Minimalist vs. stability shoe for someone who has herniated disks and over-pronates. What is safer for 3 mile runs?
Hey Lillian….
quick answer without seeing the person..NO, NO, NO!
Going barefoot or minimalist is a great goal but most people really cant just go straight into them, particularly an experienced runner.
What I would is test their dorsiflexion. Likely you are going to see that their range of motion is limited. This is likely a result of improper footwear. When you look at a running shoe, you should be careful to note that the heel can lifted up to three inches above the toe. This creates a situation, in which the Achilles gets all tangled up and the foot wont be able to properly dorsiflex. Being that everything in our body is anatomically connected, we end up with a hip that can slam up against our lumbar with every step.
I would certainly consider a change in footwear, but not to minimalist yet. I would look to go more neutral but with orthotics.
Hope this helps,
Jeremy
Hi Lilian,
impossible to say without seeing the person, and even then I am wondering whether I would venture a recommendation.
The first question that popped into my mind is whether running is the best form of cardiovascular exercise for a person who over-pronates. But I assume s/he has set her mind on running a 5 K no matter what.
There are some excellent shoe stores (I recommend Foot Solutions to my clients) who have people that know both feet and shoes, and I would suggest that the person go there and try out the various options. Either way, whenever started with new / different shoes, it needs to be started slowly and built up gradually, be it minimalist, completely supported or somewhere in between.
Karin Singleton
www.meltnc.com
