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Barefoot Running for Beginners, tips to prevent injury. Feet that move freely cause problems.
Latest information has confirmed what the ancients have know all along that barefoot
running helps your feet become stronger and is the natural running method. Running in
restrictive footwear is like having your neck in a plaster for a month when you take the
plaster off your throat muscles will be very weak. The effect of this restriction on your
feet affects all your lower limbs and joints, no wonder all kinds of injuries are recorded.
With barefoot running it takes time to strengthen your feet. When you first start running without
shoes your feet will need to strengthen, so take it very gradually it takes a couple of
months for your feet to strengthen and be able to cope with barefoot running.. You will
be amazed at how strong and durable your feet will become. For years now, runners including
myself, have been advised that good running shoes are required to prevent injuries, we
were advised that we needed to spend money on quality running shoes to protect ourselves.
The design of these running shoes was supposed to give you the right support, protection
and balance features that runners needed and if you had an accident you probably had the
wrong footwear. My personal experience shows that this was not the situation for me, I
do know that the debate rages about for and against barefoot running. I would say is that
what you need to do is check out all the facts and make a decision. I think that it is very
significant that the major shoe manufacturers have now invested in
Marketing minimalist shoes. That just shows how many people have already made the decision
that barefoot running or minimalist shoes is the way for them.
The question is does barefoot running make you faster? If you think running barefoot
will give you more speed, that is unlikely, although the possibility of running faster
is their. But it is about connecting with the earth, enjoying the sensations of direct
earth contact and having a sense of running freedom, pain free running and having fun
it is not about speeding up. Minimalist shoes, Do you need barefoot minimalist
footwear? well no, you don't, you could go outside now and start running without shoes,
although it would be sensible to start with easier surfaces, not pebbles or gravel etc.
you will not want to have a difficult running experience when you first start. Minimalist
footwear will allow you a much easier transition to barefoot running, enable you to learn the
mechanics of barefoot running and increase the strength and flexibility of your feet
without the pain. What is the benefit of using minimalist shoes, well, they remove the
support and movement restriction of athletic footwear and allow you to feel the ground
more and enable the feet to move more naturally, but will still give you a barrier against
the direct earth, and thus protection against pebbles, gravel, roots and anything else that
your feet are not able to cope with. If anybody is ready to try barefoot running, we have
looked at a lot of minimalist footwear and we think the following is a great option for
the sandal type of footwear and this video explains a lot about this minimalist sandal.
its called the Huarache sandal and i would suggest is the best option. Please see the
following option if you want to see a lot of other peoples opinions just click here
And if you want to know where to get them just click this link here under minimalist
sandals available here. It is important to know that many traditional
cultures that run without support footwear such as the Tarahumara people of South America
which are mentioned in Born To Run often do use some kind of minimalist sandal or some
other form of protection to prevent cuts to the bottom of their feet. If you wish to read
up on barefoot running click here for a full range of barefoot running books which also
include Born To Run, Many people try to switch to barefoot running
too quickly and it does not work like that, you can cause discomfort, injury and disappointment.
Keep in mind that your legs and lower limbs need to be strengthened, you will get a lot
of discomfort if you try to switch to barefoot running too quickly. you need time and patience.
Research Costs. If our research has helped you to make the right buying decision the
small commission we receive will help us continue our mission to deliver you vital information
that will benefit your health and fitness. We have a common sense approach to barefoot
running and I would suggest the following. 1 Try running without shoes or with minimalist
shoes just for a couple of minutes on a hard surface, if you run regularly just add this
run on to the end of your normal run. If your not a runner just run a few minutes
because your body has got to build up anyway in the normal manner for running. It is important
to run on hard surfaces at the beginning because it will help your form and give your body
good feedback. Run as lightly as quitely as possible
And try to land on your fore feet or mid feet I will discuss form below.
2 Gradually increase the time you run without footwear or with minimalist shoes to just
a couple of minutes extra every time you go running. Go slowly, don't try to run hard
keep running gently working on striking the ground softly.
Try various surfaces, road, concrete, normal grass and dirt surfaces you will notice your
body adjusting and the muscles becoming stronger 3 Gradually you will be able to run for short
distances barefoot, the distances obviously depend on individual experiences whatever
you feel comfortable with. For example for experienced runners could be up to 20 minutes
and for somebody just starting maybe 10 minutes. The main thing is to be comfortable with this
distance. Let this phase take a couple of months, its all about a gradual
transition. 4. Obviously you will soon be able to run
barefoot, your feet and legs get stronger and it feels good. How long this takes is
once again to do with the individual but three months in probably about the right amount
of time. 5 I would suggest that when you decide to
run barefoot consider the surfaces carefully, A park or a beach area that has a smooth concrete
path would be a very good place to start. Remember as your feet have been encased for
a very long time they are soft and very sensitive, so they won't be able to adjust in a minute
it will take a while. Whatever you do make sure you pay attention to the surfaces, if
you start on pebbles, rough asphalt, concrete or wood that would be very difficult and hurt
a lot. Patience is the key, go slowly their is no rush and when a proper transition has
been made you will feel great and you can then enjoy injury free running as I have for
as long as you like. Some tips on barefoot running
1 This is about the form, make sure you keep upright and balanced with your feet clearly
under your hips and shoulders . 2 Try to land on the balls of your feet this
is the best situation, if you strike to often with your forefeet, that's your toes, your
calves can get sore. Be aware not to land on your heels, if you do, the way to correct
this is to make your stride shorter. 3 Stay light, you should feel like your light
on your feet not pounding at all. Barefoot runners tend to be a little more springy in
their step, 4 Focus on trying to run softly the same as
an animal. Runners wearing shoes, typically pound the ground hard,
5 Your legs should not be extended the same as when you run in shoes, you need to shorten
your stride, if that's the case. Some Frequently asked questions, if you have
any other questions please ask them via twitter. Question? Are their people who should not
be barefoot running? I answer that, sure their are, click here, their is good information
here from Fit day, about who should not be barefoot running, I think they have covered
all you need to know Question, Some runners run through pain, what
do you feel about that when barefoot running ? Answer I don't think that it's a good idea,
pain is a warning sign, I am not just talking about aches etc,. but pain is saying go easy,
listen to your body, better to go slow, if you need a break take it, to injure yourself
will not help your barefoot running career. Question, Does running barefoot result in
thicker soles over time, Answer, I have been barefoot running for about 8 years four or
five times a week, and in the summer most days, and my soles are not what you would
say are thicker, but they are very tough and pliable, and are able to resist most stuff
I run over. I do not have any thick calluses. Question? What about things like rocks or
glass? Well I answer that part of barefoot running is the focus that is required. You
continually watch the ground as you run, it does take concentration but it does become
much easier to do. Anything that can cause your feet problems, including rocks or glass
can be seen and avoided. In my years barefoot running I have only had three incidents. One
thorn and two bits of glass. Both of the glass incidents were my fault. Glass normally lays
flat, if it is a really big bit, no problem you can easily see it. The problem is with
sharp slivers, that can penetrate your feet. The good news is, they have to be upright
to penetrate your feet, which is very unlikely, The incidents for me where when I was running
in rain on rough terrain and I did not see the slivers. But it was easily resolved, my
daughter pulled them out with tweezers and all was fine.
Can I run faster with barefoot running? That's another question, Well I answer that I would
not have thought so, I run about the same as when I was shod, but of course with the
benefits it's much better for me. Barefoot Running. is not about running faster but about
all the other benefits that we have discussed. Question? Why do my calves get sore? Answer
Your body is adopting a different form for running, and as with any type of new activity,
your body will get sore and needs to adjust. Just go slowly, listen to your body, and adjust
the amount of barefoot running you do according to how your body responds and you will reduce
the soreness until their is none. Question? What about pain or injuries, how
have you been affected Answer, The reason I switched to barefoot running was because
of the persistent various injuries I was getting with normal running. Since I have switched
to Barefoot Running my running has been injury free Remember barefoot running is fun, The
fact is it is fun, it's natural. For myself and many others who have experienced pain
free running, which has given me a really good feeling and a great confidence looking
forward that I will be able to enjoy running, fitness and health without fear of having
to stop because of injury. Read my disclaimer on my blog and check out the facts for yourself
and I wish all success with barefoot running. But to conclude, everybody has their opinions
about experiences, from the totally pro barefoot
running such as myself, to the totally anti. What I would say is read all that you can,
try it out, continue to experiment and always be questioning until you reach the stage that
you feel totally happy and confident with your