I’m falling asleep on the Elliptical…

So how are those New Year’s Resolutions going? For most of us, they have fallen to the way side, but for everyone who has been determined to make use of their gym memberships, great work!

The elliptical trainer is a great way to cross train and add variety to pounding away on the treadmill or the spinning bike. But a common question from those elliptical warriors is “Why do I get numbness and tingling in my feet?”

This question is more common than you would think, and something many gym goers encounter regularly after 10-20 minutes of cardio training on the elliptical machine. The answer is usually two factors: Foot Position and Foot Wear

When using an elliptical, people tend to put more pressure on their forefoot, increasing pressure on their plantar nerves giving them a tingling sensation. Subsequently, this position may also put extra pressure in sneakers that are tight in the mid foot and toe box. This pressure isn’t dangerous, but can certainly be uncomfortable and distracting during an activity that can be is as exciting as watching paint dry.

But I like using the elliptical so…..What should I do about it??

There are a few things you can do to decrease this feeling. For starters, loosen your shoe laces. Start by loosening the laces down toward your toes. It’s best not to loosen them all the way up toward your ankle as this section will provide needed support to your arches. The next modification is increased focus on full foot contact with the platform by putting more weight through your heel. It is the forward foot pressure that creates the compression; therefore increasing surface area of the foot will help to dissipate this and decrease nerve pressure. Another technique to achieve this same goal is to perform the elliptical backward. This should force additional weight to your rear foot, decreasing forefoot pressure and subsequently, the tingling sensation. This can be integrated into your workout every 10 minutes proactively, or reactively any time you begin to feel the tingling.

Try these tips and keep on training!