When you supinate, the majority of your weight is distributed to the outside of your foot, and you push off with your toes. If you pronate, the weight is on the balls of your feet with most of it distributed when you push off.

When the mechanics of your foot are a little off, they can affect the alignment of your entire body.

What Causes Supination of the Foot?

Putting on shoes with a stiff, tight fit day-in and day-out can cause problems with your feet. And since your feet are the base of your body, foot problems will throw the rest of it off balance as well. An excessively supinated foot can’t adapt to walking on any surface. The sitting position can lead to tension in various parts of the body. Over time, this tension may lead to pain in the calves, knees, hips, and back too. Too much prolonged sitting can also affect your posture and make your muscles work harder.

What are Supination of the Foot Exercises and Stretches?

Stretching and exercises for the feet and calf muscles can help with the pain caused by too much pronation. The stretches help to relieve some of the tension in those areas.

Jumping rope

Jumping rope is a bodyweight exercise that retrains your body on how to move. You can try this anywhere as it doesn’t require any equipment. It is a good way of warming up before more rigorous activities as well.

Tibialis anterior (shin muscle) stretch

The tibialis anterior muscle is right in the front of your lower leg, next to your shin bone. Increased tension and at the muscles located on the foreground of your shin- these are called “shin splints”- could be caused by over-supination.

Calf and Achilles tendon stretch

Supinators tend to have tight calves and Achilles tendons.

Put your hands against a wall, a table, or a chair.
Step one leg back a few feet, both feet firmly planted on the ground.
Maintain your back leg’s straightness while bending your front knee until you feel a stretch along the rear of your ankle and the calf muscle of your back leg.

Plantar fascia stretch

Excessive supination of the foot can lead to excessive strain on the ligament that connects your heel and toes, called the plantar fascia. The result is a condition called plantar fasciitis.

Cross your right ankle just over the knee of your left leg while sitting in a chair.
With your right hand, grab your toes and slowly draw them back toward the front of your ankle.
Repeat on the other side after a ten-second hold.

How to tell if you supinate you foot?

You can use the following methods to help you determine if you’re experiencing excessive supination of the foot:

Examine an old pair of shoes for signs of wear.

Normal wear on shoes progresses from the heel’s outer edge to the middle. You may be a supinator if your shoes are more worn out on the outer edge of the sole.

Dip your toes in the water

Remove your socks and shoes. Wet your feet and step in a place where you can see your footprint with your entire weight. Use a brown paper bag if you can’t find a suitable surface. You most likely have a typical foot pattern if around half of your arch is visible on the surface. If only a little portion of the arch is outlined, you are most certainly a supinator.

Have a podiatrist or sports therapist evaluate your gait.

A gait study by a podiatrist or a sports therapist who is trained to diagnose foot abnormalities is the best approach to find out if you’re a supinator. It will most likely involve treadmill walking or running.

What Are The Treatments For Supination of the Foot?

Foot

Excess pronation or supination of the foot has been extensively researched in sports medicine. It can produce an imbalance in your body’s alignment, resulting in pain in the following areas:

feet
legs
knees
back
hips

Treatment is usually conservative, and the severity of the problem will determine how aggressive it is. The goal is to fix the imbalance and keep you from being hurt.

A foot professional can evaluate your gait and the extent of your aberrant pronation or supination of the foot. If your legs are different lengths, they may propose orthotic insoles or a heel lift for one of your feet to correct your misalignment. In some cases, special footwear or splints may be required.

The right shoes

It is important to wear shoes that are well-fitting and supportive. People who suffer from excessive supination of the foot or pronation require shoes with adequate cushioning and ample toe area. Fortunately, there are numerous sports shoe options available today.

To balance the outward roll of the foot, people with excessive supination of the foot require cushioning, flexibility, and support in the heel. A more stable shoe with a strong midsole and heel cushioning is required for those with excessive pronation.

Physical therapy

Your doctor may recommend you to a physical therapist for a gait examination as well as a home stretching and exercise plan. Manual therapy may also be beneficial if you have pain in your feet or legs as a result of supination of the foot or pronation.

Conclusion

When jogging, supination of the foot gait can cause several issues (both short- and long-term), such as painful feet and ankle or joint pain. Regardless, you may enjoy running without pain or causing injury to your feet if you wear good supination shoes. At the very least, reduce the amount of damage produced by supination of the foot.

These are the greatest running shoes on the market for dealing with the supination of the foot concerns. We made certain to provide only the most up-to-date information. All of the sneakers on our list mix performance with shape and design.

Photo by Marlon M on Unsplash