It seems that one of the hottest topics in running right now is barefoot running. Many people are trying it, while others are converting completely to this new craze. However, before making the switch it is very important to first understand the philosophy behind barefoot running. The two main benefits hyped by barefoot supporters are:
1) It improves foot strength and function, and
2) It promotes a more efficient running technique devoid of heel striking
Let’s briefly take a look at each of these. First, foot strength and function. Today’s high-tech shoes are built to provide your feet with support and cushion. Typically people wear shoes that help to correct dysfunctions found in the foot. For example, those who have collapsed arches, or flat feet, will be fit for a stability shoe to help improve foot function throughout the running gait and “lift up” the collapsed arch. However, while supporting foot function it also causes the muscles in the feet to stop working. We have all heard the phrase ‘use it or lose it’, and this is no different. If your shoe is doing the work that your foot muscles are supposed to do, then the foot muscles will stop working effectively. Therefore, by shedding the shoes barefoot running actually promotes foot strength and return to natural foot function. While it will not give you the ‘perfect’ foot, it can help to strengthen the small, but important muscles of the foot, and potentially regain some of the lost arch naturally found in the foot.
Secondly, barefoot running is said to improve running technique devoid of heel striking. Heel striking is now thought to be a poor way to run as it decelerates the runner and opposes the natural desire to move forward with each step. Not only that, but it also increases the forces that are sent vibrating throughout the ankle, knee, and spinal joints. The reason barefoot running helps you avoid heel striking is simply that it would be too painful to heel strike. This natural pain avoidance causes the barefoot runner to automatically run more on the midfoot or forefoot. This, in turn, causes an increase in muscle use while decreasing the impact on the joints. So, barefoot running is said to naturally promote a more efficient and less damaging running style.
Understanding the principles of barefoot running will help guide your decision of whether or not you will incorporate it into your training. If not, at least you now know the reasons behind this new trend and can appreciate the physical advantages that it attempts to gain.
Dr. Vince DiSaia, DC, CSCS
Dr. DiSaia then became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and provided personalized fitness training both privately and at fitness facilities. He decided to increase his knowledge of the human body and attended Southern California University of Health Sciences. Four years later he received his doctorate of chiropractic from SCUHS with Magna Cum Laude honors. Since then, Dr. DiSaia has continuously sought out new ways to help his patients and clients perform their best. His expertise with the musculoskeletal system is greatly enhanced through his Full Body Certification as an Active Release Techniques (ART) Provider. He has been certified as a Kinesio Tape practitioner and is also a Certified Level 2 Medical Golf Fitness Instructor (CGFI) through the Titleist Performance Institute.
Dr. DiSaia currently runs his own practice in Lake Forest, CA, and also works in conjunction with other healthcare providers within a medical clinic in Foothill Ranch, CA. He resides in Orange, CA where he lives with his wife Marci and his sons Carson and Cole.
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