If you’re thinking about buying an insole, no time is the wrong time to make your purchase and start feeling the benefits. But, if you’ve been considering it for a while, now is an even-better-than-normal time to finally make your purchase.
Even though the world is slowly returning to normal after a period of quarantine and shut down, we’re not out of the woods yet and people are still spending more time at home…this means it’s a great time to try out an insole.
Here are a few reasons why.
You Have Time to Break Them In
Insoles may require a “breaking in” period. Others can place them in and go full time.
If an adjustment time is needed, it’s best to wear the insoles for small blocks of time—an hour here, a little more there, until you eventually work up to a full day. This might be difficult to do if you were in an office, but our work at home situations mean we have the freedom to slip our shoes on and off throughout the day.
Your body may need time to adjust as it realigns itself and you may feel some tenderness or strange sensations as your body starts to adapt.
Within about two weeks, you should be wearing your insoles all day. Your body will start to get used to its new alignment and they can even help you adjust to home offices that may be normal for the next few months.
We’re Sitting More
Given that there hasn’t been a whole lot to do lately, we are turning to Netflix and Hulu for entertainment (it’s true)…which means we’re sitting more. And sitting is NOT good for us. It’s bad for our health, our breathing, and our alignment.
If you’re sitting at a new desk or work setup while working from home, you should definitely make sure you have proper posture but you can also invest in an insole to help counteract the impact of all the sitting you’re doing.
We’re Walking & Running More
With gyms closed, people turned to walking and running to get in their daily exercise and stay active. This is great but if you’re not walking or running properly or getting the right support from your shoes, it’s going to wreak havoc on your alignment.
When running, your lower extremities need to stay in the correct alignment so that they aren’t pulling muscles, tendons, and ligaments out of whack. This means you need support from the ground up. Start with your form but also grab an insole for your running shoes.
Yes, this all applies to walking, too. You should also have the right form and support when you walk the dog or go on a hike. Look at your feet. Do they point out, in, or straight ahead? When you step, is your weight hitting your heel hardest, or evenly through your foot?
We all have a little more time right now to pay attention to the small things, so use the time to pay attention to how you walk.
Trust us, your body will thank you.
We Have More Time
The one good thing about this situation is that it’s helped us slow down. With less travel time, fewer activities, less rushing and running, we have a little more time to take care of our bodies and minds.
An insole is a great way to give your body a reset but it’s not the only way.
Try:
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Stretching
- Journaling
Then, when life gets back to normal, don’t rush. Hold onto the habits you’ve formed during your new found time. Try an insole to get your body feeling right and take advantage of a slower pace to just feel better in general.