What Causes Your Feet to Go Numb when Running ?
A leading neurologist explains about numb feet and running.
Ever get numb feet while running? Numb feet can be caused by a variety of factors, including neurological problems and cardiovascular problems. But what if you get only numb feet, and only while running?
First off, make sure your shoes properly fit. Tight shoes can cause feet to feel numb while running. Are your shoes new?
Or maybe you haven’t worn them in a while? Wearing extra thick socks lately?
Shoes may not feel tight, but constriction can be intensified while running, thereby creating numb feet.
“When you are running, your electrolytes (such as calcium) may be abnormally low (this is why people drink sports beverages with supplemental electrolytes), and this can cause tingling,” says Daniel Kantor, MD, director of the Neurology Residency Program, Florida Atlantic University.
“This can be relieved by making sure you are well-hydrated with sports drinks (you don’t want to dilute the electrolytes with water alone).
“Some people may have an underlying cause for their tingling, and heating up your nerves may bring out the symptom of tingling (this is rare if you are healthy enough to be running).”
The best way to prevent numb feet while running, says Dr. Kantor, is to simply stay well-hydrated: before, during and after the run.
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If despite making the above changes, you are still getting numb feet during running, consider trying a brand new pair of shoes, even if the ones you’ve been using seem to fit perfectly.
Maybe it’s time to purchase a new, and better, pair of running shoes; this may stop the numb sensations in your feet. An arch support may also help solve the problem.
Another thing that might cause numb feet while running is shoelaces tied too tight, or the Velcro straps being too tight.
And what about all that pounding your feet endure on hard pavement? This, too, can cause numb feet during your runs, especially if there are stones on the path.
Certainly you’ve heard of carpal tunnel syndrome. Ever hear of tarsal tunnel syndrome?
This is the “carpal tunnel syndrome” of the foot, in which the tibial nerve that runs through the inside of the ankle becomes compressed.
TTS has a variety of possible causes (nothing serious), so it’s best to consult with a physician.
Treatment may involve a custom-made shoe insert, rest and a cortisone injection. It these fail to alleviate the numbness in your feet while running, surgical release may be the answer, though often, nonsurgical treatment works.
Dr. Kantor adds, “Medications may also cause tingling and if you are on any, you probably want to talk to your doctor and ask if it may be contributing to your tingling.”
If numb feet while running continues despite making adjustments, then see your doctor to rule out any possible medical causes.
Dr. Kantor is also President Emeritus, Florida Society of Neurology.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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Top image: Shutterstock/ zoff
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Hoarding: How Can Anyone Allow Spouse to Become a Hoarder?
Why a spouse would ever allow hoarding behavior actually has explanations that make sense.
First of all, not every person would allow a spouse to hoard. It’s just that the hoarder lucks out and finds a spouse who decides to stay in the marriage.
So when wondering how a spouse could ever permit hoarding, first realize that most hoarders never marry.
This compulsive behavior doesn’t suddenly drop out of the sky at age 50.
“The basic features typically begin in adolescence,” says Gail Steketee, PhD, Dean Emerita and Professor Emerita, Boston University School of Social Work, co-author of “Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things.”
Those basic features usually become full-blown in the 30s.
“By the time the person is approaching 50, the collecting, difficulty discarding and clutter has become severe enough to seek help.”
So why doesn’t the spouse put his or her foot down with hoarding?
Dr. Steketee explains, “It is awfully hard to decide when normal accommodation to a spouse’s messiness and enjoyment of keeping a lot of stuff has slid into tolerating serious hoarding behavior. I think this is the dilemma many spouses find themselves in.”
The hoarders I’ve seen on TLC’s “Buried Alive” don’t seem like bullies, so I wondered why their spouses wouldn’t take more charge.
Piles of clutter and garbage to the ceiling don’t appear overnight, so where are the spouses while the hoarder’s clutter grows over time?
Dr. Steketee explains, “I do agree that most hoarders are not bullies, although I have seen some exceptions, especially when it comes to someone else touching their things.
“Those who agree to be on TV are likely to be willing to have someone come into the home, perhaps a small subset of people who hoard.
“Most of those we have treated in our program would never allow anyone into the home and are reluctant to have a clinician visit; certainly touching their stuff without explicit permission and in their plain view would make some of them very upset and angry.”
Some people assert they’d never allow a spouse to become a hoarder. I even bring up Kate Gosselin of “Kate Plus Eight”; can you imagine her allowing any husband of hers to collect garbage?
We all know imposing neat freaks who’d fly off the handle over just one bread crumb on the table. Certainly, such a person would never allow hoarding.
“I’m cautious about using words like ‘never,’ but I suspect that such a neatnik spouse would have divorced a messy spouse some while ago,” says Dr. Steketee.
“But hoarding is not just about neatness; it is about attachment to objects with strong emotional reactions for various reasons, depending on the person.
“Many spouses are accommodating because they vowed to do just that when they married.
“Spouses who take these vows seriously and have tried to intervene but without success and in the face of much anger may just have backed off.”
This then becomes something akin to, “It’s my soul mate and her clutter, or a clean house and no soul mate,” in the mind of the non-hoarding spouse.
Hence, the spouse puts up with the hoarding, unable to imagine his or her life alone.
But when divorce occurs that’s triggered by hoarding, whose idea is it usually? The clean spouse, or the hoarder?
Dr. Steketee suggests, “It’s most likely to be the spouse who initiates the separation when they’ve tried hard to help their hoarding partner to change and it’s just not working.”
The subjects you see on “Buried Alive” do not represent most hoarders. Hoarders who’d never want to be featured on “Buried Alive” can be quite steel-boned about their possessions.
Dr. Steketee explains, “A person with very strong attachments and reasons for saving (it’s beautiful, I’ll need it someday, I’d be wasting it) can be very tenacious.
“If a hoarding husband was married to someone who tried to pick up after him, he might explode, she’d back off, and gradually their truce would be evident in piles of stuff she wasn’t allowed to touch but other areas where she controlled the space.” These dynamics are fairly common in married hoarding homes.
If the hoarder succumbed to a demanding spouse’s rules of No More Clutter, would this individual’s psychological issues manifest in some other obsessive-compulsive form?
“We don’t have any special reason to think that a predisposition to saving objects and making piles of clutter would otherwise express itself in compulsive or impulsive behaviors. No evidence there so far as we know at this point,” says Dr. Steketee.
Hoarders typically do not marry people like Kate Gosselin or some otherwise dominant personality who won’t tolerate clutter; if hoarders do marry such a spouse, divorce is inevitable.
Dr. Steketee has conducted research not only in the assessment and treatment of hoarding disorder, but also cognitive and behavioral treatments for anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Heavy Bag HIIT Workouts: High Intensity Interval Training
High intensity interval training can be applied to a heavy bag punching and kicking workout, and this is very effective for burning fat.
Because I’m a former certified personal trainer with a martial arts background, and because I’ve taken many “cardio kickboxing” classes at the health club, I’m very familiar with the effectiveness of punching and kicking a bag.+
For a high intensity interval training workout using a heavy bag, three punches come to mind: uppercut, cross and hook.
These kind of punches can be slammed full-force into the heavy bag.
The best kicks include the front, crescent and roundhouse, though a spin kick would also be great for more advanced individuals.
You can learn basic techniques by attending a cardio kickboxing class or a shadow boxing class at your local health club.
If you don’t belong to a health club, there are videos of proper techniques.
You absolutely must learn proper punching and kicking techniques to bring on an effective HIIT session.
Shutterstock/Dmitry Kalinovsky
Very short, highly intense bouts of striking, alternating with light lower body activity, will burn more calories over the duration of the workout, than will a more sustained, even-paced session of striking.
HIIT also produces the amazing “after-burn” that will strip off body fat.
Drive your hardest strikes into the bag for about 30 seconds, then for a few minutes or just one minute, pace about for recovery energy.
Another variation is to throw a rapid, hard 1-2 punch, then immediately follow up with a single or double kick.
Another option is after the 1-2 throw (which can be a left-right cross; cross-hook or uppercut-hook, e.g.), do a knee tuck jump.
Then immediately repeat the 1-2 sequence and again the knee tuck jump.
Keep doing this for 30 seconds, then take your passive rest.
Some might even want to do pushups or pull-ups in between kicking intervals.
Five Benefits of HIIT
• Improved Cardiovascular Fitness: HIIT enhances heart and lung health by pushing your cardiovascular system to work harder in short bursts, leading to better endurance and overall fitness.
• Increased Calorie Burn: HIIT workouts are known for their high calorie-burning potential, both during and after exercise.
The intensity of HIIT boosts metabolism and promotes significant calorie expenditure, aiding in weight management.
• Enhanced Muscle Strength and Tone: The varied exercises in HIIT, including strength-based intervals, help build and tone muscles, improving overall strength and physique.
• Efficient Use of Time: HIIT workouts are typically shorter in duration compared to traditional exercise routines, making them ideal for those with busy schedules.
• Improved Insulin Sensitivity: HIIT can enhance insulin sensitivity, which helps regulate blood sugar levels and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.
This is particularly beneficial for individuals looking to improve metabolic health.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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Top image: Shutterstock/bg_knight
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