It is recommended that you replace athletic shoes roughly between 350-450 miles; this is dependent on different keys, including your running or walking style, body weight, and the surface on which you exercise. Lighter runners can get closer to the upper end of the recommendation, while heavier runners are typically harder on shoes and should consider replacements closer to 350 miles.

Track your mileage; dependent on your effort and body weight, after 350-400 miles it’s probably time for a new pair. For example, athletes who run 25 miles per week (or roughly 3-4 miles per day) will need to replace shoes every three to four months.

You can check for signs of wear on the sole by placing your old shoes on a table and looking at them from behind. If the soles are worn and leaning to one side, the midsole cushioning is most likely worn as well.

A shoe’s midsole cushioning may be worn out long before the tread shows signs of wear. Because the bottom and tread of the shoe may look fine, identifying when the cushioning wears down is a little more difficult. Here are a few tips for identifying midsole wear:

First, pay attention to how you feel. As your shoes begin to give out, you may begin to get some aches or pains in your bones and joints. You may also notice slight muscle fatigue, new tightness, or possible shin splints. Take any and all of these as signs that it may be time to replace your athletic shoes.

Look for creasing of the midsole material in areas of high load. These areas are found under the heel, or near the ball of the foot. A worn out midsole will have wrinkles and creases there, which is another indication the shoe is being stressed beyond its capacity, thereby potentially hurting your feet and joints.

Try to twist the shoe. A worn out midsole will allow the well-worn athletic shoe to twist more easily than a new shoe.

Try on a new pair of the model that you are currently wearing. Compare this to your current shoes. If the cushioning in your shoes feels dead in comparison, it probably is – take the comparison test a sign that it may be time for a new pair of athletic shoes.

If you walk or run quite frequently, it’s a good idea to use more than one pair of shoes. Think about buying two pairs at a time – or, buying a second pair about midway through the life of your first. Add the new pair in to your shoe rotation when your “old” shoes have about 200 miles on them. If you use two pairs of shoes, you should still track mileage per shoe, and replace each pair after they reach the 350-450 mile point in time.

Take care of your feet. Wearing down your feet directly correlates to wearing down your ankle joints, your knees, and in short order, your hips and lower back. If you are a frequent runner or walker, especially on asphalt or any other hard surfaces, you owe it to yourself to look after your feet and legs – and that care begins with a properly-fitted and properly-padded pair of shoes.

How can you spot a fraud? What sort of warning signs should you be on the lookout for if you think something might be a gimmick? Check out today’s quick tips on how to spot a potential fitness fraud… Be Well!

If It Sounds To Good Too Be True, It Probably Is…
How many times have you heard this? Ads and infomercials can be so seductive that you really want to believe the wild claims they promise. You may be tempted to suspend good judgement and buy into the fantasy. Substandard and fraudulent products hurt more than just your wallet. When a product doesn’t do what it claims to do, you feel let down. This can lower your self-confidence and can even lead you to believe that your fitness goals will never be achieved.

Buyer Checklists
Gimmicks and scams are not always easily detected. Use this checklist before purchasing a product advertised in a mail-order catalog or on television (especially during late-night!):

• Is the product supported entirely by testimonials?
• Is there any controlled, randomized scientific evidence supporting the sales claims?
• Do the experts associated with the program have the proper credentials?
• Is the person selling the product a believable salesman?
• Does the promotion use any pseudo-medical jargon?
• Does the promotion boast a “secret” formula or “miracle” answer?
• Do the claims seem miraculous or far-fetched?
• Is the product appealing exclusively to your vanity?
• Does the suggested use of the product seem unrealistic in regards to the desired outcome (i.e., “just seven minutes a day toward slimmer thighs”)?
• Does the fine print contain any long-winded disclaimers?
• Does the offer include additional free prizes?

Online Buying Tips
You need to have confidence in the company and product you’re buying online. Does the company have your best interests at heart? If in doubt, search for clues as to their reliability. Do they have a phone number? You may want to call to check them out further.

Ask a question by e-mail and see how long they take to respond. Ask the company for independent research that substantiates their claims and promises. You can check out the company on the Better Business Bureau’s Business Report page to see how others in your situation have reviewed them, too.

If In Doubt, Ask The Experts
The media is quick to announce a new fitness discovery, regardless of the source’s legitimacy. Unfortunately, this new claim may quickly be retracted when proper, scientific studies are made. Gimmicks will misuse the initial, questionable data to convince you to buy their product. What should you believe? If you don’t have the time to sort through information dispensed from reputable sources, you should ask an expert. A certified fitness instructor will, hopefully, be able to separate fact from fiction.

Avoid the lure of fitness-product charlatans and increase your skills at making educated buying decisions. Try not to buy the hype and stick to the age-old adage, “if it sounds to good too be true, it probably is.”

The first thing we must stress is that in our workouts, push-ups must be done with absolute, pristine, picture-perfect technique – or they do not count. That means your abs are braced tightly like you are about to be punched, your back is flat, your hips are linear to your head and feet (no sagging or ‘A-framing’), your hands are at your side and the elbows are tucked in at 45 degrees (not flaring out at 90 degrees). Your chest and your hips lower and touch the ground at the same rate. The reverse motion must happen on the way up as well. If you do not do this, you are not doing push-ups.

Believe it or not, the majority of average adults do not posses the upper body or core strength to do a perfect set of just ten push-ups. When done properly, perfect push-ups are a lot harder to do than most people think. They are also one of the absolute best muscle building exercises around and should be part of every lean muscle building exercise regimen. Not many other upper body pushing exercises recruit as many muscle groups as the push-up does, and thus, do not provide as much bang for your buck.

What we typically suggest is that beginners do push-ups as frequently as six days per week. This will work for quite some time (months) and you will improve your repetitions as you go. Eventually, however, you will burn out; when you reach a more advanced stage, we recommend that you cut your push-ups down to two or three times per week. Here, you can alternate between heavy and light days. One day you will go heavy and add resistance to your pushups, via plates on your back, a resistance band or weighted vest, or different styles of push-ups (see below), and do an average of 5-8 reps on each set. The other day, which will come 72 hours later, should be a repetition max day where you will simply do as many repetitions, with just body weight resistance, as possible.

For the heavy day, 2-4 sets will be more than enough. On the repetition day, you probably won’t need more than two all-out sets. If you are really advanced you could cycle three different pushup days wherein you go heavy, light and explosive on day three. For the explosive day you will want to do plyometric pushups (i.e., jumping or clapping push-ups), depth pushups, or medicine ball throws. The reps should be kept at 3-5 on this day for a total of 5-8 sets.

One mistake most people make when trying to improve their pushups is that they do the exact same type of pushups every single time. You need to add some variety to your push-ups, which can include: Hindu push-ups, Dive Bomber push-ups, Spider Man push-ups, Medicine Ball push-ups, Clap push-ups, Decline push-ups, Stability Ball push-ups, Prison push-ups, Scorpion push-ups, and more. Don’t get stuck doing only the most basic form of push-ups or you will burn out sooner than later and be more likely to develop over use injuries.

Exercising in old or worn out shoes can lead to an increase in fitness-related injuries. Over time, athletic shoes become unstable and lose shock absorption capacity. When this happens, the stress to your feet and legs increases dramatically, and that added stress can lead to an overuse injury. A simple prevention strategy for this type of injury includes replacing your exercise shoes when they being to show some of these simple signs of wear.

The midsole layer of a shoe provides the cushioning and stability. This area typically wears out before the outsole shows major signs of wear. When a midsole wears out the shoe loses its functional stability, thereby putting your foot, ankle, knee and other joints at a greater risk of exercise-related injury.

It is recommended that you replace athletic shoes roughly between 350-450 miles; this is dependent on different points in time, including your running or walking style, body weight, and the surface on which you exercise. Lighter (weight) runners can get closer to the upper end of the recommendation, while heavier runners are typically harder on shoes and should consider replacements closer to 350 miles.

Replacement Tips
Track your mileage; dependent on your effort and body weight, after 350-400 miles it’s probably time for a new pair. For example, athletes who run 25 miles per week (or roughly 3-4 miles per day) will need to replace shoes every three to four months.

You can check for signs of wear on the sole by placing your old shoes on a table and looking at them from behind. If the soles are worn and leaning to one side, the midsole cushioning is most likely worn as well.

Spotting Midsole Wear
A shoe’s midsole cushioning may be worn out long before the tread shows signs of wear. Because the bottom and tread of the shoe may look fine, identifying when the cushioning wears down is a little more difficult. Here are a few tips for identifying midsole wear:

First, pay attention to how you feel. As your shoes begin to give out, you may begin to get some aches or pains in your bones and joints. You may also notice slight muscle fatigue, new tightness, or possible shin splints. Take any and all of these as signs that it may be time to replace your athletic shoes.

Look for creasing of the midsole material in areas of high load. These areas are found under the heel, or near the ball of the foot. A worn out midsole will have wrinkles and creases there, which is another indication the shoe is being stressed beyond its capacity, thereby potentially hurting your feet and joints.

Try to twist the shoe. A worn out midsole will allow the well-worn athletic shoe to twist more easily than a new shoe.

Try on a new pair of the model that you are currently wearing. Compare this to your current shoes. If the cushioning in your shoes feels dead in comparison, it probably is – take the comparison test a sign that it may be time for a new pair of athletic shoes.

Consider Rotating Shoes
If you walk or run quite frequently, it’s a good idea to use more than one pair of shoes. Think about buying two pairs at a time – or, buying a second pair about midway through the life of your first. Add the new pair in to your shoe rotation when your “old” shoes have about 200 miles on them. If you use two pairs of shoes, you should still track mileage per shoe, and replace each pair after they reach the 350-450 mile point in time.

Conclusion
Take care of your feet. Wearing down your feet directly correlates to wearing down your ankle joints, your knees, and in short order, your hips and lower back. If you are a frequent runner or walker, especially on asphalt or any other hard surfaces, you owe it to yourself to look after your feet and legs – and that care begins with a properly-fitted and properly-padded pair of shoes.

Sometimes it can be a daunting task to motivate yourself to set aside that extra hour each day to burn calories and develop the trim, toned body you want. Furthermore, it can be difficult to schedule that time into your already-busy day, and make a consistent effort to exercise every day. That’s where the expertise, assistance, and accountability of a mobile personal trainer can be invaluable.

There are so many notable advantages to using the services of a mobile personal trainer – and remember, if you’re in the Charlotte/Lake Norman area and in need of a trainer, contact us today!

2. A good mobile personal trainer will teach you how to perform exercises correctly, and how to properly plan meals for weight loss success.
It can be difficult to achieve proper form when you exercise if you don’t have feedback from a highly-trained professional. A personal trainer can watch you perform each movement and give you tips on how to do it more effectively, as well as introducing you to new movements, exercises, and ideas. This can be invaluable since you don’t want to waste your precious time doing repetitions that aren’t going to yield results.

A mobile personal trainer will also be able to safely monitor your form and well-being, to ensure your safety during workouts. For clients new to exercise, or dealing with injuries or other health issues, a personal trainer is an ideal way to introduce you safe, effective exercises and workouts.

3. A good mobile personal trainer will design a workout that best meets your specific needs.
Not every workout you see in an exercise book is going to be right for you. A personal trainer has the knowledge and ability to design a custom workout to meet you needs. This can help you see results more quickly, while allowing you to avoid exercises that could potentially injure or harm you in any way.

Let FusionSouth bring the gym to your house!

4. An good mobile personal trainer will be a strong motivator.
If you select your personal fitness trainer well, he or she can be an excellent source of motivation, inspiration, and knowledge, cheering you on and giving you helpful feedback throughout your fitness routine. Their enthusiasm for fitness can be contagious, and you will find that you begin to enjoy exercise much more than you probably did in the past!

5. A good mobile personal trainer will help you push yourself harder to meet your goals.
If you have a personal trainer to which you must be held accountable, it can help you push yourself harder to achieve all of your fitness goals. When someone is watching your performance, and challenges you in a positive, rewarding way, you naturally tend to push yourself harder which can make all the difference in terms of your fitness gains.

6. A good mobile personal trainer will help you exercise in a time-efficient way!
No more time wasted in rush hour before or after work driving to the gym, finding a parking space, dealing with often crowded gym locker rooms, or waiting in lines for cardio machines once you finally are ready to begin your workout. Let a mobile personal trainer meet you — at your home, office, local park, or any other area of your choosing — on your schedule and focused solely on your workout, to help you maximize results with your exercise regimen.