BAREFOOT RUNNING? WHAT IS IT? IS IT GOOD OR BAD?

BAREFOOT RUNNING

 

Until recently, most of us considered athletic shoes an

important and essential part of our athletic training

gear. This belief was fortified by the advent of the

modern running shoe in the mid-1970s. Every year

since then, the big running shoe companies have

introduced new product lines based on shoes with

increased cushion and support.

Today, however, there has been an uprising among

subgroups of runners, cross-fitness enthusiasts and

weight lifters: Less shoe is better, and no shoe is best.

The topic of barefoot running is gaining traction.

Why Go Barefoot?

The premise behind barefoot running is essentially

that the intrinsic muscles, joints, ligaments and

mechanoreceptors of the feet require stimulation to

function properly. And this optimal function is inhibited

by highly supportive and cushioned shoes. Intrinsic

foot muscle atrophy and mechanoreceptor activity

combine to cause injury and reduced performance.

Also, the thickly padded heels of running shoes have

produced a world of runners who now strike heavily

on their heels, producing a gait that is (reportedly)

quite different from those who run without shoes.

Whether or not barefoot running is better for humans

has yet to be determined scientifically, but advocates

have made some very compelling arguments in favor

of it.

Injury Risks

Bunions, neuromas, plantar fasciitis and stress fractures

can all be the result of inappropriate shoes. Yet,

barefoot running can also produce its share of

injuries—from frostbite to tendinitis, metatarsal stress

fractures, lacerations, puncture wounds, abrasions

and stone bruising.

Advice for Running Barefoot

While running barefoot is most certainly what our

ancestors did and our aboriginal cousins still do, we

currently lack the knowledge to say irrefutably that it

is more healthful than running with shoes. If you’re

interested in trying out barefoot running, consider

this advice before you begin.

 

Start with walking barefoot or in minimalist

shoes, and gradually work into running.

• Progress to short runs. Begin running only five

minutes per run, and gradually increase.

• Rather than going totally barefoot, use a minimalist

shoe to protect your feet from thorns,

glass, nails, stones and other debris.

• Stop barefoot running at the earliest sign of

pain.

• Avoid running barefoot in freezing temperatures.

Shoes protect us from frostbite if nothing

else.

• Be prepared for blisters and calluses to form

as you transition to barefoot running.

 

Red Flag

 

If you switch from shoes to bare feet, you must allow

time for your bones and soft tissue to adapt to the

new stresses that barefoot running will place on the

lower extremities. Achilles’ tendons are particularly

susceptible to injury if there is a sudden change in

their position of function. Most conventional running

shoes place the Achilles’ tendon in shortened position.

So by suddenly switching to barefoot running,

you will place an unaccustomed strain on the

Achilles’ tendon, making it more susceptible to rupture

and strain. Use discretion and prudence in transitioning

from supportive shoes to barefoot or minimalist

shoe wear.

For the most part, our bare feet would work great if

we stayed on soft, loamy soil or a sandy beach.

People with the gift of optimal biomechanics will

thrive with barefoot running regardless of where they

run. But other people’s foot biomechanics will require

shoes to prevent injury, and still others will require

additional supportive or corrective shoes to function

near normally. As further research uncovers the

effects of shoes on our feet, alterations and modifications

in shoe design will continue.

  

 

This information has been reprinted with the permission from acatoday.com