Eliptical causing numb feet?

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gettinmeback143
gettinmeback143 Posts: 12 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am having trouble with my feet going numb when I work out on the eliptical. Does this happen to anybody else? Any suggestions?

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  • chuckles9189
    chuckles9189 Posts: 343 Member
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    YES!!! I hate it. It's gotten better since i've quit smoking. Someone posted on my wall to make sure to move your feet. As if you were actually walking/running.
    I've also found if I Don't hold onto the handles and mimic running a little easier my feet feel better.

    I hate the elliptical because of this. But sometimes my knee gets really sore so I'm stuck on it.
  • misskerouac
    misskerouac Posts: 2,242 Member
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    I get it to, I just make sure when it starts happening to shift my weight more to my heels instead of my toes
  • jkestens63
    jkestens63 Posts: 1,164 Member
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    Try to keep your heels down, don't stay on your toes. If it continues try reducing the resistance or alternating going forward and reverse.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    Move your feet or take a 15 second break to stamp your feet. It's just like if you stood in one spot without moving your feet for an extended period of time.
  • kirbyjo3
    kirbyjo3 Posts: 10
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    It helps me to go backwards when the numbing starts. Sometimes changing up the forward movement to backward movement stops the dead foot feeling from spreading.
  • jojohnson090
    jojohnson090 Posts: 80
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    This happens to me from time to time. Usually when I'm on the elliptical I shift my feet around since the foot holder thingy ma-bobs (very technical term there..) are way bigger than my feet so there's plenty of room to move them around.
  • Mustang_Susie
    Mustang_Susie Posts: 7,045 Member
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    It helps me to go backwards when the numbing starts. Sometimes changing up the forward movement to backward movement stops the dead foot feeling from spreading.

    Yes, I've done this too:smile:
  • hedgehoggins
    hedgehoggins Posts: 9
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    I have this problem in one foot (I broke a toe a few years ago and it healed funny, so I guess my balance is off?). A runner friend suggested loosening my laces and it totally solved the problem! Instead of crossing the laces after every eyelet on your sneaker, try leaving some uncrossed so that there's a gap, and therefore less pressure on the top of your foot. You can try lacing your sneakers a few different ways until you find a way that works for you. The other thing you can do is buy sneakers that are a size or so bigger than your usual shoes.
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
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    I have the exact same problem. I've tried switching to my heels and alternating forward and backward motions and moving my feet as though I'm walking and nothing makes it completely go away. I'm interested in the responses so bump...
  • Emtabo01
    Emtabo01 Posts: 672
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    For me, it was my toes going numb. I started using it in flip flops, never happens anymore.
  • STUDMUFFIN1969
    STUDMUFFIN1969 Posts: 1
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    I had the same problem until I took off my shoes and just wore socks. This helped a bunch. I think wearing shoes might constrict blood flow just enough to cause the numbing. I find it easier to keep my feet flatter too without wearing shoes. Good luck...
  • RhonndaJ
    RhonndaJ Posts: 1,615 Member
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    I get this as well.

    What I read in another thread on the same topic was that it happens a lot if you keep your weight on the balls of your feet, which made sense to me, and the solution of shifting press to my heels alleviates the problem.
  • Bakkasan
    Bakkasan Posts: 1,027 Member
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    Yep and trying to keep pressure towards the heels takes care of it for me. It took a while but now its habit.
  • 00snook
    00snook Posts: 16
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    In my experience its shoes being too tight that causes this.

    Loosen off your laces and try again. My feet swell up when on an elliptical (probably to do with the motion of the thing) and that causes them to go numb.

    Looser laces did the trick for me.
  • murphy612
    murphy612 Posts: 734 Member
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    Mine turned out to be tight shoes, I loosened my shoestrings before getting on it and viola! No numbness :) I've seen several other people have had the same issue.

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