(Sorry for the delay between blogs, but sometimes life takes over...anyway, back to the regularly scheduled blogging)
So, you've seen the weird looking five-toed shoes...that person running the Sydney marathon in bare feet...you hear the buzz at the gym...barefoot running...
...the explanation for what it is is reasonably straight forward - run without shoes on...
...that sounds a little confronting, doesn't it?? And sounds counter to everything we've been told about the cushioning effect, last corrections and arch preservation that used to promote certain running shoes...
"...you mean my $300 [BRAND DELETED] runners are no good??"
...not necessarily, but they're not necessarily doing you a lot of favours either...
...so, let's start at the beginning - what are the benefits of barefoot running??
...there's Harvard University research out there that suggests landing on your mid or forefoot will strengthen the shock absorption capabilities of your feet, knees and hips - therefore, protecting your lower back from injury...
...that sounds a little confronting, doesn't it?? And sounds counter to everything we've been told about the cushioning effect, last corrections and arch preservation that used to promote certain running shoes...
"...you mean my $300 [BRAND DELETED] runners are no good??"
...not necessarily, but they're not necessarily doing you a lot of favours either...
...so, let's start at the beginning - what are the benefits of barefoot running??
...there's Harvard University research out there that suggests landing on your mid or forefoot will strengthen the shock absorption capabilities of your feet, knees and hips - therefore, protecting your lower back from injury...
...the other element that supports barefoot running is the concept that our bodies receive most of its proprioceptive feedback through the muscles on the bottom of our feet. Considering our modern environment means we walk on artificially flat surfaces in artificially flat shoes - the amount of feedback our body gains is greatly reduced. This feedback is generally used to give our body a greater awareness of our position in space and improve our balance - factors that become incredibly important as we age...
...so, there are obviously benefits to ditching the runners and going barefoot but the questions remains - should I run barefoot??
"...barefoot??...with the glass and broken twigs and stuff...doesn't sound awesome..."
...running barefoot is definitely something that will benefit most people, but it comes with a caution - barefoot running is actually very difficult to begin with - and you really need your technique to be correct when you're doing it...
...a lot of people believe that they just have to buy a pair of five-toed or minimalist shoes, and that's it...that's a long way from the truth...you need to learn to run all over again...
...my suggestion, if you decide that barefoot running is something you want to challenge yourself with, is that you start small...find an oval, beach or park near you, and find a very clear area of it...then run for 100-200 metres without placing your heel on the ground...walk back to the start in the same manner, and repeat...do this three times, and stop there for the day...
...then come back in a couple of days, and try again - this time run an extra 50 metres...continue to slowly build up over time...barefoot running isn't something you'll be able to conquer overnight - you have a lifetime of running and walking habits to overcome...
Good luck, enjoy the experience - and if you need more tips or training suggestions, this is where to reach me: the.chiro@mail.com
