Strengthen your springs Running efficiency is the key to running faster. Our feet, ankles, knees and hips need to work together to absorb impact maintain a stable body position and propel the body forward. This is the all-important “spring” function. It can take years of consistent and focused running to develop a pair of resilient and finely-coordinated springs. Running slower …
When we start to think about the role of our feet, we might be quickly dismissive of the marvels attached at the end of our legs. Our feet carry us for some 10,000 steps each day, activating, loading and propelling us through life. Anatomically speaking, each foot is a complex structure of 26 bones with a network of ligaments …
With a whopping 23 AFL footballers benched for round 3 with foot, ankle and other podiatric problems the importance of proper rehabilitation after injury is only emphasised. We thought we’d touch base on the ankle given it’s had a lot of attention lately. Our ankle is made up of 3 bones, the talus, the tibia and the fibula. The bones …
Blister Management 101. With Melbourne’s active events calendar in full swing and winter approaching, there’s no better time to refresh your blister management plan. Blisters form in response to something rubbing against the skin in the opposite direction. It’s a combination of frictional and shearing forces that causes the skins layers to come apart, our body then needs to protect …
With the amount of variations and updates in running shoe technology it can be overwhelming in deciding what shoe to choose. This is made or the more difficult with so much noise coming from different health, athletic and and armchair experts. Before we delve into the concept of the “evil” supportive running shoe, below is a clear outline of the …
As the summer holidays draw to a close it’s an important time to think about the foot health of children. While the start of the school may bring tears and tantrums, it also means less time barefoot and more time spent in enclosed shoes. Our podiatrists have some simple advice to help parents work through the vast array of schools …
Normally there’s a recent pedicure at the store or at home, a new pair of shoes or a bit of trauma. Then there is a little bit of discomfort, a bit of redness and before you know it, it’s a full blown can’t-put-my-toe-in-my-shoe-dont-even-think-about-touching-it ingrown toenail. A true ingrown nail or onychocryptosis is when the skin surrounding the nail is impacted …
With summer in full swing, thongs and sandals get dusted off, barefoot time starts to increase and we tend to be outdoors more. Over the warmer months and those following we tend to see an increase in the presentation of “heel pain”. Plantar Fasciitis is a common diagnosis for heel pain that is normally worse in the morning and tends …
It’s just over a week now until some 10,000 runners converge on Melbourne’s CBD for the Melbourne Marathon Festival. With five races available on the day, the event caters for all fitness levels. I am running my second marathon, and while this information is targeted towards my fellow marathon competitors, it can also be applied to the shorter distance events. …
Whether we runners like to admit it, the majority of us have individual weaknesses of some degree. These weaknesses may be occupation related (a lot of time spent sitting) or due to a lack of conditioning. These deficiencies may surface in the form of enforced rest due to injury, or disruption of regular training sessions due to fatigue or persistent …