Barefoot running become hugely popular over the last few years, but mainly among men. Sports Therapist, Alex Haddow, believes the benefits for women could be even greater and urges female runners to give shoe-less running a try. Evolutionarily speaking, humans are not designed to wear shoes. Cavemen didn’t need them to walk and run for many miles every day and neither do we. I’m not expecting throw out your Jimmy Choos, bin your £80 runners and start making like Mogli, right away, but I would like you to know that barefoot running could potentially help you in lots of ways. In recent years sports scientists have been comparing the way our bodies move when running barefoot versus running with shoes and they’ve concluded that shedding our shoes could cause the following changes: - Increased energy efficiency - Increased muscle activation in the foot, calf and shin - Increased cadence (number of steps) - Decreased impact force through the foot, ankle, knee and hip joints - Improved running posture All this adds up to reduced likelihood of injury and better running performance.Body ShockRun without shoes and you’ll probably find you take shorter, softer strides and that the movement feels a lot smoother. With each step your foot will begin to hit the floor towards the ball of your foot (rather than at the heel or mid-foot as may be the case when you wear shoes). This allows the body’s inbuilt shock absorbers to work properly. The plantar fascia (sole of foot), Achilles tendon (running from ankle to calf), and calf muscles lengthen and transfer the force of impact evenly through the joints. Most people run with a heel-strike gait when wearing shoes. When you run like this, the impact of the collision between your foot and the ground is concentrated into a single area, which some studies have shown could increase the risk of chronic injuries of the lower limb like plantar fasciitis, compared with running barefoot. But don’t shed your shoes just yet. If you’ve spent most of your life with your feet shod, your body will have adapted to walk and run with shoes on, so a gradual transition under the guidance a “natural running” expert is the safest way to do it.Shoddy FeetThe type of shoes you’ve worn in the past and the way your individual body moves need to be considered. For instance, if you have wide hips, as many women do, and wear high heels regularly, your big toe may have started to bend inwards, you may even have a bunion. The big toe plays a very important role in running and if it has become distorted this will need to be taken into account. It has been observed that some women can run further into pregnancy when running barefoot due to the increased flexibility in soft tissue associated with pregnancy. But as with any type of exercise, it’s not advisable to take up something new when pregnant and you’ll need to listen to your body on be aware of the hormonal changes taking place before and after giving birth.
More advice on this here. One Step at a TimeA syndrome known as the ‘Female Athletic Triad’ describes the relationship between osteopenia (low bone mineral density), amenorrhea (disrupted menstrual cycle due to hormonal imbalances) and disordered eating.. Should the female athlete suffer from these symptoms, barefoot running could lead to stress reactions in bones and tendons, or possibly fractures. However, with the right precautions, bone mineral profiles can be improved with barefoot running, along with dietary adaptations. A gradual introduction is needed, running on soft ground, but when regular barefoot runs are practiced you will not only feel great due to the body’s harmonious co-ordination, but you could also be preventing injury and improving your performance. Once you enjoy the instinctual and natural sensation of running barefoot you might just be ready to forget the pedicures and be proud of your dirty feet!
Alex Haddow is a sports therapist and natural fitness guru at Care For Health, Godalming, Surrey. For further information, visit: www.care-for-health.co.uk. Or follow Alex on Twitter: @Alexhaddow
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If I could bare the strange glances from passing cars - I would love to give this a try!
The 'barefoot' brand of shoes that fit individual toes are no good for the 10% of us with a Roman Toe (second toe longer than the first), I shall have to find a field or beach and ditch the trainers altogether :)
Having suffered with Plantar Fascia for 6 months and being utterly fed up, over Christmas, I was advised by a fellow runner to read Born to Run by Chris McDougal as she thought it may help me. As a direct result, I started running in Vibram 5 fingers back in january and it has slowly transformed my running style. Taking it very carefully at first as I was concerned about my achilles, after 3 weeks my Plantar Fascia was gone. I completed my first road half in them this weekend and having not run a half marathon for 2 years I was not surprised to be a good 10 mins over my PB, but my legs at the finish felt almost as fresh as they did at the start. My feet were sore, but I have discovered since that I bought the wrong 5 fingers and have now re-purchased (mine were 50% neoprene so made my feet sweat and therefore start to blister underfoot). Buying the right shoe is imperative (Bikila LS for trail or the Speed for road), unless of course you want to go completely barefoot, but I reckon unless you live on a 10mile long sandy beach - this does seem a little daunting to most!
Initially when i started, my calves hurt with the transition to forefoot running, but I am an absolute convert and the difference it has made to my running is immense. No more pain!