Signs you Need Orthotics for Running

If like me you spend your mornings holding your cup of coffee for dear life whilst scrolling through Instagram’s newsfeed, then you can’t have missed the filtered and beautifully cropped images of all the people who took part in Dublin’s Marathon this weekend. Now maybe you are already a part of the #fitspo brigade or maybe you want to be a part of the #instafit posse and you have decided running is the way you want to go. Well, then you need to keep your foot health in mind before you take the plunge.

When it comes to running many people ignore some of the signs that they are doing damage to their feet, legs, and back. So here are a few signs you need insoles:

Foot Pain

This seems pretty obvious for some but for an unseasoned runner, like me, this is not so obvious. There is a major difference between soreness and pain. Your feet can absorb a lot of shock while running (the mere thought of running 5k is shock enough for me). If you can’t tell the difference between foot pain or discomfort it is recommended to have a podiatrist assess your feet, the sooner you do this the less physical damage you will do.

Heel Pain

This is not good! You should not experience any pains in your heel. Now it may be that your running form is poor, and you are hitting the pavement wrong or it is possible you may have plantar fasciitis, inflammation of a thick band of tissue that runs on the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes. Regardless a visit to the podiatrist will help identify if you need orthotics.

Swelling or Pain While Standing

People neglect swelling after exercise and think it is normal, all I can say is, no….this is not good. If you experience any discomfort standing still or walking about then there is a high chance, there is something wrong with your stride. Orthotics can help correct it.

Now I have passed on some wisdom, I am going to grab my runners and a family member to take a picture of me being #instafit, after all, if there is no picture posted on Instagram did I ever really go for a run?