Running shoes are for running, not lifting weights!
If you're like me, you love your running shoes. They're comfortable, they've got great support, and they make running feel effortless. So it's understandable that you might wear them to the gym.
But what you may not know, is when it comes to wearing your running shoes during your strength training session, they might not be giving you the advantage you'd hoped for and here's why.
Your feet are essential for the stability of your entire body. They provide the solid foundation needed for any exercise. They contain thousands of nerve endings that not only help us feel the ground but also send movement-related signals up our bodies to improve our proprioception (awareness of how our bodies move in space.) The more information you get from your feet, the more stable your base and often, the better balance and overall posture you have.
When it comes to running shoes, they are meant to be lightweight so that you can move quickly and efficiently. They provide reactivity, bounce and cushioning as they protect your feet from the repetitive pounding of each step during your run. Most, now feature a "rocker" midsole to keep you moving forward with each step, rolling through your stride more easily and efficiently.
Wearing your running shoes while lifting weights means there is a great deal of unstable padding between you and the floor. The extra cushioning prevents you from getting the feedback you need from your feet enabling you to maintain balance and stability. This can cause several problems such as:
- Poor balance and posture during exercises
- Difficulty activating key muscles needed to lift correctly and efficiently
- Increased risk of injury.
Think about it this way: imagine you had to pick something heavy up from the floor and you had two options; to stand on a pillow or a concrete base. Standing on a pillow would make you very unstable compared with the concrete floor, I know which I'd prefer! The same concept applies when you're wearing running shoes when lifting weights.
And not only is it detrimental for you to lift weights while wearing running shoes, but the shoes themselves don't fare well under such circumstances! Your expensive runners have a threshold in which they can withstand compressive pressure before breaking down and will no longer provide the support you need during your run!
So if you're someone who loves to run, but also likes to lift weights, next time you go to the gym try a stiff pair of kicks that will offer a stable base and leave the thick, bouncy running shoes safely at home.
After all, running shoes are for running!