An important item among your fitness gear is your running shoes. It may be one of the most important items you buy. The right running shoes help reduce personal injury or continue to support stable health. One type of running shoe that has gained a fair amount of popularity is a motion control running shoe.

Often you will find a motion control running shoe linked with overpronation, flat feet or orthotics. Actually, they are such a popular detail that you could probably motion control in every type of sport shoe. A simple verification to see if your foot is characterized with overpronation is to look at the bottom of an older pair of shoes. Is the inner side of your shoes worn more then the outer side? Yes? Then you are right to look for a motion control running shoe, since overpronation and motion control are often found together.

Look for the motion control running shoe to provide durability and control. These shoes can be lightweight and have great stability. Give serious consideration to buying a motion control running shoe if you wear orthotics or have flat feet. A shoe with motion control is a good stable shoe to choose. Of course, it's good for us.

Tags: benefits of jogging, running shoes

Purchasing anything new can be a lot of fun, but it can also be very frustrating. Purchasing a pair of Running shoes is no different, and do the nature of our bodies I wouldnt recommend rushing into a pair of shoes just because they are cheap or convenient. No two people have exactly the same foot; however manufactures have divided shoes into three different categories: Cushioning, Stability, and Motion Control. Within these three categories their can be a lot of variation, but it is a good base guide to start with.

Cushioning - Cushioning shoes are shoes that have little to no lateral support. These shoes are good for runners who do not need this support, and have neutral feet. Generally this type of shoe will be for the runner with a high arch. Instances where this type of shoe is not right is in a case where you are a pronator or an overpronator.

Stability - Stability shoes are a mid range shoe category which offer a balance between cushioning and motion control. This shoe is for a runner who has a normal arch, lands on the outside of the foot and rolls forward. If you are unsure of where else to be this category is a good place to start.

Motion Control - The motion control category is for runners who really need support in a running shoe. Extreme pronators and overpronators can take advantage of a Motion control shoe, as well as a runner with weak ankles and other foot problems that would benefit from a shoe with a lot of stability.

Of course with only three categories like I mentioned above, there is a lot of room for variation. This is only meant to be used as a quick guide for things to look for in running shoes. I would recommend visiting a running store and having an employee look at your feet to give you a good idea of what category your feet fit in. If you have serious foot complications like extreme pronation, fallen arches, etc I would recommend visiting a foot doctor, as running shoes by themselves might not be enough. You could require orthotics, or even just simple strengthening exercises to get and keep you on your feet.

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Tags: running, running accessories, running shoes

The best women's running shoes are designed to give the feet control, stability and cushioning. If a woman's shoe has all these features, it ranks among the best shoes. A shoe with control provides a good grip while the woman is in motion or halting, thereby reducing foot injuries and falls. Shoes with motion control are especially recommended for women with flat feet or overpronator. A pair of shoes is considered stable when it controls excessive side-to-side motion and provides less flexibility in the toe area. These are definitely recommended for women who have toe problems and tend to twist their ankles or lose their balance often. Shoes with cushioning are good for women with high arches or underpronators, and women who suffer from heel pain or have poor natural padding. Cushioned shoes have excellent shock absorption qualities. But the cushioning properties of a shoe get eroded after about 400 to 500 miles of running.

The fit of the shoe should be good enough to make any pair worth its price. The best running shoes for women would have a little bit of extra space to wiggle the feet. The shoe should have about a thumbs' width of space more than the full size of the feet. The middle foot area should have a secure and comfortable resting place beneath it. And there should not be any slippage at the sides near the heel area. If they are also lightweight, they will tire you less and help in running long distance.

Many popular shoe manufacturers make women's shoes with most of these features. Nike, Brooks, Mizuno, Avia, Saucony and Asics are the brands offering the best women's running shoes. Their prices range from about $25 to $150 and are offered in a variety of attractive colors and designs. To find out which shoe is best for you, check the fitting thoroughly and discuss your running plan with the store attendants. A shoe that might be best for me may not suit your requirements. So it is advised to search for your best option by seeking the above features in your running shoes. You can find the best running shoes either in a shoe shop or on the Internet.

Tags: girls running, running shoes

Marathons are becoming more and more popular these days. Marathons in large cities around the United States have started lotteries to pick the participants because of overwhelming registrations. At Liveleantoday.com, we wanted to support people with their marathon training programs. If you are going to make the commitment to train for a marathon lets make the effort count.

1. Proper Running Shoes: The most important decision you can make is proper running shoes for the biomechanics (way your foot moves) of your feet. The number one cause of injuries while training is improper shoes. There are three types of running shoes: stability, cushion, and motion control. Stability shoes are designed for those that have neutral to slight pronation (rolling your foot inward) during running. Cushion shoes are designed for people with high arches, and motion control shoes are designed for people that over pronate or roll their feet too far inward. Find a running shoe store that can test your biomechanics and recommend proper shoes for you.

2. Eat carbs: We don't need to over eat carbs, just make them 60% of your daily diet. Carbs don't make you fat, they are actually your major source of energy. Often people running marathons for weight loss don't eat enough total calories for the amount of exercise they are doing. This puts them into an exercise starvation mode that shuts their bodies' fat burning properties off and people actually store more fat. If you are not losing weight with your marathon there is a good chance you are not eating enough. Use a heart rate monitor to measure your calories you are burning and add every calorie burned over 500 back into your diet.

3. Get electrolytes: Drinking water is good enough. Electrolytes we eat and drink absorb water to keep us hydrated. Especially running in heat people sweat out tons of electrolytes and without replenishing them stay dehydrated even if they drink water. Electrolytes are found in salty food, sports drinks, and many of the running gels you can purchase.

4. Interval Training: Most marathon training programs only put interval training into the advanced programs. Interval training is actually great for people at every level. Interval training is workouts where you repeat short durations of high intensity followed by short durations of low intensity running. Interval training is the most efficient way to increase your speed and your body's ability to produce more energy. With proper heart rate training any person can do optimal interval training.

5. One Long Day: You actually only need to do one long run a week. If you can do it once you can do it for your race. Most people do too many long runs each week, which puts too much extra toll on your body. This extra toll causes so many of the marathon training related injuries. Most injuries occur from people doing too many miles, not running to fast.

6. Plenty of Sleep: Your body needs the rest from all of your training. The best way to have a poor race is not to give your body adequate amounts of sleep. Getting rest the week before your race isn't good enough. To be in peak shape for your marathon you need to get a good nights sleep for the entire training program. One night of bad sleep isn't going to do anything though consistent lack of sleep will greatly damper your results.

7. Train with a Heart Rate Monitor: The best way to train at the correct pace for you is using a heart rate monitor. Training each week at different heart rate zones optimizes your speed and your body's ability to produce energy. Liveleantoday.com, an online personal trainer and dietician website, customizes your heart rate zones for optimal marathon race results. Secondly, noticing changes in your heart rate from day to day can tell you if you are

overtraining, not getting enough sleep, or you are dehydrated. 8. Training Partner: To run your best marathon it is good to get a training partner. A person that will help you be accountable to your training program and get out of bed on some of those tough days. If you are unable to find a training partner on a regular basis, find a person you can do interval training workouts with to push you and challenge you to become faster.

9. Rest: You want to be in peak shape for your marathon race day. A good taper for a month before you race is ideal. A taper is a slow decrease in the mileage each week allowing your body to recover. You are not going to make any training improvements that will matter for your race, so give your body the rest and run the fastest race for you.

10. Start Slow: We all want to start fast and look good at the start of the race. Most people take off too fast and burn a high percentage of their stored energy in the first mile. Taking off to fast will drastically slow down your pace for the whole marathon. To run a fast time start even slower than you think and gradually pick up your pace until you get to a good pace for you. Starting slower will give you energy to go at a fast pace for the entire race and even go faster at the end. The greatest way to run a poor time is to be slowing down the whole second half of the marathon.

About the Author

Bryan Ashbaugh, MS Exercise and Sports Science is CEO of LIVE, llc of www.liveleantoday.com - visit the website for more information on weight loss, core fitness programs, optimal diets, and online personal trainer and dietician services.

Tags: marathon, Marathon Races, marathon training

Men and women have many differences and shoes are just one of them. A woman?s shoe isn?t merely a smaller version of man?s shoe. The design is different to allow for differences in the shape of the foot and weight applied to the heel. Men?s running shoes are generally stiffer than women?s shoes. This allows for more support and motion control whereas women?s shoes tend to be a little more flexible. For a long time, running shoe manufacturers specialized mainly in the construction of men?s running shoes and basically build scaled down versions for women.

In recent years however, many manufacturers have taken to designing running shoes specifically for women which take into consideration the differences in the build of women?s feet. Since men of the same height tend to weigh more than women, men?s running shoes are designed to be tougher and have more cushioning in the sole to absorb the pounding caused by the additional weight.

The heels are typically designed to absorb shock of greater intensity. These extra features tend to make the shoe stiffer which adds additional support for the male foot, but which can make it hard for a female to move and flex naturally while wearing. In general, the male foot has a broader forefoot than a woman?s. The female foot tends toward being angular. As an example, see the features of the following men?s running shoes:

The Nike Shox TL3 This shoe is constructed with triple layers and provides great fit and optimal comfort. These layers allow the foot to breathe and the midfoot is given extra support from the lacing design. The Nike Shox has bisected heel columns to allow each heel a smooth landing. This shoe provides excellent cushioning as well as impact protection. The Nike Shox offers the latest in sports shoe technology as well as old fashioned comfort. This shoe costs around $150 per pair. The Adidas Clima Cool Running Shoe

This is another high quality men?s running shoe. It is constructed of breathable materials which are fast drying. The material provides for maximum ventilation from both sides and it has an antimicrobial lining which limits the bacterial growth and cuts down on odors. This running shoe has a shock absorbing midsole with inserts and plates which reduce impact and protect feet. The rubber outersole is made from high traction rubber. The Adidas men?s running shoe is less expensive than the Nike, it costs around $85 per pair.

About the Author:

Gavin Sanderson provides articles on sports. You can find more of his work at the site running-shoe-zone.com.

Tags: running, running accessories, running shoes