Supination simply refers to the supine, facing up, position.
However, supination, in feet, refers to how your weight is distributed when you run or walk. The weight is usually a bit more on the outer side of the feet.
Ideally, when you move, your weight should be balanced on your feet.
If you supinate, the effects and strain may introduce problems that unfortunately get worse over time. But worry not, here you’ll find 7 powerful tips on how to correct your supination.
When walking normally, your foot should roll inward a bit, leaving your weight on the ball of your feet. Then you push off the big toe.
A gait with supination looks a little different. It has this rolling motion that is hard to miss. This is because most of your weight falls to the outside edge of the foot.
Supination occurs more in feet with high, rigid arches. The arches prevent the feet from flattening enough as you walk.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU SUPINATE?
The wear on the soles of our old shoes is a good indication of whether you supinate or not. Normally, the wear pattern goes from outside towards the center.
If it is more on the outer edge, you may be a supinator.
Do this little exercise to tell whether you are a supinator or not: With bare feet, wet your feet and stand where you can see a footprint: like a brown paper bag or concrete floors.
The print left is what you need to study. Normally, supination leaves very little to none of the arch left.
You can also take a pair of your old boots and place them in heels facing you. If they tilt outward, that may be a sign.
When you run, do the outside of your heels hit the ground first? That there, is yet another sign.
For a supinator, stress fractures and ankle sprains may come often. The pressure on the outside of the foot has the tiny toes doing more causing stress fractures and pain in the ankles.
While most of us may feel pain when we hit our ankles against something, if you are a supinator, the pain is more extreme. A supinated foot is less shock-absorbent, that is why.
Thus, any small bump can result in something much serious.
7 POWERFUL TIPS ON HOW TO CORRECT SUPINATION
Treatment of supination is dependent on how severe it is. Either way, the methods below are bound to give you results.
1. GET THE CORRECT FOOTWEAR
Correcting supination always begins with what you wear.
You’ll need lightweight shoes with proper cushioning and room for your toes. The fit is everything so make sure they are neither too big nor too small.
Your shoes should be comfortable and closely fit the contours of your feet. The soles should be thick and flexible and have a good amount of tread.
High top shoes that extend ankle supports or athletic tape like KT tape will add some extra support. There are also specially made shoes made for supinators to correct the condition.
2. LIGHT EXERCISE RIGHT WHERE YOU STAND
Adding a little stretching and exercise as one of the tips on how to correct supination is a very popular trick because it works for most people.
The aim here is to relieve and ease some of the tension found in the feet and calve muscles.
Jumping rope is a familiar exercise on this list. You can do this either barefoot or on the soft or carpeted ground.
Try this range of exercises too. Most of them last just a few minutes, but their benefits have proven very powerful.
3. ORTHOTIC INSOLES, CRAFTED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE SUPINATOR
Orthotics are molded insoles made to be inserted in footwear. This will greatly improve your alignment and comfort.
Orthotics do this by evenly dispersing your weight over your feet. Gel heel wedges also help.
4. WARM-UP CORRECTLY BEFORE A RUN
Supination does not do well with rigid muscles. Running places extra stress on the outer side of the foot, so warming up is very essential.
Granted, sometimes you have really busy days that you just want to hit the ground running, literally. But however busy you get; you need to warm up and get the tissues in your feet ready for the run.
Only then will they bear impact properly without making your supination worse.
5. MEDICAL TREATMENT
When supination becomes too severe, it should not be left unchecked. Seek medical treatment. Thankfully, there will be no need for surgery.
A physical therapist can help loosen rigid tendons while strengthening the muscles to reverse the effects of supination
6. INCORPORATE THE RIGHT TYPE OF STRENGTH TRAINING
Exercises strengthening your kinetic chain by focusing on glute and hip strengthening exercises work to add more stability to your feet and ankles.
This is one of the underestimated tips on how to correct supination.
7. REST YOUR FEET
Supination does not like overuse and strain. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t move but take breaks in between high impact activities like basketball, CrossFit, soccer, or even running.
Also, when you pick up a new exercise, ramp up slowly.
WHAT PROBLEMS DOES SUPINATION CAUSE?
Why do we need tips on how to correct supination?
Supination, especially where extreme, can lead to various physical afflictions because your legs do so much for your body.
When you have supination, you may experience hip and back pain. Some parts of the body, like your calves, may have tension.
You can also develop Plantar fasciitis, which causes your soles to be inflamed. It makes walking very painful.
Supination also stresses the knee and raises the risk of injury to your ankles. The ankles and legs may feel so weak when you move around for long periods.
Pain the ball of the foot is also a common symptom among people who supinate.
Supination causes calluses to develop on the outer edge of the foot. In worst-case scenarios, you get clawed toes which makes wearing shoes a real horror.
Your balance is yet another thing that supination interferes with. You may also develop an awkward walking style if the supination goes uncorrected.
CONCLUSION
Supination doesn’t have to hold you back from achieving your best comfort, endurance, and speed.
With the exercises listed above, you will be able to correct most of it and lead a better quality of life.
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