By Maya Aviezer (aka Maika)
Hi, my name is Maya aka Maika! I’m a pro runner competing for the Israeli national team, but I live and train in LA.
Running is my job, but it’s also something I really enjoy. It introduced me to my passion for the wellness and outdoor fitness world at a young age. Unfortunately, I’ve had my fair share of injuries throughout my career, especially with my shins and feet. At the beginning of the pandemic, I injured my toe and had to completely stop running for 10 months. During this time, I learned a lot about what it takes to take care of my body on my own since I didn’t have access to the same doctors and physical therapists I would have normally gone to pre-pandemic. I did research and communicated closely with my coaches and doctors via Zoom and phone calls. I soon realized that I was really ignoring my foot health until this point, and more so, just how bad the shoes I was wearing after practice were for me. It was already hard enough on my feet that I was running in my spikes on the track for a few hours a day, but the flip-flops and slides I threw on after training, and walking barefoot around the house only exacerbated the problem.
Nobody properly taught me about injury prevention beyond your typical ice baths and stretching for recovery. That’s precisely why I was thrilled when Vionic reached out and told me they created something that doesn’t just focus on performance, but also on recovery. Most of the shoes we wear around the house and run errands in after we workout offer zero support and stability. It’s not enough to ice, stretch, and do your mobility exercises. You have to take care of the health of your body during the times outside of your workouts, which as it turns out, are the majority of our days. Healthy feet are the foundation of a healthy body. You have over 100 ligaments, muscles, and tendons in your feet. Your feet are so complex and if you don’t take care of them, it will throw off the health and function of everything else in your body. I know how daunting it can be to visit a doctor and get custom orthotics for your shoes, and I l am not suggesting getting rid of that option completely if you’re having chronic injuries and foot issues, but the Restore and Rejuvenate recovery sandals are an amazing, affordable solution and an easy step I’ve added into my routine to make sure I’m keeping my feet healthy.
I wear the Rejuvenate slide at home and right after I workout because I usually wear socks. I wear Restore for running various errands, doing groceries, doing a little morning walk in my neighborhood etc. Other products I adore are slippers. I wear my Vionic slippers around the house; it’s so much better to wear a supportive slipper than to walk barefoot in and around your home. I encourage you not to learn the hard way like I had to, and suffer through an injury before making a change. Your body will thank you for taking your foot health seriously!
Reach out and let me know if you want to see a full recovery day routine that you can follow and try to incorporate into your workout schedule!
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