Understanding The Benefits Of Running And Working Out Barefoot
If you are interested in changing the very way you workout and use your muscles
, try doing some barefoot running and jogging. You can either do this on the road, on your treadmill, or even on your elliptical machine.
This may sound very strange to you, but it is becoming increasingly popular in the fitness world, due to the benefits that researchers are claiming to find. Some scientists even insist that it is how our bodies were truly meant to run.
Have you ever stopped to think about why we need so much support and protection? The answer may be that we do not.
The answer is that the more we wear shoes, the more we may be damaging and weakening our feet. Bunions, hammertoes, smelly feet, and flat feet are all the result of wearing shoes, and many believe that wearing shoes has caused us to walk wrong.
In South Africa, researchers conducted a study which examined one hundred and eighty humans from three different population groups (Sotho, Zulu, and European), comparing their feet to one another's as well as to the feet of two thousand year-old skeletons. The researchers concluded that, prior to the invention of shoes, people had healthier feet.
Among the modern subjects, the Zulu population, which often goes barefoot, had the healthiest feet while the Europeans-the habitual shoe-wearers-had the unhealthiest. One of the lead researchers lamented that the American Podiatric Medical Association does not encourage outdoor barefoot walking for healthy individuals.
This flies in the face of the increasing scientific evidence, that most of the commercially available footwear is not good for the feet. Shoe manufacturers are finally realizing the health benefits of being barefoot, and determined to break into a market that is, by design, not intended for shoes.
They have even come up with shoes that mimic being barefoot. Most of us cannot walk barefoot all the time, thus two of these companies have come up with ideas that show great promise.
One particular shoe is shaped exactly like a foot, toes and all, and fits so perfectly that it resembles a glove for your foot. Another company has designed a series of shoes that look like a regular pair, but have a minimalistic approach to the sole.
The sole is flexible and very thin, and contains no heel or arch support, giving you a close-to-barefoot experience while keeping them protected. You may be wondering, what about a good pair of athletic shoes?
Can they not protect our feet from the unforgiving concrete? In response to this, researchers state that wearers of expensive running shoes that are promoted as having additional features that protect, are injured significantly more frequently than runners wearing inexpensive shoes.
According to another study, people in expensive cushioned running shoes were twice as likely to suffer an injury than were people who went running in hard-soled shoes. There are of course other barriers to barefooting.
Society has made it "dirty" to go barefoot, and common myths and rules make it challenging to break into this lifestyle. It is commonly believed that driving without shoes is illegal.
However, groups have done much research on the matter and have found almost no situations where driving in this way is in fact illegal. The requirement of shoes within business establishments is another myth.
While health regulations often have rules for employees and the wearing of proper footwear, few such rules exist for patrons. The good news is that the enjoyment of this interesting change does not need to be an all-or-nothing decision.
In fact, if you wear shoes all the time, the transition from shoes to bare feet should be a gradual one. Your feel will adjust as you spend more and more time allowing them to strengthen.
It will take a little time for your body to adjust to the new flexibility and movement. If you have tender soles, you may find that working out in this way will toughen them considerably.
This is natural, and does not mean that there is any damage occurring. Take it slow, and try it out one day at a time.
You may find that it is the perfect change for you! Start with a treadmill or elliptical, and work your way to doing it outside as well.
by: Terry Daniels
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