If you’re an athlete that likes to be active in the wintertime, you may know that it can be challenging to implement foot orthotics into your routine.
However, they can be quite beneficial, both in providing relief and increasing performance.
Winter sports that make use of skates can be hard on the joints.
Therefore, it is important to choose foot orthoses that best fit the shape of your feet.
Read on for some good tips on how to purchase the right orthotics for your skates, regardless of the sport.
Establish your needs
You can greatly improve your balance and muscular endurance with sports like hockey, speed skating, and figure skating.
However, your musculoskeletal endurance can be put to the test in the case of a plantar imbalance.
This is where foot orthoses come in.
Generally, orthotics are required for the following conditions:
- Flat foot or cavus foot;
- Plantar fasciitis;
- Heel spurs;
- Achilles tendonitis;
- Bursitis or capsulitis;
- Hammertoe;
- Metatarsalgia;
- Hallux valgus;
- Poor posture or asymmetry of the lower limbs;
- Deformity of the foot.
You should make sure to be well informed on the specifics of your feet and posture in order to fully benefit from your orthotics’ therapeutic potential.
Your podiatrist will be able to correctly analyze your issues and offer you the most suitable orthotics for your type of sport, activity, or athletic training.
Consult a podiatric professional
Thanks to an extensive arsenal of diagnostic tools, your podiatrist is an important ally when it comes to choosing the right orthotic insoles for your skates.
Examinations that can be performed by your treating podiatrist include:
- The biomechanical examination, that assesses your feet’s movements through various manipulations.
- The 2D/3D imaging, that scans your feet to design the most advanced and personalized orthotics.
- The postural examination, that accentuates your feet’s overall influence on your posture, both at rest and when walking.
Administered in a podiatric clinic, these three tests help identify the specific characteristics of your feet in order to mold the best orthotics for your situation.
Choosing the best-suited orthotic insoles
Orthoses for athletes come in a variety of versions.
Traditionally, foot orthoses can be either prefabricated or custom made.
While they are easy to find, prefabricated orthotics may not always be the best fit for different types of foot arches.
Therefore, you must pay attention when choosing the model.
On the other hand, personalized foot orthoses are usually a much better choice for athletes who wish to maintain their performance in summer and winter alike.
You should also keep in mind the nature of the activity that you engage in.
Here are some other important criteria to consider when choosing the orthoses for your skates:
- How long your sports sessions last;
- The intensity of your activities;
- How often you skate;
- The skating technique used;
- The position of your feet and legs during the activity;
- The type of skates.
Don’t be afraid to keep moving!
The use of orthotics should by no means impair your flow of movement, but rather help enhance it!
However, it is possible that the shape of your feet may somewhat change due to continued practice of a sport like figure skating or hockey.
If it ever occurs to you that your orthotics no longer provide the same level of comfort, you may have to contact your podiatrist to have them adjusted.
Retrieve the pleasure of skating thanks to PiedReseau
Whether you’re playing hockey, figure skating, or speed skating, don’t let the pain in your feet prevent you from keeping fully active.
Find the best comfort in your skates thanks to the custom foot orthotics solutions available at PiedReseau.
Don’t let discomfort stand in the way of your sporting activities, contact a PiedReseau podiatrist today.
