Fitness Boot Camp and Ski Conditioning

“We’re almost done with the warm-up”

If you have experienced the joy and pain of Mike Lawson’s Boot Camp or Ski Conditioning classes, then you know that these are intense cross-training workouts that will get you in the best shape of your life. But any intense workout like this will put significant stress on your bodies—especially your feet, ankles, and legs.

Having participated myself for the past 5 years, I want to give you some hints on how best to prevent injury and treat some of the most common problems you might experience. If you have questions during class feel free to ask me at any time that I’m able to draw a breath.

If you have never participated in Boot Camp and want an out-of-this-world workout, use this link for more information.

Larry Huppin

News Articles on Boot Camp:
Seattle Weekly
Seattle PI on Ski Conditioning
Seattle PI on Boot Camp

Injury Prevention Tips.

1. Make sure that you are wearing stable shoes that are in good condition. The shoes should be stable, in near-new condition and fit well. To ensure best fit, go to a specialty shoe store with professional shoe fitters. To find good shoes and shoe stores go to our shoe information page and download our List of Recommended Shoes.

The classes differ in terrain and you will be more comfortable and better protect yourself if you are wearing a shoe that is appropriate for each situation:

• For spring and summer boot camp, you should be wearing running shoes or trail running shoe
   
• Sunrise Boot Camp at Gasworks poses some special challenges due to wet grass and pavement. A trail running shoe with very good traction is most appropriate for this class. Some good examples are the Montrail Hardrock and the Merrill Chameleon.
   
• For Ski Conditioning wear cross-trainers, basketball or other court shoes. This class takes place on a basketball court and has considerable side-to-side movement. A running shoe is not appropriate as they can cause you to be unstable when doing side-to-side movement.

2. Wear acrylic socks and avoid cotton. Acrylic socks prevent blisters and provide far greater cushioning than cotton. For detailed information on socks and a list of the best socks for athletic activities visit our sock page

3. Wear arch supports or orthotics. Arch supports help prevent injury and spread weight over a larger area of your feet. Most people will do fine with an over-the-counter arch support. Others may require a custom orthotic. For more information—including recommendations on over-the-counter arch supports— go to our orthotics page.

Common cross-training injuries:

The following are the most common lower-extremity injuries we see from the type of cross-training that we do in boot camp and ski conditioning. Click on the appropriate link to learn more.

• Heel and arch pain
• Big toe joint pain
• Pain in the ball of the feet
• Achilles tendonitis
• Ankle injuries
• Unstable ankles
• Knee pain
• Leg pain (shin splints)
• Stress Fractures

All pages on this website © 2008
Douglas Hale, DPM & Lawrence Huppin, DPM
Foot and Ankle Center of Washington, Seattle
The material provided on this web site is for informative purposes only.
If you need specific medical advice, please contact the office for an appointment.