Wednesday, June 27, 2012

The danger of running barefoot (and how to prevent it)

"Walking barefoot is better because natural. You feel your feet on the chances of overtraining, overstretching and other injuries decreases." So say the proponents. The only problem: who switch from regular running shoes to bare feet without intermediate, is just more likely to get injured. Learn why and what you can do to prevent it.

American doctors have sounded the alarm. The book "Born to Run 'by Christopher McDougall has had an enormous impact, from a recent survey shows that one in three is considering' barefoot 'to walk.

Of course ... problems
Given the state of our roads, it is not really walking barefoot walking in shoes that "fit like a glove. They "block" the foot is not like other shoes, proponents argue, while still protecting against rain, cold or dirty surface.

Barefoot seems natural: if we are born, and so we walk around at home (in summer). But we are more 'deformed' by our shoes than we think. Switching to "barefoot" without training or between footwear, at the Americans already ensured strained calf or inflamed Achilles tendons.

Testimony
Ryan Carter Ultramarathoner it can testify. Two years ago he ditched his shoes for "barefoot shoes". The first time was at only 500 meters away, within three weeks he was already 10 kilometers. Until one training, which he runs out of step move around more. Cause? Pain in the right foot. "As if someone had beaten me with a hammer," recalls Carter himself. The doctor was inexorable: stress fracture

The cause is the different ways we use the feet. Who is with running shoes, larger fit up and lands more on the heel. Bare Feet Runners adjust and take smaller countries earlier in the mid-or forefoot.

Walk on the 'old way' in the 'new' shoes, then his calf, foot and heel problems, the logical consequence. Walking is anyway not without risk: up to 7 out of ten runners regularly experienced an overload.

Walking barefoot, how do you do it?

1) Start at the beginning
Walking around barefoot. At home, in the garden, on the beach or wherever you dare. Beware of glass, sharp stones and common to hot surfaces!

2) Slow build
Walk once every two days from 0.5 to 1.5 kilometers on bare feet, for a week. Driving the distance slowly, and stop immediately in pain. It may take months before you can walk without pain a little barefoot.

Especially trained runners here make the mistake of going too fast, they want not just a kilometer's walk, they want 'their' miles to walk the same speed. Before they can better try point 3:

3) Try 'help' shoes
Different sports brands have 'help' shoes on the market that should soften the transition. These are not "barefoot shoes" and no stiff running shoes, but somewhere in between. For example, Nike uses a scale from 1 (barefoot) to 10 (traditional shoes) to their shoes to catalog. The Nike Free shoes collection has between 3.0 and 5.0. New Balance called her collection 'Minimus', where you can choose between 'zero', 'ten' and 'twenty'. Only the latter two are used as an auxiliary shoes. "

Again, start slow. Take a short walk in these shoes. It is normal for your feet hurt the first few days or even weeks: you are currently using other muscles. Is it always better, try a short course and driving slowly. Always stop the pain, and swap in the beginning with ordinary shoes and read regularly a day of rest.

4) Walk with

Walking barefoot walk is different. Be aware of your running style conscious and take shorter steps, try different countries and the foot in a different way.
If you do not?

Contrary to what enthusiasts like to preach, not everyone benefits from walking barefoot. Such as: diabetes. They often have less feeling in their feet and therefore less likely to feel the injury. With all its consequences.

Evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman is not a wholehearted fan. After years of research into walking injuries, he is convinced that the gait matters more than the shoes (or lack thereof).

"A good running posture - and only the right landing are important." His tests revealed that more ordinary runners on the heel end, so they do shock the body, which is less by the springpas the 'barefoot runners. Yet will not he take sides: "There is still much more research is needed."

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