Thinking About Ditching Your Training Shoes for Good? Read This First<\/p>\n
You may have seen people wearing minimalist shoes in the weight room or at CrossFit. Maybe you\u2019ve crossed paths with a barefoot runner on a trail. You\u2019re now interested in barefoot training.<\/p>\n
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Proponents of it rave about benefits like improved foot strength, stability, posture and balance. But are barefoot workouts actually good for you? Before ditching your shoes, it\u2019s important to weigh the benefits and potential downsides of working out barefoot. Here\u2019s what you need to know. <\/p>\n
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RELATED:\u00a0How to Run a Faster 10K<\/a><\/p>\n
Barefoot training is the practice of exercising without shoes \u2014 or with minimalist footwear that lets you feel the ground beneath your feet. The idea is to better engage all the muscles of the foot by removing the extra padding and cushioning that traditional shoes provide. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n \u201cThink of it this way: we wouldn’t keep someone’s arm in a cast for years and expect it to remain strong. Yet that’s essentially what conventional shoes do to our feet \u2014 they immobilize and weaken structures that are meant to be active,\u201d says Dr. Manon Williams, NHS doctor at Nackt Shoes<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\u201cBarefoot workouts can build better strength and stability through the foot, ankle and lower leg,\u201d says Dr. Joshua Blomgren<\/a>, sports medicine physician at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush in Chicago. That\u2019s because when you remove the extra support that shoes provide, you activate underused muscles in those areas. Over time, strengthening them helps improve balance, control and overall movement efficiency. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Barefoot workouts can also help build better proprioception, which Blomgren describes as \u201cthe positional sense of the body to the surrounding environment.\u201d This isn\u2019t just a nice-to-have skill \u2014 it\u2019s essential to navigate the world and perform everyday movements without hurting yourself.<\/p>\n
Without shoes, you are way more aware of the way your feet interact with the ground and can make subtle adjustments when something feels off. For example, if you notice discomfort when the ball of your foot hits the ground, you\u2019ll naturally shift to a softer landing. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Understanding the mechanics is one thing, feeling them is another. \u201cI started barefoot running after reading Christopher MacDougall\u2019s Born to Run<\/a>. At the time, I was starting to experience injuries, some of which were becoming chronic, so I experimented with barefoot as an entirely pragmatic strategy for sustaining my passion for running,\u201d shares Kenneth Posner<\/a>, a barefoot practitioner who has completed 128 barefoot races, including marathons and ultra-marathons, and also practices barefoot hiking and mountain climbing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe big changes include learning to step lightly; better balance and agility; more vigorous use of the big toe and the glutes; better alignment with an overall feeling of fluidity and looseness; and a sense of exhilaration, intensity and light-footedness,\u201d he adds. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Beyond the physical benefits, working out barefoot, especially outdoors, can also cultivate the mind-body connection and turn into an exercise in mindfulness. You\u2019re more deliberate. You have to pay attention to every step. Your senses are heightened thanks to the thousands of nerve endings in your feet.<\/p>\n
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\nWhat Is Barefoot Training?
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\nBenefits of Barefoot Training
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\nPotential Drawbacks of Barefoot Training
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