Recognising Pronation

The right runners for your running style

Have you noticed your feet hurting during a run? Or perhaps you are concerned by signs of disproportional wear at the heel on one side of your runner? If this is the case you could be experiencing the effects of excessive pronation.

Everyone responds differently to the ground forces exerted on the body whilst running and walking. Pronation describes how your body responds to these forces. When your body acts to compensate un-balanced forces this is when pain may be experienced due to the effects of under or over pronation

A suitable pair of runners is vital to help correct pronation and prevent potential long-term injury. We take a look at the range of runners below...

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What type of pronation do I have?

Neutral Pronation

If you are a neutral pronator you are within an estimated 20-30% of the population. Characteristics of a neutral pronator are that you land on your heels and roll slightly inward towards your toes. If this sounds familiar, you have a healthy amount of pronation and you are unlikely to experience many problems relating to pronation whilst running.

• What to look for: Signs of even wear across the heel of your runners and standard arch height.
• Ideal running shoes: A cushioned shoe, standard fitting should suit most neutral pronators.

Over Pronation

Does your big toe feel like it is doing most of the work whilst you are running? If this is the case you may be experiencing over pronation. An effect caused by this running style is that the inside of your feet will absorb most of the impact, this often causes strain on your ankles as they try to balance the rest of your body.

• What to look for: Signs of wear particularly prominent on the inside of each heel, a flat feeling in your feet and further signs of wear beneath your big toes.
• Ideal running shoes: Over pronation runners are available or specialist orthotics.

Under Pronation

This may also be referred to as supination, characterized by under flexing, there can be consequential effects on the body; foot ankle, hip and knee joints may struggle with the shock absorption required during running. You may also identify impact with the ground feeling hard if you under pronate

• What to look for: Signs of wear towards the outside of the heel, relating to the raised arches of the foot causing minimal contact with the ground.
• Ideal running shoes: Runners featuring extra stability and support are available to combat the effects of under pronation. Runners with neutral cushioning are also suitable.

Can I correct my pronation?

What you can do to avoid injury

Select running shoes that meet your pronation needs

As previously discussed, the type of runners you wear can affect the impact of your pronation. It doesn't matter whether you're flat footed, high-arched or neutral, the right choice of footwear can help significantly with your technique and body positioning as you run.

No shoes

It is important to remember the human body is adept at overcoming many obstacles; pronation may be one of them. Although not always possible, it can be beneficial to walk/ run barefooted. Even if you run for a couple of hours a week barefoot, this time may influence your feet to learn to run differently. Developing a natural running style could make a noticeable difference.

Your body knows best!

It is common to face a few injury niggles during training, aches and pains brought on by exercise can be expected. However, it is important to seek help if bigger problems develop. The last thing you want is to develop a long-term injury and miss out on your upcoming race.

Choosing the best running shoes