The Surprising Science Behind Your Shaky Muscles Imagine you’re running through a basic exercise routine. You feel good, so you push yourself harder than usual — and your muscles suddenly start shaking! Every athlete has experienced that moment of panic when tremors hit. But have you ever wondered why your muscles shake? The answer is more complicated than you might think. Shaking muscles can mean at least three things: You’re underprepared for your workout, pushing yourself too hard, or breaking new ground and building muscle! To figure out which option explains your scenario, ask yourself these questions:
1. Did I drink plenty of water today and get at least seven hours of sleep last night? If not, your muscles could be shaky because of dehydration or fatigue.
2. Am I doing a new exercise? If you’ve never done a jump squat or bench pressed 200 pounds, you’ll probably feel shaky the first time you try a full set. That’s because your body is adjusting to the new motions at a cellular level. Simply put, when you start a workout, your muscle fibers tell your muscle cells whether to contract or relax — and those fibers can get tired of doing their job. When one fiber becomes fatigued, your body adjusts to rely on another. Trying something new (essentially, asking your fibers to give new directions) can confuse your body and delay the tradeoff, making your muscles shake.
Is it too big of a claim to say that an insole in a shoe can be life-changing? For the people who spend a lot of time on their feet, who now have less pain and discomfort due to these innovative insoles, their quality of life has improved dramatically.
3. Am I pushing myself harder than I ever have before? When you amp up the intensity of your workout, your body will often do more muscle fiber “tradeoffs” than usual because you’re demanding more output. When too many tradeoffs happen at once, that can make your muscles shake. Muscle tremors aren’t always a bad sign. If you’re trying a new exercise or pushing for improvement, they’re part of the learning process! However, if you’re struggling with exhaustion or dehydration, or you think you’re overworking yourself, shaking can be a red flag. Consider reducing the intensity of your workout or taking a rest day.
One of the most rewarding parts of what we do here is to help our patients enhance their lives. That’s why we are very excited to offer AIRfeet insoles. They fit easily into all types of shoes — on top of other insoles you may already have gotten from us. Recently, we visited with Wayne Purcell, the president of AIRfeet, who shared more of the behind-the-scenes story of how AIRfeet came to be and got into the shoes of satisfied customers.
Born and raised in Australia, Wayne came of age and developed expertise in aviation, aerospace, engineering, and design. Eventually, he came across an opportunity where he could use all of that experience. “Every once in a while you see a product that was well-conceived but not well executed — sort of like if someone were to develop a square wheel. The concept of a wheel was great, but the execution didn’t work,” Wayne remembers. “It was the same way here. My brother had back issues, and I had the chance to develop an insole to try to help. It was something we dove into together.”
So, he designed and developed AIRfeet, a moving insole that makes life much more enjoyable for those who spend it on their feet. After manufacturing commenced, it wasn’t long before Wayne and his brother debuted AIRfeet to raving success.
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