Recently, I have been reading a lot about the issue of what is better for our feet: orthopedic shoes or just going barefoot?
After spending copious amounts of money on shoes and insoles to correct my dreaded plantar fasciitis problem, I've come to learn that my best weapon is what Mother Nature intended me to use: my bare feet. Of course, I can't just let me un-pedicured, callous-ridden feet have all the credit. In fact, going barefoot wouldn't have been an option had I not invested in some 1" thick puzzle mats.
They may not be pretty, but they are a tremendous help.
I bought a 6-pack set of the Shock Athletic puzzle mats from Sports Authority a few months ago, and I have yet to suffer a flare up. Never in my life has exercising in a 4' x 6' box been more enthralling!
Ok, so they don't leave me with much room to work with. I'm sure you are also wondering if they move too much, and my answers is yes...but it depends. You see, if I distribute too much weight throughout my feet when doing high impact aerobics, the mats start to slide across the floor. Instead, I have learned to be more graceful by emphasizing the weight on the balls of my feet. This also minimizes noise, which is great for me since I'm on the 16th floor of my building and my downstairs neighbor is not a fan of high impact aerobics.
The downfall is that they don't have the durability to sustain long-term usage. I'd be lucky to get few years out of them. Still, for around $35, I think they are a good investment. Another bonus is that they are great for protecting your knees during kneeling mat work.
I say enough with these overpriced cross-training and running shoes....let us rejoice in our naked feet! Let the revolution begin!
Cheers!
After spending copious amounts of money on shoes and insoles to correct my dreaded plantar fasciitis problem, I've come to learn that my best weapon is what Mother Nature intended me to use: my bare feet. Of course, I can't just let me un-pedicured, callous-ridden feet have all the credit. In fact, going barefoot wouldn't have been an option had I not invested in some 1" thick puzzle mats.
I bought a 6-pack set of the Shock Athletic puzzle mats from Sports Authority a few months ago, and I have yet to suffer a flare up. Never in my life has exercising in a 4' x 6' box been more enthralling!
Ok, so they don't leave me with much room to work with. I'm sure you are also wondering if they move too much, and my answers is yes...but it depends. You see, if I distribute too much weight throughout my feet when doing high impact aerobics, the mats start to slide across the floor. Instead, I have learned to be more graceful by emphasizing the weight on the balls of my feet. This also minimizes noise, which is great for me since I'm on the 16th floor of my building and my downstairs neighbor is not a fan of high impact aerobics.
The downfall is that they don't have the durability to sustain long-term usage. I'd be lucky to get few years out of them. Still, for around $35, I think they are a good investment. Another bonus is that they are great for protecting your knees during kneeling mat work.
I say enough with these overpriced cross-training and running shoes....let us rejoice in our naked feet! Let the revolution begin!
Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment