Overpronation: What is it?

We show you, in slow motion detail, how to tell if you have this gait pattern.

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• fit
• tips
• Shoe
• Guide
• Pronation
• overpronation
• running
• shoe

[TheNaturalRunnerVanc]

@sunntzu Feet are as variable as the people on top of them. However in Western culture, the flat foot is demonized and the higher 'neutral' arch is glorified. A flat foot is just as capable in functioning independently (that is, without shoes) as a higher arch, given that it has correct gait mechanics. People don't realize just how many african runners are long and flat footed. In Western culture that would be a Podiatrists ideal customer. In Africa it's simply a foot

[FlowingSnake1]

@papercut231719

You are wrong.

Overpronation can happen due to a NATURALLY high arch. When you take a step the arch will flatten, turning your leg inwards and your foot outwards. This will cause your patellas to move out of correct track with your knee and cause serious damage to your knees/hips if the problem isn't corrected.

The way to combat this is to do strength training to re-align your knee and to wear shoes that support the naturally high arch.

[luvtrails]

@FlowingSnake1 This depends on how flexible your arches are. Runners with high inflexible arches will not experience the arch collapsing many times.

[lmschro]

@MBillick86 Depends on what level of stability shoes they are--are they moderate support or highly supportive? Also depends on what kind of "inserts" you have and how supportive they are. Or are these orthotics? If it's on the high end of support for both ends, I think it'd be overkill. You don't want to weaken your foot completely.

[PARoth2011]

We all have different feet with strengths and weaknesses, the way to prevent injuries it to train in 3 planes of motion.

[MBillick86]

I had a stress fracture in my foot at the beginning of last yr and was told by a running store that I over pronate. I was told it could have been part of the reason for my injury on top of "too much too fast" w/ my runs. I'm back to running again, but scared to reinjure. I have been taking my training slow. I'm currently alternate two pairs of stability shoes and have inserts as well. A running store told me to both have a stability shoe and the insert. Am I over compensating though with both?

[Luiseo1]

@FlowingSnake1 What kind of strength training would help this? I'm afraid I may be damaging my hips and knees due to this.

[JayDerrty]

@roxtar55 i tell all my athletes, "i don't care if you're an endurance runner or an explosive athlete, you run with heel strikes, you're hitting the brakes......let's fix it!"

[JayDerrty]

@roxtar55 i would also argue that the force applied to the ground during a sprint is not necessarily perpendicular to the pull of gravity (straight down). if a proper sprinter has that forward lean that he should have as he's "catching up to his center of gravity," there would be an obvious angle of force. but who's counting? didn't mean to get technical.

[JayDerrty]

@roxtar55 do ELITE sprinters land heel first? should be your question. there are plenty of people who sprint heel first. want a first hand example? go to any private sports performance facility and watch a young athlete during his/her first few sessions. you'll see plenty of it. that tells me that sprinting does not force one to run properly.

[JayDerrty]

@roxtar55 and you're absolutely correct in your statement about shoes, but to throw someone out on a track barefooted when they've never trained that way is highly irresponsible as a trainer and borderline stupid. teach them how to move properly and efficiently while slowly minimizing the shoe.

[JayDerrty]

@roxtar55 yeah, i know plenty about biomechanics & stretch reflex mechanisms. my problem with everyone's "explanation" on this issue: if the goal is to apply force in a manner that's perpendicular to resistance (running in this example) but muscle imbalances prevent that from happening, the obvious fix would be to lengthen overactive muscles (in overpronation that's usually the abductor complex + some) & strengthen, or shorten, the underactive muscles (adductor complex + some).