Adapt Physical Therapy’s 2021 Sneaker And Mattress Reccomendations

At Adapt, we believe in a holistic approach to health, wellness, and pain free living.

We make it a point to help our clients as much outside of our office as we do in office.

As such, were always being asked what chairs, shoes, pillows, mattresses, and other things our clients should be using to help their healing.

Many of our clients have chronic back pain, hip pain, or neck pain and a good pair of shoes, pillow, and mattress are the most important thing they can do to prevent future setbacks and accelerate their journey.

Even if you have the perfect physical therapy treatment program, your healing will always stall if you sleep on a bad mattress for 8 hours a night, or stand and walk in poorly fitting shoes.

Without further ado, here are a few of our favorite things that can assist in your journey.

Let’s first start with our mattress recommendations.

Mattresses

A good mattress is one of the best investments you’ll ever make. In fact, you will probably spend more time using your mattress than nearly any other item you own, so don’t cheap out here.

I find that people often keep old, worn down mattresses around for far longer than they should just because they don’t realize how worn down they’ve gotten.
When shopping for a mattress, you want one that is on the medium firm end, and is either a hybrid of foam and coals, or latex.

If you are a side sleeper, you might be better off with a medium mattress.

If you sleep on your back, medium firm is the way to go.

And if you sleep on your stomach, you need to stop doing that at once.

Some of our favorite brands are…

1. Casper

This is what I personally sleep on, and it’s solid. They have a few different levels, with differing layers and firmness. You can’t go wrong with either one.

2. Avocado

Avocado’s base mattress is a hybrid of spring and foam.

Their newest one is a latex mattress, which has the same sturdiness with no springs.

Over time, springs will wear down and get too soft. Latex will have a similar feel in the beginning, but wears out much better long term, leading to a longer overall lifetime.

With either Avocado, you also can’t go wrong.

3. Eight Sleep Pod

I have to admit I’ve never used one of these, but they look very cool. Besides having some very cool additional features, they have a 5 layer firm mattress with dual zone technology and temperature control.

Sneakers

Shoes are another big one. A shoe that doesn’t support well can cause your pelvis and hips to lose stability, wreaking havic on your body up the chain.

Your feet are the only thing in contact with the ground all day, so better give them a good foundation to support you from.

We find it very hard to make continual progress with somebody if they have terrible footwear.

When sneaker shopping, here is what to look for:

1. A supportive shoe must have a firm heel that does not fold over when pressed

2. The toe box must easily bend without the middle of the shoe bending

3. When you press down, the outside heal must not give

4. When looking from behind, the heel height must be even throughout.

Recommended Indoor Shoes

When considering using a shoe indoors, first take note of what you are looking to achieve.

Most people are looking for pressure relief off of either their heels, knees or low back to relieve undue stress.

In this situation, a shoe with a thicker insole and rocker bottom would be most helpful.

Here are a few really comfortable options we like:

Recommended Walking Shoes

When looking for a good pair of walking shoes, you want something that is sturdy, supportive, and comfortable.

Here are a few walking shoes we like:

1. New Balance 928

2. New Balance 840

Recommended Walk/ Run Shoes

These options are great if you want a shoe you can walk in every day, and also run in.

When looking for a shoe that can be used for both walking and running, always allow for a shoe that will allow you to run properly first.

Consider using one of the neutral options listed below, adding in an over the counter orthotic to help specifically for what your foot may need, such as extra arch support or taking pressure off of your Plantar Fascia.

We really like:

1. Hoka Bondi 6 Or 7

2. Hoka Clifton

But to be honest, you probably can’t go wrong with any Hokas.

Now, you might be wondering where you can get these…

We actually send most of our clients to Fleet Feet right here on Bloomfield Ave.

It’s locally owned, and they do an excellent job of fitting you to to the right shoe for you. if you go there, tell them Payal and Cody sent you.

We Help Active Adults Break Free From Injury And Regain Their Physical Freedom So They Can Be Active And Confident For Years To Come