Feet going to sleep on the elliptical

I have a weird problem.  I really enjoy the elliptical machine but after about fifteen minutes my feet start to go to sleep.  I've been careful that my shoes aren't somehow too tight, that doesn't seem to be the problem.  Anybody else deal with this?  Any advice?  It's not awful but it's not all that comfortable either.

yep, I had the same problem for a while. It's because you aren't picking up your feet (actually moving them), Because the elliptical moves itself and you just push with your feet and legs it doesn't make you pick up your feet. I switched to a different elliptical at my gym and did a different program, and the problem has gone away. It used to drive me crazy!!

I used to have this problem too. You have to keep your weight on your heels, not your toes. The angle of the elliptical forces you a tad forward, esp if your running on an incline. Keep your weight back, and periodically wiggle your toes to be sure. If you can't wiggle them, it's cuz you're standing on them!This also works the back of your legs and your tush better. Have fun!

Even though you feel like your shoes aren't too tight, I'd still loosen them up around the toebox.  I get numb feet when my toebox laces (down towards your toes) are pulled tight.  I have the same issue with my hockey skates.  :)  You may also want to try different socks.

I also have the same problem when my laces are too tight (always the case it seems!!)

At least I am not the only one this happens to..  I like to do the stair stepper because it takes like 40 min for my feet to fall asleep.... but do move them  that helps me out...

Janet...

At least I am not the only one this happens to..  I like to do the stair stepper because it takes like 40 min for my feet to fall asleep.... but do move them  that helps me out...

Janet...

You're not alone, this topic has been brought up multiple times before on these forums. 

Like others have said, it's because you're not physically picking your feet up off the foot pedals of the elliptical.  What helps for me is to periodically just lift your feet off the pedals on a forward stride. 

Think of how your legs go numb if you sit on them and kill the blood supply to them.  Same theory here.  You're constantly pressing your feet into the ground dampening the blood supply there

WOW!  I am so glad to find this thread!  I have the same problem & have to move my feet or lean on my heels for a while to get them to wake up again.  I always assumed that it was because my feet are uber-straight (instead of curved like most folks) and I couldn't find sneakers that are as straight as I need them to be.  But now I know I'm not the only one.  I LOVE the elliptical machine.  :)

I used to have this problem when running for extended periods.  Purchasing appropriately angled shoes and running on single-track dirt trails versus paved surfaces fixed it.

My doc believed it was exertional compartment syndrome which can be corrected via surgery where they endoscopically make a relief slice into the cavity that contains your leg muscles because swelling of the muscles within this cavity is the cause of the numbness.  It caries a risk of hitting a nerve so that you might never feel the top of your foot again.  I'm glad I didn't pursue the surgery.

I'm jealous of your ability to use ellipticals.  My stride is so long that I have yet to find an elliptical that feels in any way natural for me to use.

 

 

 

Sounds like you're ellipticalling on your toes.

Go to more of a flat foot.  You'll feel it more in your legs and if you're holding your core in, you'll feel it there too.  Your feet will no loger be asleep (toes too). 

I used to have this same problem as well. I noticed that it happened when I would pick my feet up with each step instead of leaving them on the machine. Also I learned to position my weight on my heels instead of my toes. I would notice my feet falling asleep at about the 20 minute mark, so what I have been doing is stopping after 20 minutes and switching to the stair climber then maybe coming back to the elliptical after 10 or 15 minutes of stairclimbing. This slightly different movement seems to give my feet a rest.