What is Pronation?

Most runners have heard of the term "pronation", but I'm sure most of you are asking yourself; what is pronation? Pronation is our body's way of naturally absorbing shock. However many of us (80%) pronate to extreme levels giving us pain and discomfort to the point where we are struggling to find a supportive enough shoe to give us relief.

When we run we strike on the outside of our heels first. From here we have a joint in our feet called the subtalar joint, which opens up to allow the foot to roll inwards. Normally this joint should close once your ankle reaches a 90 degree angle with the ground, this is pronation.

Now another term many runners have heard as well is "over pronation"; the excessive roll in of the foot. Over pronation is where the subtalar joint fails to close making your foot continue to roll in. Look at the photo below, the angle in which the ankle is to the ground is less than 90 degrees. This over pronation forces your knees inwards and hips outwards. If unsupported it poses a risk of injuring your body.

It is possible for people to not pronate at all; underpronators or supinators don't roll because their foot may be too rigid. If your foot can't pronate, then your foot will continue to put pressure on the outside. Unfortunately supination is a non-correctable issue, and must be addressed with a shoe with suitable cushioning.

If you want to understand how your own foot works and learn more about the way you walk (also called your gait), go to your local running store and see what kind of a gait you have today!

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-Response will come within a 24 hour period

Don't Let That Over Pronation Go Without Correction. It's Just Asking For Injury :(

-8/24/13 Elias