Question:
I have recently begun using a stair machine for fat loss. I have found that the front half of both feet and all my toes fall asleep and go completely numb after about 15 minutes! The shoes are new, the toe box seems wide enough, and the shoes are flexible. Any ideas as to what the cause might be?
Answer:
While stair machine (and elliptical trainer) are both excellent for cardiovascular training and fat loss, numbness in the toes and feet is a very common problem with the stair machine and the elliptical trainer. It is a lack of circulation from the constant pressure put on the feet and has really nothing to do with your shoes.
You know how your arms falls asleep if you lean on it for too long? The same thing is happening in your feet and toes. I’ve encountered this situation myself before.
There are several good solutions to this problem.
1. Take a break every 10 minutes just to shake out your feet and get circulation moving again. Step off the machine to do this then jump right back on.
Most stair machines have pause programming built in so when you’re not on the machine, it’ll actually stop the program and let you jump back on and pick up right where you left off.
2. Lift your feet off the pedals every few minutes while you are using the stair machine. Taking a few steps off the stair machine pedals every few minutes or so should do the trick. To do this, when you’re pushing down with the left foot, lift the right foot off and move your foot around and vice versa.
This is an easy way to keep your foot circulation going while still keeping yourself going on the stair machine.
These two methods should help you avoid the numbness in your feet completely and allow you to persue your fat loss goals.
Just as an aside, if losing fat fast is your main goal, I highly recommend interval training to be your main method of cardio. It’s more intense than straight-through cardio and will actually help solve your numbness issues by breaking up the steady pressure on your feet.
