Do you have back pain?

A lot of people do. Mine wasn’t as bad 3 weeks ago as it is today.

I’ve done a LOT of walking (probably 4 to 5 miles a day) as I’m in the process of building my legs back up after a couple of weeks of being on the road and driving a lot.

The picture here is my golf cleats this morning that, 3 weeks ago weren’t very worn at all and today, as I was standing with lower back pain I took them off to take a peek.

There’s no pudding, but if there were, the treads would be in them.

Years ago I went to a running store and they assessed how I walked. Have y’all ever done this?

I felt like I was on a runway being judged.

“Please just walk normally back and forth while we stare at you and look you up and down” is pretty much what I heard them say even though they didn’t say it.

Then, they tell you what you’re doing wrong just by walking and then they say they have “just the thing!”

Well, it turns out, the thing they sell masks the problem, makes it to where you’re super comfortable ONLY in those shoes and doesn’t FIX the problem.

Yay! Something more to get hooked on so that you’ll now HATE all other shoes because they don’t FEEL right.

Yep, I got caught in that trap too.

It sure felt good. Not on the wallet, but on my feet. They were expensive, but they felt like they were made just for me. And, to be honest, they were. They were the exact fit for the exact problem I had. My treads showed the exact wear and they showed me how these new shoes would alleviate the problem.

Well, sometimes when we solve one problem we get unintended outcomes.

Like, for instance, the fact that all my other shoes were tossed to the side and, in my mind’s eye, no good. Once I became aware of the comfort, I didn’t want to go back to anything else so I wore these specific shoes everywhere, making them only good for about 3 months.

And, I couldn’t shop anywhere else that sold “normal” shoes because they were for everyone else, but would only make my pains worse and I’d immediately regret it if I put them on.
What a great way to get someone hooked on something!

Erggghhhh.

And, for a couple of years, I purchased several of these $100+ miracle cures. The problem, clearly, is that they’re not miracle cures at all.

I’m naturally leery of anything that doesn’t actually FIX things, so I researched. Are you this way? Do temporary fixes bother you as much as they do me? It’s like this is almost every industry too, there’s a “quick fix” to help you feel better, but, in the long run, it costs you way more time, money and energy.

Anyway, back to my feet… What did I learn? Well, I read and read and learned about supinated feet, pronated feet, underpronated, overpronated, etc.

Do you know what kind of feet you have?

Did you know your feet and how you walk and stand and dance can be a major cause of back problems, posture problems, muscle imbalances, and pain throughout your body due to overcompensating and adjusting your weight as you go?

Getting shoes that make you feel better is NOT the answer. At least not long term. And, at least not for me. For some people, this is all they can do and it’s enough.

If you’re able to, you have to actively work on the fix for whatever kind of problem you’re dealing with.

In my case, my feet are back to being supinated meaning there are actions I can take (again) to resolve this including adding arch supports, stretching tendons and ligaments (dang it, more yoga), using Orthotic inserts and ensuring proper warm ups and cool downs. There are probably more things I can do but that’s where I’ll start.

Your feet are a critical part of your journey and not taking care of them as best you can will leave you wishing you had, much like I am right now as I’m standing here in just my socks, rocking back and forth to ensure all parts of my foot are being used.

Take a pic of the bottoms of your shoes and show off your gait! Don’t leave me hangin’ out here thinking I’m the only one who apparently doesn’t walk right! (yet)