Nothing special really, just that I had an appointment with my chiropractor today and he's finally given me the go-ahead to start exercising properly! :-D

I'm not allowed to start running until I've got some decent footwear, my £18 cheapies from sportsworld aren't ideal :-P

But the exercise bike is no problem, and he said he can't see any problem at all with me starting street dance whenever I want!  Can't start yet (can't afford it and I want to get a bit more flexible/fit first), but it's still made my day :-)

Got to take it easy tonight because of today's adjustments, and I'm off to Liverpool tomorrow, so I'll start on Saturday :-) Roll on the new and improved model of Me!  (well, less of the rolls :-P)

I like new starts and it is so nice to read a post where someone has had a good day :) Don't overdo it to begin with.

yay! glad your feeling good

Brilliant Nikita :) :)
Re Running trainers, If your thinking of running, go to a proper running shop, where they will be able to look at your feet and know which ones you need :) As if you get the wrong trainers, you will have more problems with your back, knees, hips etc etc
I have just got some today and they are £69.99. I nearly 3 years I have bought 4 pairs of trainers setting me back well over £280 :o :o And I started as it was a cheap hobby!!!!!
Good Luck :) :)

Thanks Lea, I was hoping you'd pop up with a nugget of advice! :-)

Any time :)
I help coach a adult beginners running group :)
Lea :)

Perhaps you have some advice for me then Lea.  For the second time in 6 months, I have a calf muscle tear, different leg each time. This time I have some impressive bruising in the lower leg as well, which means something to the physio, though not to me.

The first time it happened when I was doing some on the spot running and this time, I was just warming up on court to play tennis. Any idea what I'm doing wrong ?

What sort of physio have you been to?? Ie, NHS, private General, Sports????
Lea :)

When my OH was running marathons, he had 'gait analysis' done to determine what sort of trainers suited his style of running best.  I think it involved running on a treadmill and an 'expert' analysing the pattern of foot-fall.  We have a shop locally that specialises in running gear and they  offered the gait analysis service there where.  As Lea says, the trainers cost around £70...I bought him a couple of pairs but, sod's law, he picked up an injury just before his last marathon and couldn't compete, a few weeks after I'd bought him a new pair so they're sitting in the wardrobe gathering dust as he's still not able to run over a year later :( 

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm SaynLola.
EXACTLY what happened to me!!!!
And I can near enough tell you what the problem was!!!!
I had the same ananalyse and changed my trainers from supported to neutral on thier advice. With this I went out running in my new trainers. A month later I was on crutches :( :(
You dont realise but the way your fee sit has effects on your joints from the feet to the shoulders, as changes your 'gait'
I would hazard a guess he was put in a different trainer to what he was used to (Ie neutral instead of supported) and went running in them without wearing them in for over 100 miles????
If I am wrong than say, but thats what happened to me, which took me out of running 30 odd miles a week to nearly having surgery, and would have if a customer wasnt a retired physio and sent me to an amazing women that got me back running in 2 weeks!!!!
Lea :)

Hi Lea,

No he had been wearing the 'correct' trainers for quite a while and had run a previous marathon in the same kind.  He said that the proper trainers made a big difference to how he ran.  However,  he now has a hip problem, possibly the early stages of arthritis but he has to be referred for more tests as x-rays were inconclusive.  Over a year later, he still has pain from even low impact exercise (like swimming & golf) so I think his running career is over for good.

Ok, LOL Pleased it wasnt the same as mine :) :)
Has he been to a specialist Sports physio????
I was near enough booked into the operating theatre, And YES I have early artheritis. I am 30 and have knees of a 55 year old!!!!!! My cartiledge is all messed up. But I am stiull able to run, as long as I look after myself.
So if he hasnt seen a sports physio(not NHS) it might be worth going and getting himself checked :) For the sake of £30 he might be able to run again :)
I(f you have already been down this root then I apologise :)
Lea :)

He hasn't seen a sports physio yet but I think he's sorting it out...I'm not convinced he would take up running again even if he could and the hip problem is maybe just a convenient excuse not to ;-)  I don't think he really enjoyed it but running a marathon was one of those things he wanted to do in life.  I don't think he has any incentive to go back to it now as he already achieved his goal of completing a marathon before he had to quit.  Besides, he was way too skinny when he was marathon training and I prefer him a bit meatier :-D

LOL :)
Well at least he achieved his Goal :D :D :D :D :D
Alot of people say they will run one, and never do LOL
I will do one day. And you all know I will LOL
But I have also been told not to get to skinnny!!!
What will be will be as they say :D
Lea :)

Lea,

I am having private physio - the local NHS physio was 2-3 month wait, by which time I figured I would either be better or crippled :)
I have just booked in for a gait scan,but not sure if you and shanylou are saying that it is a good or a bad thing to do ?
I know that I have a collapsed arch on one foot which happened in th last 2 years, and I suspect that this may be partly to blame for the calf injuries, but who knows really.

Have decided that keeping fit is bad for your health !!

My OH definitely thought the gait analysis was a good thing.  He said it vastly improved his comfort when running...his subsequent hip problem is unrelated to the type of trainers he wore.

Gait analysis are great and can improve your running style as long as you are given the correct procedure to follow afterwards ;)
With G@ait analysis, you may end up wearing trainers that move your foot to a completely different position.
So with that you need to get your body used to the different positions.
So you need to start off wearing them for 1/2 a mile run, and gradually build up.
What I did as I never got given the correct advice was just change the trainers and ran my normal 5 mile runs and 20 miles a week in the new trainers and thats when I injured myself.
If I had been given the correct information I would not have injured myself.
Even if you change from one trainer to another you should always wear them in, even if they are the same style.
My new trainers I am planning on wearing tonight for circuit training. Then I will wear them tomorrow for my 3 mile speed training session. Then I will go back to my other trainers for my 6 miles on wednesday morning and I will probably wear the new ones for the 3 miles on wednesday night. Then back to the old ones for the 5 miles on thursday night. New ones for the 3 mile training friday, off Sat. And then the old ones for the 8 miles on sunday. And will do that for a few weeks before wearing them for another 5 mile run for another few weeks :)
Will take me about 6 weeks to break them in to wear them all the time :)
HTH
Lea :)

My OH had gait analysis done in a running shop and the chap in there told him what was 'wrong' with his feet and which trainers to get.  I completely disagreed with him (I'm a physio and even though not MEGA experienced) as it was blatantly obvious that he had no clue what was going on!!  If he had bought the recommended trainers his problem would have massively exacerbated - not to also mention the money wasted on the trainers.

I am in agreement with Lea 100% that gait analysis can be great ONLY if the person doing it has some idea what they are on about and I do wonder sometimes how much training some people in running shops get.  The after advice is also essential as Lea has demonstrated so well :-)

Also to add - a podiatrist may also be worth considering if you are having foot type problems and I'm sure many can offer gait analysis as well as custom orthoses, etc etc.  Downside - they may be hard to come by on the NHS :-(

I also now wear Formthotics(innersoles) with neutral trainers to keep my feet in the right position. These were given to me by my sports physio :)
I wore my new trainers today, and even though they are the same as my old ones, they felt completely different, as they are not stretched like m,y old ones. Hence the need to wear them in :)
Thankyou Georgepig, It is nice to know that the advice I have given is the same as a physio would give :D LOL :)
Lea :) :) :)

The gait analysis is being carried out at the physiotherapy practice by a trained physio. I believe that, if necessary, they will then recommend custom made shoe inserts, not any particular sort of trainers.

However they have said that any inserts required cost upwards of £120. It seems a lot of money and I wonder if anyone here has advice or experience of them? At the moment I do use arch supports in my trainers that I bought in Boots, but theyc ertainly didn't cost that sort of money.

the gait analysis is not always  taken by physios. But someone I presume somerone'trained' in it. But Trained can have alot of different conotations so you have to be careful!!!!!
I had a gait analysis and they recommended support trainers for me, but didnt give me the after care, See above.
The innersoles I got from my sports physio cosy me £30!!!! And to get me from 8 months on crutches and in pain and an end top my running carreer to running again took her a month!!!!!
HTH
Lea :)

Inserts can cost a lot especially if they are custom made.  A podiatrist will usually do this, but I suppose it could be someone from orthotics.
My Dad had some made as he had back and hip and knee pain all cause by a problem with his foot.  He is now great when he wears the insoles so it was definitely money well spent.
Foot problems have all sorts of knock on effects so definitely worth getting it sorted!
Good luck! x