Elliptical Trainer Sleepy Foot Syndrome

Have you ever been striding away on your elliptical trainer, getting into a great workout, and then realize that one of your feet has gone numb all of a sudden? It's no fun and is a great way to break your concentration and ruin what was otherwise a terrific workout. Sometimes your foot throbs so much you need to cut your elliptical trainer workout short to walk off the numbness. This article will reveal why this happens and give you some tips for dealing with it.

It does seem unusual that your foot would fall asleep while you're standing upright. This usually happens while either lying or sitting, but have you ever stood in the same position in a line that isn't moving? This is the perfect condition for getting numb feet. It's all about circulation. The simple act of wiggling your toes or flexing your foot will usually be enough to relieve the tingling and numbness.

Using an elliptical trainer is very similar to standing motionless in one place. Well, at least with respect to your feet. The low impact nature of an elliptical trainer is the result of your feet never leaving the foot pedals. While great for your knees and other joints, it's what can cause your feet to lose sensation.

It's important to wear well-cushioned athletic footwear when exercising on an elliptical trainer, but this usually doesn't do much to prevent numbness in your feet. The root cause of the problem is the constant pressure of your body weight on your feet and the restricted circulation that results.

The remedy is twofold:

1. Promote circulation -- remember to wiggle your toes every so often during your workout. Another technique is heel-to-toe flexion of your foot. Simply rock your foot from heel to toe on the foot pedal of the elliptical trainer as you exercise. Most people usually experience numbness in one of their feet, but if you're having numbness with both, then perform these movements with both feet. Also try to remember to do these movements throughout your workout, before numbness sets in.

2. Avoid excessively long workouts -- the optimal range for fat burning and moderate cardio conditioning on an elliptical trainer is between 30 to 45 minutes. Longer than 45 minutes may be longer than most people need. It's usually more productive to do two 30-minute workouts on an elliptical trainer spread out during the day than one extended workout for an hour.

The longer you stay on an elliptical trainer, the greater the chance that your feet may go numb from lack of circulation.

Though annoying, you can shake off the effects of Elliptical Trainer Sleepy Foot Syndrome and in many cases avoid it altogether with these simple techniques.