How Running and Movement Shape Better Decision Making.

How Running and Movement Shape Better Decision Making.

Welcome to a new episode of *The Runner's Sole*

In today's episode, we will discuss an important topic: the tendency toward injuries while running. At the hospital, we frequently see runners coming to us with issues such as foot and calf pain, as well as problems affecting their ankles and knees. Our discussion today focuses on these types of running injuries.

In this episode of The Runner's Sole Podcast, podiatrist and runner **Sharon Miller explores everything new parents need to know about pram running—from biomechanics and injury prevention to footwear, recovery, and returning to exercise safely after pregnancy.

Whether you're a new parent preparing for your first pram run or you're already noticing aches and pains, this episode will help you run smarter and recover better.

🎧 IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN:

✔️ How to recover after injuries.

🔗 LINKS

🌐 All Episodes: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545750

👟 Online Foot Consultation: [www.runnerssole.co.uk](http://www.runnerssole.co.uk)

👥 Join Our Running Community:   / 17oz7x3jfe 

🏃 ABOUT THE PODCAST

The Runner's Sole Podcast is where running meets science, stride by stride.

Hosted by podiatrist and runner Sharon Miller, this podcast helps runners prevent injuries, improve performance, and better understand foot health through practical, evidence-based advice.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:09

Welcome back to the Runner Soul. This is the place where running meets science stride by stride. And as ever, I am Sharon, your resident podiatrist, and I'm also a runner, and you guessed it, a foot nerd. Hi and welcome back to the Runner Soul. Well, today's topic is an interesting one because I want to talk to you about something that I see every day in clinic, but that stretches far beyond the feet and the ankles. Because me as a podiatrist, people come to me thinking I only deal with injuries, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, ankle sprains, and you wouldn't believe, but a lot of people think we just cut nails. Now, while it's true that we do all of the above, what surprises many patients is how often movement, especially running and regular exercise, connects to something much more bigger. How we think, how we feel, and even how we make decisions. So let's have a little talk about that link between running, foot health, and better decision making. Your feet are not just structural supports, they're also sensory organs. What does that mean? Well, it means that each step you take sends feedback up through thousands of nerve endings in the soles of your feet, up your legs, into your spine, and ultimately to your brain. This constant stream of input helps regulate your balance, your posture, and movement efficiency. From a podiatry perspective, running is essentially a repeated dialogue between your body and your brain. And here's where it gets really interesting. Because when the body is moving well, the brain receives clearer, more consistent sensory input. That improves what we call proprioreception, which is your awareness of where you are in space and time. Better proprioreception doesn't just reduce injury risk. No, it also supports clearer cognitive processing. Clinically, patients who run regularly often report something very consistent. I often hear them say, I think I think better when I run. Now this isn't just subjective. Aerobic exercise increases the blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain, particularly in areas responsible for planning, focus, and decision making, like the prefrontal cortex. From a podiatrist point of view, what's fascinating is the feedback loop. Healthy thought mechanics equals efficient running. Efficient running equals sustained aerobic activity, and sustained aerobic activity improves cognitive performance. And this is where decision making improves. Not because running magically makes you smarter, but because it reduces mental noise, the stress hormone decreases, and the cognitive clarity increases. One of the less talked-about benefits of regular running is how it shapes behavioral decision making. People who run consistently tend to become more aware of the recovery time, sleep quality, nutrition choices, load management, which is how much stress they can put on their body. And as a podiatrist, I see this shift all the time. A runner recovering from a stress injury often becomes more mindful, not just about their training, but also about their life decisions in general. Why? Because the body becomes a feedback system. And that is very important. If your feet hurt because you ignored rest, your brain learns cause and effect very quickly. And that awareness translates into better decision making outside of sport too. What's the connection between foot health, movement, and emotional regulation? Well, there is a very strong emotional component. Running has been shown to regulate mood through endorphin release and stress reduction. But from a biomechanical standpoint, rhythm matters too. The repetitive clinical motion of running creates a steady sensory rhythm. Heel strike, mid stance, toe off, repeat. Now that rhythm has a grounding effect on the nervous system. Many patients describe it as resetting their head. And when your emotional state is more regulated, your decisions naturally become less reactive and more considered. What do podiatrists actually care about? Well, from my own clinical perspective, I don't just want my people to be able to run more. No, I want them to be able to run well. So good foot health supports stable gate mechanics, reduced injury risk, better energy efficiency, longer, more sustainable activity, which are all good. Now it's the simple little things that matter, like wearing appropriate footwear for your foot type and the activities that you're going to do. Gradual progression in the training load, strengthening those calve muscles and intrinsic foot muscles, and paying attention to the early warning signs, like that persistent heel pain or forefoot soreness. Because when the feet function well, everything upstream does too. Like the knees, hips, spine, and yes, even the brain tends to function so much better too. So here's some closing thoughts. When we talk about running, improving decision making, we're really talking about alignment. Now the alignment between the body and the brain, movement and recovery, stress and adaptation. As a podiatrist, I see running not just as an exercise, but also as a feedback system that teaches awareness. And awareness is the foundation of good decisions. If you take anything from today's episode, let it be this. You don't just run with your legs, you run with your whole nervous system. And when that system is working well, you don't just move better, you think better too. Thank you for listening. We'll see you next time. Thank you for striding through this episode with me. And if you enjoyed it, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a comment or share it. And let me know where you're listening from. We're on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Bussprouts, and pretty much everywhere you can think of. It genuinely helps more runners discover our podcast, and if you want to be part of the community and share stories, tips, and supports each other along the way, come join us over on Facebook at the RunnerSoul Family. If you've got questions about your foot health, about running or anything and everything in between, I am always happy to help. And for that reason, I offer online foot consultations, so no matter where you are in the world, we can get your concerns properly sorted. You'll find all the links in the show notes. And before you go, just please remember your feet aren't just along for the ride. They are the foundation of every step you take and everything you do. So please do take care of them and they will take care of you. So until next time, keep on running smart.