Dare to Bare

I wear Vibram FiveFinger minimalist shoes all the time! It’s the best thing I ever did for my knees, feet and posture. Frequently we are asked questions like the one below and finally, I just had to share!

QUESTION:

Lisa…I would like your opinion on the toe shoes for “my” particular situation…obviously, with the amount of tennis that I play I cannot give up my tennis shoes…however, I don’t like to wear my “running” shoes around the house…

I am trying to lessen the excuses for getting on my treadmill say “at lunch” so I was thinking if I had a pair of those toe shoes that I could pull on without socks for a 30 minute run/walk/hike on the incline trainer, that would make it easier and more convenient for me and would remove one of my excuses.

Can I just buy a pair, put them on and go merrily along my way using them on the treadmill, or is it more complicated than that?

I really appreciate your feedback!

Hugs, Vicki

 

ANSWER:

Beginning to Bare

Vicki…The short answer is “Yes”, you can get to that point!

 

The recommendation is to introduce them slowly to your feet. Because of the negative heel, they will “wake up” muscles you didn’t even know you had, especially as a result of repetitive exercise like the treadmill or running. Hamstrings (not unusual to get those stirred up) Calves (both the large Gastrocnemius and the under muscle called the Soleus), then there are all the little muscles around the ankles and in the feet. Sore, sore, sore, in the beginning.

 

So here is what I recommend:

 

Barely Bare

Week 1: Wear them around the house, wear them as much as you can this week (non-exercising)

Week 2: Wear them the last 3rd of your 30 min. workout. This is a pain because you will do 20 minutes and change shoes to do the last 10 min.

Week 3: Wear them the last 2/3’s of your workout, same inconvenience as above!

Week 4: I would hope you would be transitioned by then. Everyone is different.

 

Another consideration is to transition to a shoe called “Newtons”. Locally they can be found at Bay Area Bicycles. Tom Neagli, the owner, is slowly transitioning his store into a more rounded tri-athlete’s store and is carrying these “very cool” shoes! Eventually, I would still take your feet all the way down to minimalists. I trade with Ascube Venture locally, they know a lot about these shoes and carry a good selection.

 

Great Question! Lisa

 

An exciting new dimension to consider in your fitness regimen is barefoot running. You see it in the news, you hear about it in your fitness classes, and your friends are talking about it. What is it? And is it good for you? Can anything good come from it?

Prehistoric

At the beginning, our ancestors were into barefoot running. Be it running away from a ferocious beast to catching tonight’s dinner…they did it! Can we? As one client recently pointed out to me… “They weren’t running on pavement either!” Good point. But what about it?….Since the release of “Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Super athletes, and Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen”, Christopher McDougall’s book about the Tarahumara Indians of Copper Canyon in Mexico (Knopf 2009), interest in barefoot running has soared.

Benefits

Barefoot running can be beneficial for those that want to add something new to their workout repertoire. Recent research (Int’l Journal of sports Medicine) indicates that barefoot running can cause mechanical modifications of the body that can increase running economy. This can allow an exerciser to workout longer with less metabolic demand on the body. It can also increase lower-leg strength and lower risks associated with typical lower extremity injury, as experienced in some sports. Sensory input is increased, as well, giving the participant greater proprioceptive feedback.

Slow and Steady

Lastly, barefoot running also leads to lower energy consumption, which will delay the onset of fatigue. But don’t take off those shoes yet and start running your next marathon! A gradual approach must be taken. Begin by doing various activities of daily life without shoes; for example, gardening or walking around the house barefoot. Next, schedule a session with a YPB Trainer. Then, they will show you the next phase for training and can guide you in selecting foot ware products that promote barefoot running.

Finally, a word taken from Christopher McDougall’s book: “The secret to happiness is right at your feet, and ..you, indeed all of us were born to run.” J

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