Foot pain on elliptical

[Bad JuJu]

I just started working out on the elliptical trainer at our gym on campus. I guess I've been living in a cave because I'd never tried one of these puppies before. I love the benefit of getting a good workout, getting my heart rate up where it needs to be, some weight-bearing, but no impact.

BUT, after about 15 minutes (I do a total of 30), the soles of my feet start to hurt something awful. Not bad enough that I have to stop, but almost. My shoes are neither brand new nor old and beat-up, so I don't think they're the problem. Has anyone else encountered this issue when beginning to use the elliptical trainer?

[Kimmyt]

Can you elaborate the type of pain? Is it the hotspotty, soon-to-be-blistering type of pain? Or is it an aching in all the muscles of your foot? Or is it in a particular area of the foot?

K.

[Zen]

Is it a burning sensation (plantar fasciitis)?
Try different foot positions, like standing on your toes for a bit to give yourself a little calf workout.
Another good position is to lower your butt down as if you were sitting in a chair.

[Bad JuJu]

It just seems to be general pain through the sole of my foot, and now that you ask, I think there is a burning sensation, so plantar fasciitis, which hadn't occurred to me, might be it.

I'll try to different foot and body positions--thanks for the tips, Zen!

Or maybe I'm just a weenie and need to spend some time toughening up.

[OakLeaf]

I get some of that, and one of the other instructors at my gym actually has her feet go numb on the elliptical.

I loathe cardio machines anyway, but it seems like ellipticals have some particular issues, in that your entire soles are weight-bearing throughout the stroke, and the pedals are set unnaturally wide apart, which stresses your knees.

Try an old-fashioned stair climber, maybe.

[Sheesh]

My plantar fascitis acts up on the elliptical, but that's a soreness in the arch of my foot. My PT suggested stretching my calf muscles before getting on the elliptical and that seems to help (my plantar fascitis is symptomatic of really tight calf muscles and achilles tendonitis, lots of stretching and I'm all better). My feet also go numb if I'm on the machine for too long without making a concerted effort to move my foot position around.

Finally, the soles of my feet burn (again if I don't make an effort to move my feet around) sometimes, but I think that tends to be related to ill-fitting shoes or socks. Like, if I don't tie the laces tight enough.

I don't know if any of that helps, but I'm a regular elliptical user so I've pretty much figured out how to mostly fix whatever hurts over time.