Hi all

Can anybody recomend a good running shoe? Some thing thats gonna take some strain off my back! I've been jogging now for 3 months. As I've built up my distances on the road I've started to experience lower back pain. Is this normall? Can Pilates strengthen it. I'm a touch concerned because I'm starting to get violently addicted to running! I've got my first run this Sunday, a 10k event, come what may I'm gonna do it!

You'd best go speak to a speacilist in a running shop about shoes, but as I've posted elsewhere - pilates is good for strengthening your core muscles which then takes the strain off your back from keeping your stability, so it's worth a try - you'll notice a difference after the first session, but you need to keep it up regularly to see any major changes. I go to a pilates class once a week after one of my running sessions and then practice some of the exercises at home whilst I'm doing yoga (they're semi-interchangable for some things), and it's worked out pretty good for me - I've not had any back problems but I have noticed my posture is a better and during running I actually feel quite a bit more solid.

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Mr Octopus has taken over, and you will all bow down his awesome power of massage-magic. Bow little ones... Bow.

I went to a specialist at a running shop and they do a gait test to see how you run. They recommended the correct type of running shoes for me, which were different to what I would have brought if I had just gone into a shop to buy some. I got some asics gel 1130 running shoes which have support and are also cushioned, as I was getting problems with my heel, caused by wearing the wrong type of running shoes.

You should go visit a shop that does digital gait testing! I wear new balance trainers as I was always getting back pains in legs and feet, and blistering as my feet moved about in other trainers...new balance suit narrow feet