STEP ONE

There are two types of running shoes:

A. Sneakers that let the foot move freely through the gait cycle (neutral).

B. Sneakers that correct keep you from wobbling all over the track.

STEP TWO

Find out the shape of your foot: Wet it. Step onto a brown paper bag. Check out your footprint.

If the outer part of your foot is most visible, you have high arches

Which means: Your heel tends to hit the ground first, causing knee and lower back pain. Since you carry your weight on the outside of your foot, you need sneakers with added cushioning and shock absorption to protect your joints.

GOOD FIT: Mizuno Wave Rider ($99.95)

Which means: You require stability sneakers to keep your feet from rolling inward and causing sprains. Stability footwear lifts your arches with firm mid-soles so you maintain a more even stride. (You’ll notice a bit of material just under the arch that often looks like solid gray foam).

GOOD FIT: Asics Gel-3010 ($120)

Which means: Keep your arches in place and ward off shin splints with milder stability sneakers, which offer the support and heel control you need.

GOOD FIT: Nike Shox 2:40

INSTEP

Because sometimes you just need an expert opinion, consider meeting one.

Both Jack Rabbit Sports and The Running Company videotape your strides while you run on the treadmill, then replay the footage to admire your moves and pick out the perfect pair.

Replacing your sneakers every 300-400 miles you clock is a critical precaution–but if you weren’t wearing the right sneakers to begin with–then the new ones will just kick in the same old problems.

STEP ONE

There are two types of running shoes:

A. Sneakers that let the foot move freely through the gait cycle (neutral).

B. Sneakers that correct your bio-mechanical deficiencies (e.g. high/low arches) and keep you from wobbling all over the track.

STEP TWO

Find out the shape of your foot: Wet it. Step onto a brown paper bag. Check out your footprint.

If the outer part of your foot is most visible, you have high arches

Which means: Your heel tends to hit the ground first, causing knee and lower back pain. Since you carry your weight on the outside of your foot, you need sneakers with added cushioning and shock absorption to protect your joints.

GOOD FIT: Mizuno Wave Rider ($99.95)

Which means: You require stability sneakers to keep your feet from rolling inward and causing sprains. Stability footwear lifts your arches with firm mid-soles so you maintain a more even stride. (You’ll notice a bit of material just under the arch that often looks like solid gray foam).

GOOD FIT: Asics Gel-3010 ($120)

Which means: Keep your arches in place and ward off shin splints with milder stability sneakers, which offer the support and heel control you need.

GOOD FIT: Nike Shox 2:40

INSTEP

Because sometimes you just need an expert opinion, consider meeting one.

Both Jack Rabbit Sports and The Running Company videotape your strides while you run on the treadmill, then replay the footage to admire your moves and pick out the perfect pair.

– Liz Puzio

But now, in light of the recent SIGG bottle recall (due to the presence of the potentially-harmful chemical bisphenol-A), it seems we’re just picking our poisons when it comes to our canteens.

But, before you go running back to plastic, consider a newcomer on the water bottle scene: Wellness H2.O.

With a unique filtration system inside every bottle, Wellness H2.O provides a personal water purifier, kind of like a Brita on-the-go.

You’ve got the convenience of the reusable bottle paired with the purity and safety of the store-bought drink.

At $29.99 (reduced from $49.99 through Christmas), the price comes in close to that of the SIGGs, but without any of the worry. The Wellness H2.O bottles are made of ultra durable, flexible, BPA-free Polyethylene. And the green and blue design is versatile enough for both workout and work looks.

– Erica Goss

www.endbottledwater.com/, $29.99

Want a a FREE Wellness H2.O bottle? Don’t blame you. Answer our poll q to be automatically entered to win one.

Because you know how many years a water bottle sits in a landfill (a lot), you shun plastic, in favor of more eco –and accessorizing–friendly containers.

But now, in light of the recent SIGG bottle recall (due to the presence of the potentially-harmful chemical bisphenol-A), it seems we’re just picking our poisons when it comes to our canteens.

But, before you go running back to plastic, consider a newcomer on the water bottle scene: Wellness H2.O.

With a unique filtration system inside every bottle, Wellness H2.O provides a personal water purifier, kind of like a Brita on-the-go.

You’ve got the convenience of the reusable bottle paired with the purity and safety of the store-bought drink.

At $29.99 (reduced from $49.99 through Christmas), the price comes in close to that of the SIGGs, but without any of the worry. The Wellness H2.O bottles are made of ultra durable, flexible, BPA-free Polyethylene. And the green and blue design is versatile enough for both workout and work looks.

– Erica Goss

www.endbottledwater.com/, $29.99

Want a a FREE Wellness H2.O bottle? Don’t blame you. Answer our poll q to be automatically entered to win one.

That was, until we heard the five-word elixir of our time: There’s. An. App. For. That.

RunKeeper $9.99

Calculates your duration, distance, pace, elevation, and speed all the while you enjoy your run and the gleeful moments when you “tweet” your accomplishments from the couch. Its possibilities get even fancier, but with all of two buttons, Start and Finish, you can’t even try to make it malfunction.

iFitness $1.99

Trying to copy an exercise move from an image always felt kind of like a cruel game of Twister. Unless of course that image moved along with you as the more than 230 step-by-step mini trainers do on this app. Once you master them, you’ll be in charge, when you start creating your own workouts.

MyNetDiary $5 monthly fee

Those who keep food diaries lose twice as much weight as compared to those who don’t according to The American Journal of Preventative Medicine. With more than 88,000 foods in their database, a built-in community and easy to manage charts, you’ll lose it, everything except your data, of course.