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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : August 6, 2013 11:57 AM IST
Go to a sports shoe shop and you will find numerous brands of shoes all claiming to be better than the others and providing various different features to monitor and heighten your running experience. Sharath Raju, India's first certified and licensed barefoot running coach tells us why it is a good idea to put those shoes away in your closet and start running barefoot.
Why should one learn the technique of barefoot running?
The best way to answer this question is by understanding the term proprioception. Our bodies are incredibly good at moving, often without any conscious involvement. The reason we can make simple movements like sitting down, standing up, picking up objects, throwing, catching, jumping, skipping, running without thinking or falling over is because of something called 'proprioception' our body's sense of its own position, balance and movement. Proprioception gives us our body awareness and is commonly referred to as our sixth sense.
The proprioceptive system uses stretch receptors and pressure receptors situated in our muscles, joints and skin to inform our brain about our physical environment and how we are interacting with it.
A large percentage of these receptors are in our feet which are most in contact with the ground. If we reduce the sensory feedback from our feet to our brains by wearing thick, shock-absorbing soles then the brain has less information to work with, reducing the quality of the movement pattern produced.
The foot has evolved over millions of years to a dexterous and sensitive masterpiece. By patronising it with thick soles and supportive padding we're limiting its potential and risking injury throughout the body. This is why barefoot running is essential.
If being barefoot is so wonderful, why did humans invent shoes?
Although the human foot is a marvel of evolution, it has one serious flaw a lack of protection from the environment.
All other running animals have evolved hooves or pads to protect themselves, but our feet, originally designed to grasp and climb, are instead covered in proprioceptors, sweat glands and soft skin.
There's no way the bare human foot could have coped with rainforests, deserts and other extreme lands without a protective cover. Hence humans used whatever they could find to protect their feet which has gradually changed in form to present day shoes. In other words, footwear that insulates and protects the human foot is a part of our evolutionary history.
Does one need special training to start running barefoot?
Even though running barefoot is in our blood, it doesn't mean one will start doing it correctly the moment you take off your shoes. If you've been wearing over-protective footwear all your life, your barefoot running muscles will be weak and your posture will be all out of form. There's a bit of work to do first. Running is a skill, once mastered, it will allow anyone to run efficiently without any injury.
Like all natural systems, the human brain develops complex patterns by adding simple patterns together. This is visible in the way babies progress from simple to more complex movements; that is, from crawling, sitting, standing and eventually walking and running.
Know the saying, 'you have to learn to walk before you can run'? It couldn't be truer. If our brain doesn't learn these simple movement patterns in the right or der and to the right level of competency, our potential performance further down the line is jeopardised for runners that means poor performance and injury.
This training system has three distinct movement milestones: walking/squatting, jumping and running. To fully realise the potential of your barefoot life, you must perfect each skill before moving onto the next.
The training system will guide you and start you on your journey to efficient, injury-free running.
Since there are limitations to running barefoot, what footwear should one choose?
The perfect running shoe allows the foot to behave exactly as it would if bare, providing maximum protection from the environment and allowing maximum sensory feedback between your feet and your brain. Whatever 'barefoot' running shoe you chose, make sure it fulfills the following four criteria:
The shoe must allow for sensory feedback
The sole of your foot is packed with sensory receptors, so the sole of your running shoe must allow feedback from the terrain you're moving on in order to create a natural running style. This is also called 'Zero-drop' shoes, with no artificial, heel, arch or toe support.
The shoe must protect your foot from the environment
The sole of your running shoe must be puncture-proof and capable of protecting your foot from extremes of temperature.
The shoe's weight must not unbalance your foot's natural position
A heavy or unbalanced running shoe will affect your foot's natural centre of gravity and therefore your running style. Ideally the weight distribution of your shoe should allow you to balance it with your finger half way between the heel and the toe.
Your foot should not be restricted in any way by the shoe
When our foot hits the ground, the toes slant outwards to help balance the stride. The toe box on your shoe must therefore be wide enough to accommodate this spread without any restriction.
For more information, visit www.barefootclinic.wordpress.com
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