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One of the best things about running is how accessible it is. You can head out the door with the right pair of shoes and just start running. But what about those shoes? There are so many different varieties of sneakers, running shoes, exercise shoes and how do we know we have made the best selection to protect our feet? Well, here are some tips to making the right choice in your footwear shopping spree.

1. Choose the Right Type

Believe it or not but there are 3 different types of running shoes:

Everyday- Most versatile option, strong, great for everyday runner use

Lightweight- Designed for fast races, less durable than everyday

Trail- Designed for running in the sand or dirt, lugs on the bottom for better grip, more durable than everyday.

2. Know Your Body

Your starting weight should impact the type of shoe you select. The higher the weight the more cushioning a shoe should have. A raised heel may be needed to help your foot absorb the stress put on them from running.

3. Get the Right Fit

Obviously when you go to the shoe store you can’t take the shoes out for a run so there are things to look out for.

Swelling- It’s good to remember our feet swell throughout the day and especially when we run.

Thumb Width- The shoes should be comfortable but not too big. There should be a thumb width between the end of the shoe

Comfort- The shoe should wrap around your foot. If it is uncomfortable in the store it will only get worse when you are running!

Width- If needed look for the Wide sizes of a shoe to give you more comfort while running

4. Flat or Not?

It’s important to know how you walk. If you are flat-footed than a shoe with a lot of support and a rigid shoe with a heel raise is the best choice. If you a strong foot than you need a more flexible shoe with minimal heel drop and lots of cushioning.

5. No Sneakers

It may seem like a shoe is a shoe but running shoes are designed to absorb the repetitive force of running unlike ordinary sneakers. They have shock absorption and special design features to give you a better experience. They are basically the same price as other athletic shoes so why not get the ones that are designed for the sport of running? It just makes sense.

6. Quality not Price

Finally, don’t get duped into spending more for a flashy sounding shoe. While the expensive shoes can have additional technology they may be more brand-oriented and as well done as a less popular brand. Look for the quality of the shoes more than the branding or price. Usually running shoes run from $100 to $250. Before purchase consider how much you plan on running, how fast and what the problem areas are on your feet. It may turn out a lower cost variety is more  suited for your needs or it may be time to invest in a more expensive pair.

And don’t forget you can use Zim’s Max Freeze Gel to get some relief from those achy feet once you begin running in those new shoes!

What have you found to be helpful in selecting running shoes? We’d love to hear in the comments section

 

Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at Zims! We hope you are having a wonderful day with the people in your life. One thing nobody loves is pain and getting relief from body aches and sore muscle can be the greatest blessing of all. This is especially true in these cold winter months when our bodies seem to feel that pain even more than we usually do.

That’s where our product Zim’s Max-Freeze Gel comes into play. This easy to use gel is greaseless and applies on easily with a vanishing scent formula.

Zim’s Max-Freeze Gel is recommended for relief with conditions like: arthritis, strains, bruises, sprains. Using natural ingredients such as aloe, arnica, and tea tree oil the gel soothes and relaxes tense and sore muscles and anyone can use that when trying to stay motivated in his or her exercise routines.

Cool treatments cam help to reduce inflammation by decreasing blood flow to the area.  This helps relax the muscle so it can heal and get back to its strong self. After all, it’s pretty much impossible to feel motivated to exercise if your body is in pain!

You can find Zim’s Max-Freeze Gel at major retailers like Rite Aid, Wal-mart, Walgreens and more. For more information on where to purchase the product check here.

Please let us know if you’ve had a chance to use Zim’s Max-Free Gel and what you thought of it in the comments. Thanks!

We’ve all seen it before: the groups of senior citizens power walking through the mall. I know growing up I thought this was so strange. Why of all the laces in the world would you go to the mall to exercise? Well, it turns out there are a lot of advantages to mall walking and those senior citizens knew what they were doing.

The first advantage to mall walking is its safety and security. Most malls are monitored by security and there is not the dangers of vehicles, stray dogs or anything like that. One can also know if there is any kind of medical emergency you can receive help quickly and easily.

The next advantage is the year-round availability. As opposed to other sports that are seasonal, mall walking you can do any time without worrying about rain, snow or excessive heat (most malls are pretty well air conditioned so it is perfect for the hot summer).

Malls also have plenty of bathrooms and water fountains, which are usually better maintained than public restrooms at parks or schools. The only risky part of mall walking is the temptation to undo your workout with a hot pretzel or cookie from one of the vendors! Self control is definitely required!

Many malls encourage mall walkers and you can join clubs or group together with other walkers, which helps with the monotony that walking can be. They may even have club hats, shirts or pins so that security can easily recognize you as a walker.

The final advantage is mall walking can help you get the first look at new merchandise and the best discounts on sales! Imagine how nice that would be during the holidays!

Mall walking can be a great way to workout regularly without problems in weather or security concerns. You can go, meet other walkers and have a great time while slowly becoming more fit each day. It can be the perfect exercise solution!

While our products can be used for any type of muscle pain relief, we have a lot of customers who are runners. Running is such an easy sport to participate in with a low cost of entry that it remains one of the most popular sports for adults. The problem with running is it can be a bit boring and repetitive. Fortunately we have the perfect solution to spicing up your runs: podcasts! Podcasts about running to be more exact. Here are some of our favorites.

The Rich Roll Podcast

Rich Roll bills himself as a ‘wellness evangelist’ and that is essentially what his podcast provides. He does 2 to 3 long episodes a week (most over 100 minutes) on all kinds of topics that will interest runners.

In fact, this podcast could be interesting to non-athletes as well. He almost always has a guest on with him and they talk about life lessons, goal setting and more. We may all be converted to this evangelist after a few listens!

Running Rogue

Running Rogue is a podcast put on by the website roguerunning.com and is designed to help marathon runners reach their goal. Each week we get updates on the latest nation-wide marathon winners and loads of tips, tricks and workout suggestions.

For example, a recent episode is entitled ‘8 Common Training Mistakes’ where he warns against not running enough days, skipping recovery days and more. Host Chris is engaging to listen to and very encouraging for professional and amateur runners.

The Running for Real Podcast

If you are looking for a female voice in the running podcasting world The Running for Real Podcast is a great option. Hosted by Tina Muir gives great tips and suggestions for entering marathons and setting goals but she also is very encouraging and inspiring.

The goal of Muir’s podcast is to ‘motivate you and help YOU run YOUR best!’. I was particularly impressed with a recent interview she did with runner Kara Goucher who turned in her coach to the FBI after years of poor treatment. Her journey was inspiring and should help convince anyone to be bold in running and life. Love it!

Inside Running Podcast

Sometimes the production values aren’t the best on this podcast but if you are looking for one with a group dynamic Inside Running Podcast is a lot of fun. Hosts Brady, Julian and Bradley are all marathon runners and they talk about their individual training, how things are going and what has been working for them lately.

They also have gear reviews, guests, and other helpful tips. It also seems like all 3 are genuine friends and enjoy talking to each other. It’s fun to be part of the friends-group as a listener and makes the listening experience fun.

Triathlon Taren

If you are a triathlete you definitely want to check out the Triathlon Taren podcast but even if you aren’t you should listen. They have a very clever set up where Taren is the triathlete and co-host Kim is not. She’s even billed as NTK (No Triathlon Kim). Her job is to ask questions and to keep things light and fun. It really works and makes for an entertaining listen. They have guests in their ‘Coach’s Corner’ series and focus on ‘not suffering through training’ but making it an enjoyable part of life. It works!

So what are some fitness or running related podcasts that you like? We’d love to hear about them in the comments section. Happy listening and running!