Born to Run: The Case for Barefoot Running
"Born to Run" by Christopher Mcdougall explores the culture and science behind running. One of the most fascinating aspects of the book is the discussion around barefoot running and the potential benefits it can offer. Let's dive deeper into this book and the concept of barefoot running and its advantages.
The book presents a compelling argument that modern running shoes may be doing more harm than good. McDougall points out that running shoes have become increasingly cushioned and supportive over the years, leading to a reliance on footwear rather than the natural mechanics of the foot. He argues that our feet are designed to run barefoot, and that running shoes may actually be causing more injuries than they prevent.
According to the book, when we run in shoes, we tend to land on our heels, which can lead to an increased risk of injury. In contrast, when we run barefoot or in minimalist shoes, we tend to land on the forefoot or midfoot, which can reduce the impact on our joints and muscles. The book highlights the Tarahumara Indians, who run hundreds of miles in thin sandals or barefoot, as an example of how running without shoes can be effective.
Also discussed in the book is the importance of proper running form and how barefoot running can help improve it. Running barefoot forces us to adopt a more natural running form, which can lead to a more efficient and natural gait, and can reduce the risk of injury and improve overall performance.
McDougall also explores the idea that modern running shoes can lead to weaker foot muscles and a reduced ability to feel the ground beneath us. When we wear shoes with thick soles, we are less able to sense the terrain and make adjustments to our stride accordingly. Running barefoot, on the other hand, allows us to better connect with the ground and develop stronger foot muscles.
However, the book also acknowledges that transitioning to barefoot running should be done gradually and with caution. Running without shoes can put more stress on the feet and calves, which can increase the risk of injury if done too quickly or without proper preparation. The book advises starting with short distances and gradually building up to longer runs over time.
In conclusion, "Born to Run" provides a thought-provoking exploration of barefoot running and the potential benefits it can offer. By advocating for a more natural approach to running, the book challenges our assumptions about modern running shoes and encourages us to reconnect with our bodies and the environment around us. Whether you are an experienced runner or just starting out, this book should be next on your list!
For centuries, humans have been walking and running barefoot. It's how we evolved to move, and our feet are designed to perform in this way. However, with the advent of modern footwear, we have strayed away from our natural state, and it's had a significant impact on our feet and overall health.
Enter barefoot shoes. These shoes aim to mimic the feeling of walking barefoot while still providing some protection for the feet. They are designed to be flexible, lightweight, and have minimal cushioning to allow for the most natural foot movement possible.
But what makes barefoot shoes so unique? Let's take a look.
Improved Foot Health
One of the most significant benefits of wearing barefoot shoes is improved foot health. Traditional shoes often have rigid soles and elevated heels that change the way our feet interact with the ground. This can cause muscle imbalances, weaken the arches of our feet, and lead to issues like plantar fasciitis and bunions.
Barefoot shoes, on the other hand, encourage proper foot alignment and allow our feet to move in a more natural way. This can strengthen the muscles in our feet and lower legs and improve our overall foot health.
Better Balance and Stability
Barefoot shoes can also improve our balance and stability. When we walk or run barefoot, our feet have to work harder to stabilize our bodies. This strengthens the muscles in our feet and lower legs, which can improve our balance and reduce the risk of falls and other injuries.
Improved Proprioception
Proprioception is the ability to sense where our bodies are in space. When we wear traditional shoes, our feet are somewhat isolated from the ground, which can diminish our proprioceptive ability. Barefoot shoes, however, allow us to feel the ground beneath our feet and provide more feedback to our brains. This can improve our balance, coordination, and overall body awareness.
Better Running Form
Finally, barefoot shoes can help us run with better form. When we run in traditional shoes, we often land on our heels, which can cause a jarring impact with each stride. Barefoot shoes encourage a forefoot or midfoot strike, which can reduce the impact on our joints and improve our running efficiency.
Conclusion
Barefoot shoes are not just a trendy new shoe option. They offer significant benefits to our overall foot health and can help us move and perform better. If you're interested in trying barefoot shoes, start slowly and gradually increase the amount of time you wear them. It may take some time for your feet to adjust, but the benefits are well worth the effort.
Calzados Descalzos: ¿El Futuro del Calzado?
Durante siglos, los humanos han caminado y corrido descalzos. Es cómo evolucionamos para movernos y nuestros pies están diseñados para funcionar de esta manera. Sin embargo, con la llegada del calzado moderno, nos hemos alejado de nuestro estado natural y esto ha tenido un impacto significativo en nuestros pies y en nuestra salud en general.
Entren en juego los zapatos descalzos. Estos zapatos buscan imitar la sensación de caminar descalzos mientras brindan cierta protección para los pies. Están diseñados para ser flexibles, livianos y tener una amortiguación mínima para permitir el movimiento más natural posible del pie.
Pero, ¿qué hace que los zapatos desnudos sean tan únicos? Echemos un vistazo.
Mejora la Salud del Pie
Uno de los beneficios más significativos de usar zapatos descalzos es la mejora de la salud del pie. Los zapatos tradicionales a menudo tienen suelas rígidas y talones elevados que cambian la forma en que nuestros pies interactúan con el suelo. Esto puede causar desequilibrios musculares, debilitar los arcos de nuestros pies y conducir a problemas como la fascitis plantar y los juanetes.
Los zapatos descalzos, por otro lado, fomentan la alineación adecuada del pie y permiten que nuestros pies se muevan de manera más natural. Esto puede fortalecer los músculos de nuestros pies y piernas inferiores y mejorar nuestra salud general del pie.
Mejor Equilibrio y Estabilidad
Los zapatos descalzos también pueden mejorar nuestro equilibrio y estabilidad. Cuando caminamos o corremos descalzos, nuestros pies tienen que trabajar más para estabilizar nuestros cuerpos. Esto fortalece los músculos de nuestros pies y piernas inferiores, lo que puede mejorar nuestro equilibrio y reducir el riesgo de caídas y otras lesiones.
Mejora de La Propiocepcion
La propiocepción es la capacidad de sentir dónde están nuestros cuerpos en el espacio. Cuando usamos zapatos tradicionales, nuestros pies están algo aislados del suelo, lo que puede disminuir nuestra capacidad propioceptiva. Los zapatos desnudos, sin embargo, nos permiten sentir el suelo debajo de nuestros pies y proporcionar más retroalimentación a nuestros cerebros. Esto puede mejorar nuestro equilibrio, coordinación y conciencia corporal en general.
Mejor Forma de Correr
Finalmente, los zapatos descalzos pueden ayudarnos a correr con mejor forma. Cuando corremos con zapatos tradicionales, a menudo aterrizamos en nuestros talones, lo que puede causar un impacto violento con cada zancada. Los zapatos descalzos fomentan una zancada en la parte media o delantera del pie, lo que puede reducir el impacto en nuestras articulaciones y mejorar nuestra eficiencia de carrera.
Conclusion
Los zapatos descalzos no son solo una nueva opción de calzado de moda. Ofrecen beneficios significativos para nuestra salud general del pie y pueden ayudarnos a movernos y rendir mejor. Si estás interesado en probar los zapatos descalzos, comienza lentamente y aumenta gradualmente la cantidad de tiempo que los usas. Es posible que sus pies tarden un tiempo en adaptarse, pero los beneficios bien valen el esfuerzo.
Barefoot Shoes and Bunions
If you’re suffering from bunions, wearing barefoot shoes may be the answer to your foot woes. Bunions are a common and painful condition in which the big toe joint becomes swollen and misaligned.
Wearing shoes that have too much cushioning can make this problem worse, as can high heels or tight-fitting footwear. That's why many people with bunions opt for barefoot shoes—they offer plenty of room for your toes to move naturally while still providing adequate protection against hard surfaces like pavement and concrete.
Barefoot shoes provide a number of benefits when it comes to managing bunions. First, they help promote natural foot movement by allowing your toes to spread out without restriction—this helps reduce pressure on the bunion area and provides relief from pain associated with the condition. Additionally, because there’s no arch support built into most barefoot shoes, they won't interfere with any orthotics you may need to wear. Finally, these types of footwear tend not to be very heavy so they won't place extra strain on already sore joints in your feet caused by bunions either.
In short, if you have bunions then investing in some quality barefoot shoes could make all difference when it comes to managing pain levels throughout the day. Not only do these types of shoe provide superior comfort but also encourage healthy foot movements that will help keep those pesky bunion problems at bay!
Even though we usually think of walking as a leisurely activity, or don’t equate it to having a serious impact on our quality of life- time and time again research tells us that the simple act of walking for exercise proves to have some incredible health benefits.
Walking for your body:
Maybe you wish you could take up running but your joints just don’t allow for it. That’s okay! Studies show that walking at a moderate pace, and running at an intense pace have very similar reductions in risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, and diabetes. Your health improves in the same ways by spending your time walking instead.
The British Journal of Sports Medicine conducted a study that showed that people who stuck to a walking program showed great improvement in blood pressure, slowing of resting heart rate, reduction of body fat, reduced cholesterol, improved depression scores, and increased measures of endurance.
Walking for your mind:
Walking not only impacts physical health, but also improves our mental health as well. One study found that in as little as 12 minutes, walking impacted our self confidence, vigor and attentiveness. Compared to 12 minutes of sitting, mental health improves greatly with this simple act. If you want to even further the benefits, experts say walking in nature will decrease levels of depression and help you to not ruminate over negative thoughts.
If you’re dealing with anxiety, studies show that as little as 10 minutes of walking can be just as good as a 45 minute work out at reducing your anxiety levels, and improving your mood. A small price to pay for a big return.
If you are a business owner, a student, or a creative person in general, you might like to learn that one Standford University study found that walking increased creative output by an average of 60 percent. They labeled this “divergent thinking,” which is the thought process used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possibilities. According to this study, “walking opens up the free flow of ideas, and it is a simple and robust solution to the goals of increasing creativity.” Again, a small price to pay for a big return!
Overall, you shouldn’t sleep on this simple form of exercise. Whether you want to improve your heart health, your mood, or have some work/life epiphanies, this is for you! As a small time commitment that has huge benefits, walking is perfect for anyone and can be done virtually anywhere.
4 Reasons to Try Barefoot Shoes
Have you been thinking of giving minimal shoes a try? This movement (pun intended) of going back to our feet in natural form and letting them do their thing, has been catching on over the past 10 years. Shoes that offer a lot of padding, shock absorption, and shape are actually attempting to correct something that isn’t wrong! Your feet were made to carry you, and trying to change the way they are designed can cause permanent damage to not only your feet, but also your back, legs, and joints.
If you’re not yet convinced, here are some reasons why you should try minimal shoes that you may not have thought of yet.
1. You land more gently
When we wear shoes that have a lot of padding, we might be placing a lot of impact on one part of our foot, but our feet don’t signal to our brain as quickly that we need to land more softly. When we wear minimal shoes and our feet can feel the impact, we can understand where we might be having a greater impact than necessary as we run or walk. This allows us to efficiently adjust our stride to fix where we are hitting hard! So instead of striking our heel for an hour during our run, we can feel within minutes that we are striking our heel, and can fix this immediately.
2. It can strengthen your lower legs and feet
Wearing minimal shoes has been shown to increase plantar flexor strength. These are the muscles in your lower leg, ankle, and foot that help to control foot movement. Many endurance athletes focus on building strength here, so making the switch to minimal shoes can help this without the extra training.
3. Your balance can improve
As you hike, train, or generally move through life, your feet pass information to your brain about what you’re walking on! With a great amount of cushion below your feet, you can’t feel what’s underneath them. With a minimal shoe, you can feel this, allowing your feet to send those signals to the brain and, in turn, you can move more skillfully, while also improving your natural balance.
4. More comfort
With the wide toe, your feet have room to spread out and your toes aren’t pinched all day. You’ll get home after a long day and you won’t feel the need to kick off your shoes immediately when you walk through the door. What’s a better win than that?