Discover the best methods to know which sports shoes you should choose and what techniques you need to apply to avoid injuries when running or playing sports
Let’s see how to know if you are pronator or supinator , that is, the way you step on the ground when running. And it is that if you practice running or other sports for which it is necessary to run, it is important that you know how your foot comes into contact with the ground in order to choose the most appropriate sports shoes or learn the best running technique and thus avoid injuries . For this reason, we offer you the best methods to know if you are a pronator or a supinator , the differences between them and why it can be useful to know if you step in one way or another.
How to know if you are pronator or supinator
Index of contents
- Differences between pronator and supinator
- What is the use of knowing if you are a pronator or a supinator
- How to know if you are pronator or supinator
- Other ways to know if you are a pronator or a supinator
Differences between pronator and supinator
Broadly speaking, the main difference between a pronator runner and a supinator runner is in the way in which he steps on the ground when running , that is, the way in which the foot comes into contact with the ground when running. The main differences are:
- A pronatorrunner tends to step on the ground with the inside of the foot ; it is the most common type.
- A supinatorrunner , on the other hand, tends to stomp on the outside of the foot when running; in this case, it is the least common type of tread.
Among pronator and supinator runners, we find runners with a neutral footprint , that is, they support the foot in a flatter way , without exerting much pressure on one side or the other of the sole of the foot. It is the most correct way to run and it is also one of the most common, with almost half of the runners treading this way.
What is the use of knowing if you are a pronator or a supinator
If you are a regular runner or you like to go for a walk regularly, it is important to know if you are a pronator or a supinator in order to avoid future injuries . Thus, pronators tend to have plantar fasciitis, or what is the same, pain in the ankles , knees and even lower back if their footing is not corrected. For their part, supinators often suffer from pain in the knees and are prone to sprains or ruptures of ligaments .
Obviously, all this is conditioned by the degree of supination or pronation suffered by each one, together with the level and frequency of the sport that they practice . The solution is to acquire sports shoes adapted to the way of walking of each one and, if necessary, opt for an insole that helps to make the tread in the most neutral way possible. If you want to know how to know if you are a pronator or a supinator, read on.
How to know if you are pronator or supinator
There are several ways to check if a person is pronator or supinator; and the most obvious and quick is to look at the wear of sports shoes . To do this, take a close look at the sole of the sports shoes you usually run with; try to check some old shoes, as the wear will be more marked.
As a general rule, the vast majority of athletes wear the outer area of the heel , so if you look at that area it will not give you much information. On the other hand, if you look at the middle and upper part of the sole, you will have much more information with which to determine if you are a pronator or a supinator.
Shoe wear information
- A neutralrunner will have linear wear towards the big toe area , almost drawing a diagonal line from the outer heel to the big toe. If you notice a linear wear between both areas, it means that you have a neutral tread.
- A pronatorrunner will also have wear on the part of the big toe, but instead of extending only in a straight line to the heel area, wear will also be seen on the entire inside of the foot . If wear is present in the entire inner area of the shoe with the exception of the heel, we are talking about a pronation footprint.
- Finally, in the case of a supinatorathlete, the wear of the upper area of the sole will be observed on the outer part of the sole , showing more pronounced signs of wear in the area of the other toes and not in the area of the foot.
Ultimately, it is about observing the path that the foot makes along the tread , especially in the area where it takes off from the ground , or what is the same, from the arch to the toes.
Other ways to know if you are a pronator or a supinator
There are a couple more tricks to check if your footprint is pronating or supinating and that you can alternate with the sole wear method .
Footprint mark
A very efficient way to check the type of someone’s footprint is through the mark that their footprint or footprint leaves . Thus, if you wet your feet in water and place them on absorbent paper, you can take a look at the type of footprint you leave on the paper after stepping on it.
If the silhouette of the foot barely shows an arch, you may be a pronator . On the other hand, if your footprint is marked a lot on the outside, revealing a very large arch , you are probably supinator . Finally, if the arch is relatively normal, neither too big nor too small, it reveals a neutral footprint .
Knee bend
Another method that you can use to detect your type of footprint is through bending your knees , although it is not as effective a method as the previous ones. This trick consists of, with bare feet and together, bending the knee three times to maintain the bent position at the third time and checking the knees. If they are together it is possible that it is pronator ; On the other hand, if they remain separated , you may be supinator .
With these simple tricks you can determine if your tread is pronator or supinator ; In any case, we encourage you to consult a professional to determine your type of footprint and if it is necessary to resort to some type of help such as adapted shoes or insoles.
