a raised heal can affect your whole posture, and cause problems with joints all the way up the chain of your body.

I would recommend getting a good pair of very flexible zero drop shoe with little to no arch support, and little to no cushion. Start off by wearing them for short distances (whatever is comfortable) at first, and slowly build up from there. Wear you regular shoes the rest of the time, and slowly over time wear the minimal shoes more and the regular shoes less.

Believe it or not, when I run in my barefoot shoes or sandals, my feet & legs don't feel near as beat up as they do when I run in my regular running shoes. It took a while to get to that point though, but I have not had any knee, shin, foot, or back pain since.

I am not a spokes person for minimalist running either. I own close to 40 pair of regular running shoes...

hmhill17

I tried minimalist shoes years ago. After 6 months, I was still nowhere near the point I'd been in running shoes. Now I just keep them around for those rare occasions I go rafting.

10 days of trying to change my gait. Checked the wear pattern on my shoes and the wear on the forefoot is moving to the middle of the shoe instead of the outer edge and some starting near the big toes. I discovered the most important thing seems to be walking with my weight forward. That actually takes more thought than remembering to to roll my foot and push off with my big toe. But my feet don't hurt and my speed is improving, so that's a good sign. Another week and I'll be at 4MPH.