Saturday

Barefoot Running Advice


Whenever you read about barefoot running recently people are warning about taking it slow. This point wasn't stressed at the start and alot of new barefoot runners ended up pushing themselves too hard and injured themselves, and that went against why they tried barefoot running, to stay healthy.
If your running barefoot or in minimal shoes start off slow, let your muscle adjust to your new running style. Also make sure your using proper running form, keep your strides short and land on your mid foot.
Harvard evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman runs a lab devoted to studying the effects of running form on injury rates. He thinks form matters more than footwear or lack of — don't overstride, have good posture and land gently.


In a 2010 study examining different running gaits, Lieberman and colleagues found that striking the ground heel first sends a shock up through the body while barefoot runners tend to have a more springy step. Even so, more research is needed into whether barefoot running helps avoid injury.
"The long and the short of it is that we know very little about how to help all runners — barefoot and shod — prevent getting injured. Barefoot running is no panacea. Shoes aren't either," said Lieberman, who runs barefoot except during the New England winters.

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