If all it takes to stay healthy is walking thirty minutes a day, why are you sitting there? Grab your cell phone and chat with a friend while you walk or listen to music or a TV show, and you won’t even feel the time fly by. Or better still, leave all that at home and give yourself a half hour of freedom from everyone and everything. Use the time to think, organize your day or just let your mind wander amongst wonderful memories. Break from the world and life. Walk or run for the pleasure of it.
Before you start, however, it is important to wear a proper pair of athletic shoes. The easiest way to get the correct shoe is to bring an old one with you when you shop. If you go to one of the speciality athletic shoe stores below, the sales people have been trained to evaluate the wear and know what you should be buying.
The most important thing they do is to make sure your foot stays stable. Stability is important to avoid injuries. If your foot is not stable, it can eventually lead to knee and hip problems.
They understand the bio-mechanics of gait. Does your foot pronate, stay neutral or supronate? Are you wearing the right width or did you buy a larger size in order to make your foot more comfortable?
Why type of shoe do you need? Cross trainers are popular for people who may take aerobics, do leg presses and squats, play tennis and perhaps also do weight-lifting. However, they are also a little bit of this and a little bit of that. A running shoe is lighter, has more cushioning, more support and is quite breathable. A walking shoe is heavier, but it lasts longer and is sturdier. It looks more like a shoe, if you need it to wear to work.
Remember these words that Carl Andersen, owner of Distance Sports, prints right on his business card: “We who have no time for our health today will have no health for our time tomorrow”.
Distance Sports, 5922 Sherbrooke St. West at Royal Ave. Phone: 514-482-1010. Hours: Monday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Open fourteen years now, this personalized shop orients itself to the specialized needs of runners. Bring in an old running shoe and they will analyze it and lead you to the shoe (Mizuno, Brooks, Asics) you should be wearing. Running clothes are here too, along with a tiny bit of soccer shoes.
Boutique Endurance, 6579 St. Denis St. at Beaubien St. Phone: 514-272-9267. Hours: Monday to Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Buying an athletic shoe in which your feet will have to endure undue stresses should be more than just popping into a mall and finding one on sale. If you want to save your feet for your old age, shop here where the sales reps have been trained to fit them. What is the shape of your foot? Will you be running or walking? Do your feet turn in or out? Are you a beginner? After they assess your gait on the indoor track, you will be helped to choose from the Asics, Adidas, Saucony, New Balance and Brooks in sizes AA to 4E. Running and cross country ski clothes are sold, and orthotics can be inserted. www.boutiqueendurance.ca
Running Room, 4873 Sherbrooke St. West at Victoria Ave. Phone: 514-483-4495. Hours: Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is an Edmonton-based chain that offers service along with running shoes (Nike, New Balance, Saucony, Asics, Mizuno, Reebok, Adidas) and clothing. The concept of the store is for those of you who want to learn how to run or walk and don’t know where to begin or what you need to wear. There are ten-week clinics that start at “learn-to-run” and lead right up to running marathons. For those who already know how to put one foot in front of the other, you may want to join a running or walking club. Other locations: 1159 Bernard Ave. (514-274-5888); 950 St-Jean Blvd. (514-695-8744); Brossard (opening April 4th), Quartier Dix-Trente, 10 Lepage Blvd. (450-678-7070). www.runningroom.ca
