Health News Link: The Truth about Exercise MachinesI discovered another way to improve my squat game in the gym, by strengthening my base at the level of my feet.
Since I have big, sloppy feet with low arches, I often have foot or knee pain after doing heavy squats. Wednesday night I decided to put stiff orthotics in my shoes before doing my squat routine, and not only did I comfortably equal my maximum lift for the month, I have had no foot or knee pain since. This is not usually the case. I do not claim that the inserts themselves weren't a little painful during the lift, but at the same time, they felt very natural, the way they supported my feet.
Orthotics are shoe inserts that force the foot into it's optimal configuration. A lot of people have low, or fallen arches in their feet, leading to knee pain, low back pain, and avoidance of vigorous physical activity and exercise as a result.
I suggest that anyone who feels like their foot arches are less than ideal try these stiff orthotics before doing any lifting exercise where they are in the standing position. Stiff orthotics are better for lifting, but flexible orthotics are better for running type activities.
I use a late night infomercial product called Walkfit orthotics. See picture above.
Here's a link to my size (G=10), and other sizes on Amazon:
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