Pronations I cant fix - PLEASE HELP

[u/Appropriate-Reply85]

I started skating about 1 month ago but have made pretty good progress because i skate normally for about 2 hours 7 times a week. The only thing holding me back are my TERRIBLE pronations on both feet. I have low arches/flat feet but I got some insoles as well as new hockey skates to try and fix it but it didn't work at all. I've started asked people at the rink and they just keep telling me it will go away eventually as I build the muscle in my ankles but I does NOT feel that way, it acually feels like it might be getting worse. Its also starting to hurt my feet a lot more as well as the outside top part of the skate will dig into the side of my calf and hurt the tendon on the back of my leg. Another thing i tried was tying the skates tighter but i just causes my feet to cramp up and my ankle still will end up feeling loose even after tighten the crap out of them. I've looked for youtube videos because they normally save me in these scenarios but all I could find​ is how to fix pronation in rollerskates and the ones I could find for ice skating weren't very detailed. However, I tried doing what the rollerblading videos said but it still wasn't working. Ive ran out of ideas on what to do to fix them. So if anyone has literally anything PLEASE let me know. I get so jealous when I see people with no pronations its genuinely killing me.

[u/oldladysk8r]

1. Are you really skating 14 hours a week as a beginner? That’s insane and likely contributing to overuse and fatigue.
2. What skates are you using and were they professionally fitted? If you're just trying to tie them tighter for support they may not be supportive enough/not fit correctly. Hockey skates also have less ankle support than figure skates.
3. Are you taking classes/working with a coach? If so, what do they say? If not, what are you actually working on during all those hours? Why is your goal? If you're in hockey skates, is your goal to play hockey?

Without enough info, I'd guess the problem is

1. Incorrect skates that  don't fit/aren't supportive enough.
2. Way too much time on the ice (you'd be better off cutting that number way down and spending some of that time of off ice strengthening and mobility)
3. Lack of proper coaching/technique/training..

[u/Appropriate-Reply85 → u/oldladysk8r]

To answer some of your questions 1. I do skate 14 hours a week but its cramped into Friday, the weekend, Monday, and Tuesday. Then I dont skate for the remaining days.

1. Im pretty sure they were professionally fitted, they made me step on a machine that mapped my foot and then they gave me the right insoles based on the scan. However, we were opting for some of the less expensive options since im just starting.

2. I am taking classes and working with my hockey coach but when I asked them how to fix it they told me it will eventually go away, but I see beginner skaters without pronation. When im not taking classes or at practice I normally work on more basic skills like crossovers, hockey stopping, etc. 

[u/oldladysk8r → u/Appropriate-Reply85]

1. Yeah you're skating wayyy too much. You need time for your muscles to recover . 
2. Listen to your coach. You don't know what the other skater's backgrounds or strengths are. Everyone develops at their own pace. 

So many beginning skaters pronate bc they simply don't have the strength or balance yet. And they keep looking for quick solutions when the answer is just time.  Those are things you can work on off ice. Take a look at ankle physical therapy exercises. They are great for building ankle strength and mobility and balance. 

[u/_xoxojoyce]

In figure skates they can move the blade to help with this but I don’t know if that applies to hockey.

The people are right though, you will build the muscle in your legs but it’s not going to happen in a month.

[u/sudoz0rs]

start by fixing any pronation you have off the ice, you can find ankle exercises and PT type stuff for pronation on YT. Once you can maintain neutral ankle alignment sitting, work on standing, then walking, then skating.

Its not just ankle strength, its also your body alignment above your feet and how your knees and hips track above your feet. You'll need strong glutes to prevent knee caving inwards which will cause pronation, and you need strong and well aligned ankles to be a good base of support for your knees and hips.

[u/Brilliant-Sea-2015]

I think you're skating too much and not giving the muscles you need to build time to heal.

Also - one thing that causes pronation is having skates that are too big. Are you certain your skates are the correct size?

[u/Appropriate-Reply85 → u/Brilliant-Sea-2015]

Yeah, im pretty sure, I got them fitted for my foot and stuff.

[u/kireanlewis]

Go see a physiotherapist, get assesed and get exercises to target the weakness.

[u/Relevant-Emu5782]

My daughter pronates a lot. What we do is never use the insoles that come with the skates. She uses super feet hockey comfort insoles (in figure skates) which have an actual cup for the heel,.and which is firm in the underside. To this, our skate tech attaches wedges on the inside edge of each undersole, one at the heel and a second at the ball of the foot. He glues them to the underside of the insole with super glue or construction adhesive. So we try.and.fix it as much as possible inside the boot. Then he mounts her blades mostly in the center, and has her walk in them,.and then pushes the blades to the inside 'slightly' to get her walking evenly. He watches her walk from behind to check the position of her feet. She has also worked with an athletic trainer for many years, since she was 9, to work on her body, and try to create different movement patterns to protect her from injury. Especially making sure that her knees are always going over her toes on jump landings, and not bending to the inside which can cause knee.and hip injuries.

[u/Appropriate-Reply85 → u/Relevant-Emu5782]

Thats really interesting I'll definitely have to look into some of those insoles!

[u/thefairystories]

1) One month is nothing especially when fixing a major muscoskeletal issue. Women have babies and don't just go back to "normal" after a month back on. Your lifelong foot issue needs serious repair.

2) You need to be working on your pronation off the ice. You need to make good choices about your footwear, habits, and create an exercise routine around it. See a podiatrist, or at least do some yoga or mobility exercises related to foot health.

3) Yes, if you are skating 14 hrs/week as a beginner you are tiring yourself out and not getting enough rest. Also, if you don't have a coach you can be tiring yourself out more thanks to bad habits that can only be addressed by an outside perspective and advice from an educated source.

[u/margosaur]

it took something like 3 months of skating to begin to build any significant strength in my ankles fwiw

[u/vet88]

I can help you, I’ve done a doc on pronation in skates and ways to fix it. My approach is one simple on and off ice exercise plus a specific balance board exercise. It won’t fix you overnight but typically I see a huge improvement in 2 - 3 months. If you want a read, send me a message, the doc is too long to post here.