PSA - Buy New Workout Shoes!

So apparently, there are stricter guidelines on what types of shoes are acceptable for certain workouts. I hate to admit that I've been really naive about what types of shoes I should wear for certain exercises. All my life I have worn shoes that simply LOOKED good. More often than not, these ended up being running shoes. Running shoes are fantastic....if you're a runner/walker. They're also OK for light aerobic exercising as well.

However, my research on what has been causing my knee pain, has led me to the discovery that I was wearing the wrong shoes. Now, there are a few other things that probably aided in the knee pain like using the wrong knee placement in certain exercises like squats and lunges. However, I remember being warned about making sure I bought the proper shoes when I started this Insanity workout program. I also discovered through my research that you are supposed to change out your workout shoes at certain times in the year depending on your level of activity. According to my level of activity, I need to purchase new workout shoes a MINIMUM of twice a year. I am embarrassed to admit that I have owned my most recent pair almost 3 years. My back-up pair was almost SEVEN years old. WOW, I was WAY off!

SO, I did a ton of research on what type of shoes I should buy. I ended up buying a pair of cross trainers, (Nike AirMax Trainer I) that would support the lateral movement and high intensity of my workouts.

I couldn't find a picture of my exact shoe, but here is something that looks similar.



Obviously, the shoes aren't a magic fix to the current knee pain I have. BUT they are going to help me have proper support in the future. My doctor said my x-rays looked fine and that I needed to take it easier for the next two weeks. I initially took one week off from my normal program. Now that I have resumed exercising, I make sure to ice my knee after workouts and take anti-inflammatory aids to help as well. I'm currently having to do alternative exercises instead of the jumping in some of my workouts for another week. My knee is getting better even though the healing has been slower than I prefer.

I was able to find some good online resources about workout shoes. However, one link I recommend is http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art30184.asp .