While certainly not endorsed by the big shoe-making giants, barefoot running has been quickly and quietly gaining momentum among running aficionados. The simple fact of the matter is the efficient human form came around long before air-cushioned, GPS-tracking, step-counting, state-of-the-art “running shoes” did. We are born to run, as the saying goes. The muscle groups and forms of our feet were developed over time to cover long distances and a running pace. It is, therefore, only natural that people have started to come full-circle back to running barefoot.
Why bother with barefooted running? Several reasons, and as already mentioned above, we’re far more efficient at running with no cushion on our sole. As long as you know HOW to run barefooted, it is MUCH easier on the knees in the long run (pardon the pun) than those massive cushions of foam and air.
The truth is you are doing MORE damage to your knees with those large cushions than without. This is simply because, while you may be decreasing the direct, upward shock of the impact…you are actually INCREASING the stress on the knee. How is this possible? You have 2 inches of cushion between your foot and the ground, you say.
Well, let’s take a look at it.
The foot is coming down as a foundation or base in which the body uses as the base for it’s forward momentum. With a 1.5” or 2” cushion on the heel, the impact is lessened on the heel…but…WAIT. You aren’t supposed to be RUNNING with your heel to begin with!
I am here to tell you that running heel-to-toe is not only wrong, but when combined with the super-squishy sole you’re wearing, is actually CAUSING your ankle pain, those shin-splints, and that knee ache!
Going into how to PROPERLY run will be another blog entry, but suffice it to say, barefoot running when combined with a proper running technique is not only better for you, but will quickly and efficiently increase your ability to run while DECREASING joint pain in your ankles and knees.
But…I digress. The simple fact of the matter is when you run heel-to-toe, the entire time your foot is on the ground…on that cushy cushion…your KNEE (and ankle) is (are) stabilizing the ENTIRE WEIGHT of your body left and right, forward and back.
Don’t believe me? Think about standing on your couch or bed? Think about how much work you have to put into walking and staying balanced. It is the SAME THING with running shoes, albeit on a smaller level. It adds up over time, however.
More on proper running techniques later, but consider it for a minute and think about how the human body is arranged…think about how we were built. We don’t come out the womb in running shoes. We’re meant to run barefooted; our bodies are built that way.
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CrossFit ICT - http://crossfitict.com/
Daily Workout - http://blackhawkfitness.com/
Facebook - http://facebook.com/wichitabootcamp
Twitter - http://twitter.com/wichitabootcamp
YouTube - http://youtube.com/blackhawkfitness
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