STAY ON YOUR FEET

Inseam, hip and waist measures are critical in buying a pair of jeans, once the decisions on brand, style and price have been sorted. A trial room and mirror helps. Similarly, fit, size, cushioning and arch support are key in the choice of a running shoe and often override brand, price and style.

All new shoes feel great, but an inappropriate shoe leads to problems, sometimes over the years. It’s important to know whether you are flat-footed or have a high or a normal arch, and also understand if you over-pronate or under pronate

"Ouch, these guys just stopped writing in English!" Let me try and explain:

When you run

When you run, the outer part of your heel strikes the ground first. The middle part of your foot then begins to make contact with the ground, while it rolls inwards by around 4-5 degrees at the arch (or pronates).

This is the body’s means of natural shock absorption. The entire foot is in contact with the ground for a fraction of a second before the ball of the foot (the part just next to the five toes), kicks off, with the help of the toes. And we have lift off.


Here are some simple ways to understand your feet better.

The wet test: Wet both your feet, step onto a sheet of paper, and view the wet pattern.

If the imprint shows your whole foot, then you are flat footed and, perhaps, over-pronate i.e. when your foot hits the ground your arch collapses a bit more than needed (over-pronates).

You need a shoe that has a much firmer middle, a stability shoe or if you are severely over pronating or are a heavier runner (over 75kgs) then a motion control shoe.

If you see some of your foot and a curved arch, a normal arch, the best shoes are those that provide stability (as above).

A thin line connecting your heel to the ball of your feet and your toes means you have a high arch (the foot most probably supinates or turns outwards.

You need a shoe with a soft middle to absorb the shock of every foot strike.

The old shoe test: Flip your old running shoes over (or if you don’t have one, examine the soles of your old shoes).

If the inside of the sole is more worn out, then you are most likely flat-footed and over-pronate. If the outer sides of your soles are worn out, you are likely high-arched and under-pronate (or supinate)

The walk test: Walk towards a full length mirror and then away from it, and observe your feet motion. Also, just watch other people jogging or walking in the park or on a treadmill and see if the inners of their shoes are getting most of the wear.

Then you can tell if they are over-pronating or under-pronating. About 80 per cent of the population have structural problems in their feet that cause abnormal walking pattern
Basic shopping tips

Feet swell during the day. Shop in the afternoon or evening.

If you run longer distances (10km or more) buy a size larger than normal to allow for foot expansion. You should be able to stick in a finger between your heel and the shoe. Don’t ever fall for the sales talk (it will loosen out). While that could happen with a leather shoe, it’s the wrong answer for a running shoe purchaser to hear.

Most of us, strange as it may sound, have one foot longer that the other. So measure the shoe size of each foot and try out the shoe size for the bigger foot.

Wear socks during the try out.

Visit multiple stores, try multiple brands and models, ask questions and learn more, before you buy. This will be your most important investment, as problems with arches often travel up the skeletal system to the ankles, shins, knees, hips and finally the lower back.

Do not assume that the most expensive shoe is the best for you. Many in the Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 4,000 range could be just right for you.

So just like you would never buy a 40inch waist DKNY jeans just because they are the latest, don’t end up buying the latest and most expensive shoes and assume that they are the best for you.

If you are serious about running, keep two shoes and alternate them so that they get a day or more to breathe, and spring back to provide your feet the support they need.

Enjoy the run, and enjoy your running shoes even more than your jeans! Now you, like Fauja Singh, can run marathons in your nineties.

RUN LONG RUN STRONG

RUN LONG RUN STRONG

The incredible benefits of running go beyond the realm of health. The second in a series on running and living. Every run is a gift. Run long. Run strong.


Running tends to release endorphins (indigenous morphine produced by the body). Sounds great, right? Takes you on a trip and it’s free! Running in the outdoors in particular has been known to cause this runner’s high, which can last for long periods of time — even days. I have felt unbelievably ‘high’ for a few days after a marathon, on several occasions.
Effects on the brain

Running has also been used by many, over the years, to treat clinical depression. After a study in 2007, scientist said, "Exercise clearly has effects on the brain" and they are both direct and indirect. It’s possible, he explained, that the current findings reflect a direct effect of exercise on nerve cells in the hippocampus, or more general changes in the brain, like better blood flow or increased hormonal activity.

A natural compound (epicatechin) and exercise boost memory in mice and may help protect against cognitive decline in aging, says newly published research. "This effect increased further when mice also exercised regularly. The compound, epicatechin, is one of a group of chemicals known as flavonols and has previously been shown to improve cardiovascular function in people and increase blood flow in the brain. Flavonols are found in some chocolate."

Okay, so eat chocolate and exercise. I am sure this is now finally beginning to sound more palatable to you.
To manage jet lag

Now that may sound far fetched, but it isn’t. Believe me, in my last assignment at Motorola I had to travel a lot — 200,000 miles a year — so managing jet lag was important. I found that maintaining a regular regimen of running even a short distance, starting the day or morning after landing in a new time zone, helped me remain energised and perky, even without generous doses of coffee.

Most importantly, running is a great way to make yourself incredibly positive and optimistic, as you measure your progress, and see yourself achieve some things that you never thought possible of yourself. At 40, I could barely run one km without being exhausted and out of breath. Over a six-month spell of winter in Chicago, I found I could run five km without stopping, and then I felt I could achieve anything. It gave me that supreme sense of confidence. I then went on to run my first marathon that year and have done 22 more since! And I am no athlete.
Team up

While you run you make new acquaintances in the park, in a gym, on the road. As you greet them, they tend to reciprocate and, then all of a sudden, you have a few more friends. Or if you are running with people you know, you find soon enough that you are starting to bond on a different plane too.

It’s a great way to build teams in companies, being the most egalitarian sport, as CEOs rub shoulders with new recruits and so on. Try it!

Talking about running getting you to bond with others on a different plane brings me to Warren Kay, chair of the Department of Religious Studies in Andover, Massachusetts U.S., where he teaches a class on the Spirituality of running. He has written a book on sweating yourself to enlightenment: Running: The Sacred Art.

So whether you want to get younger by nine years, or attain Nirvana, all you have to do, is run, run! I hope that’s a succinct sales pitch, and you are running, and I can curl up in bed and have my chai and paratha, and I will chat with you next week. Go ahead and start.

Moving quote

In case, I haven’t convinced you yet, I would like to end with a moving quote from the blog of a cancer-fighting runner. "Oh how I do love running. I love the feel of wind in my air, the dull thud of running shoes against the packed dirt. The crunch of the gravel. The running endorphins enhancing my senses, and how alive I feel at the end of a run. Running is freedom. I hope I can run forever. Every run is a gift. Run long. Run strong."

PSYCHOLOGY OF EXERCISE

It is important to keep changing your routine and set new goals. This prevents monotony and gives one something to work towards.

Exercising regularly is not the easiest thing in the world. Not all of us have the good fortune of actually "liking" exercise. Having said that, it is possible however to train your self to enjoy it (well, at least for the most part). It is all in the mind!

There has been so much media hype about it (and rightly so), that it is hard to find an educated person today who is unaware of the benefits of regular exercise. Whether they act on it is another story altogether.

Why this complacency when the writing is on the wall? Maybe a sense of invincibility smothers us. Like the smoker who believes he will never fall victim to lung cancer, most of us think we can bypass that responsibility for the day without repercussions.
One step at a time

There is a psychology behind learning to exercise regularly. To begin with, focus on goals, both short term and long term. Visualise the positive changes in your body (both internal and external) while you go through the motions. Envision a healthier, slimmer, stronger you.

Don’t get discouraged by the gym rat or by slow progress. One step at a time, as you begin to feel better every day, and you really will, when the endorphins start kicking in.

I encourage people to see this as time alone for themselves. Most people multi-task trying to make ends meet. Rarely do they even have the opportunity to connect with themselves during the course of the day. Use this as a time to contemplate, unwind and de-stress.

How does one de-stress while breathless on the treadmill? The mere act of the repetitive, structured movement of the extremities diverts the mental stress to the physical action and actually creates alpha waves in the brain that generate a calm state of mind.

As you continue to work the cardiovascular system, the endorphins released give you the elevated mood and improved moral.

When this is repeated frequently enough, you start to look forward to that very activity that causes the "high". It feels great when it’s completed and the results are indisputable. This is reason enough to keep at it.
Making it a habit

According to the transthoretical model of change, an individual goes through a series of stages before the act of exercise becomes a habit. This could take as long as five years of regular exercising for you to fall into the category where "Fitness" is part of your lifestyle.

During the course of this process there may be many an occasion that can challenge your resolve and you may find yourself sliding backwards. But there is always the option of getting back on the wagon.

Initial rapid weight loss can be exhilarating. Inspiration in itself. Then comes the plateau. During the plateau phase it is important to find something other than your weight to keep you motivated. The compliments slow to a crawl and the scale doesn’t move. Keeping the weight off is just as hard work and you need to compliment yourself on that.

Take up other projects in the meantime and stop obsessing about the scale. This is a time when exercise can wane and inspiration runs low but persistence invariably pays off and the plateau gives way to a new horizon.
Maintenance phase

Then comes the maintenance phase where you have achieved your goals, but have to sustain it. Or improve your already excellent condition. Although not as hard as the earlier phases, there can be a sense of complacency that may result in return to earlier habits and weight gain.

I believe it is important to keep changing your routine and set new goals. This prevents monotony and gives one something to work towards. There’s always place for improvement.
Feel good

Emotional eating, stress, fatigue, travel, lack of sleep can all interfere with good intentions. Feel good about yourself, including the body you are in now.

Sometimes it may be required to lay off a little with the exercise or indulge in your favourite treat.

Keeping things in perspective and priorities right will get you the results you want and try and have fun while doing it.