Toes Go Numb on Elliptical 😫

_Kelly_Kelz
_Kelly_Kelz Posts: 29 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all -

This is super weird but, does anyone else’s toes go numb while doing the Elliptical? Every time I do it, my big toe and the next one over do! lol maybe it means my shoes are too tight? They don’t feel like the are. Any idea anyone? I to 99 problems and my toes can’t be 1! 😜🤗

Replies

  • _Kelly_Kelz
    _Kelly_Kelz Posts: 29 Member
    *got 😒🤣
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
    edited May 2021
    I think it's fairly common. The elliptical is an unnatural movement and stride that causes various issues for many people.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,488 Member
    Unlike running or walking where you lift your feet off relieving constant pressure, your feet DON'T leave the pedals and consistently put pressure on the nerves of your soles. It's like standing in one place too long without moving and your feet going numb. If you lift your toes up occassionally, or even your whole foot, it will relieve the pressure.

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  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,937 Member
    Yeah, it's common. When it happens, try lifting your foot off the pedals every other stride. Also make sure your shoes aren't tight.


    I like that Precor AMT Trainer a lot better than ellipticals and I don't have the numb foot issues on it.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    Yes, fairly common issue.

    Either:
    • Lift your feet occasionally.
    • Loosen your laces / unlace the top holes on your trainers.
    • Reverse direction for a period of time.
  • _Kelly_Kelz
    _Kelly_Kelz Posts: 29 Member
    Awesome! I’m glad I asked! Thanks guys! 😁
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    Also, try a different elliptical. I'm not a huge fan of ellipticals, but some have a more natural width to them than others. My wife, who is petite, used to really struggle with one make of elliptical in the gym. It would hurt her foot and knees. The other one was much more natural to her width and she had no issues on that one.

    If your gym has more than one model (some have the arms, some have stationary arms, for instance), try the other models and see if that helps.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    edited May 2021
    I'll add that since they allow different methods to apply your weight and motion to get movement - you could be pushing forward too much instead of the down and back part of the motion.
    Shoving toes into front of shoes can be problematic.
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,386 Member
    It seems to be a fairly common problem, but I think a lot of it has to do with ramp angles and resistance.

    If the resistance is too low you never really unweight your foot that is moving forward. I found that lower resistance and slower pace usually make my feet more sore.

    For that reason if I'm going to go slower I usually just crank up the resistance so it more or less simulates a harder walk, similar to walking slightly uphill.

    I've also found that shoes with a harder or narrower sole are generally more comfortable as they allow my foot to move a little bit on the pad.
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    MikePfirrman wrote: »
    Also, try a different elliptical. I'm not a huge fan of ellipticals, but some have a more natural width to them than others. My wife, who is petite, used to really struggle with one make of elliptical in the gym. It would hurt her foot and knees. The other one was much more natural to her width and she had no issues on that one.

    If your gym has more than one model (some have the arms, some have stationary arms, for instance), try the other models and see if that helps.

    I am short and I can't stand "compact" or adjustable stride ellipticals adjusted to a short stride. I am really picky about ellipticals.

    My toes go numb at the gym but I have Raynaud's.
  • _Kelly_Kelz
    _Kelly_Kelz Posts: 29 Member
    I am short (5’2”) and I know I lean forward while I do it for this reason. Maybe an adjustment will help, along with other suggestions above. Thanks again everyone! 🤗
  • astod4
    astod4 Posts: 49 Member
    You might try doing foot yoga to strengthen your foot intrinsic muscles. You could probably search online for exercises to do. You might also consider changing your shoes if those other suggestions you’ve received don’t work.
  • missjck2
    missjck2 Posts: 146 Member
    This used to happen to me when I first started using the elliptical years ago. Wiggling my toes during the workout helped a LOT, you should have enough room in your sneakers to do so. Guess I had to train my toes because it doesn't happen anymore and I can do an hour on the elliptical with no issue.

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