Running & Jogging

If you are considering buying your first pair of minimalist shoes, you can't know which shoe is best for you without trying on a few pairs, says an avid minimalist runner, but here are five minimalist shoes that you should definitely consider.

The position of the foot just before ground contact during running and walking may put people at risk for ankle sprains, according to a new study in the June 2011 online edition of the American Journal of Sports Medicine which found that people who have a history of repetitive ankle sprains demonstrated lower clearance heights between their feet and the floor during running, and pointed their toes down more during walking.

Girls who play sports more than 8 hours per week are twice as likely as their less active peers to suffer a stress fracture, a new study finds. Most at risk were those engaged in three activities (running, basketball and cheerleading/gymnastics) which involve repeated jumping and landing which place particuarly high stress on bone, with the risk of injury increasing about 8 percent for each extra hour of activity over four per week.

Static stretching neither prevented or induced injury when compared to not stretching before running, according to the results of a first-of-its-kind large scale randomized study presented at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in San Diego.

Overuse running injuries such as patellofemoral pain syndrome (so-called "runner's knee"), and Achilles tendonitis may have more to do with weakened hip muscles than the sheer number of miles an athlete runs.

If your child wants to run track, cross-country, marathons, or triathlons, selecting the right running shoe is extremely important.

Because the mid-sole material of an athletic shoe takes a pounding and eventually loses its ability to provide your child's foot with adequate support or cushioning, experts, such as Dr. Michael Lowe, past President of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, and long time team podiatrist of the NBA's Utah Jazz, recommend periodic replacement of athletic shoes, even if the bottom sole shows no sign of excessive wear.