One thing that seems to have blown up on the internet is the idea of barefoot running. Is barefoot running really better than running with shoes? Probarefooters say that running without shoes causes you to gain more strength and balance, but is the dangers worth the risks? “What risks could there be?” you might ask. This blog is here to cover some of those risks.
First of all, we don’t live in a world full of soft fields of cushy grass. If you run on the street or sidewalk, that’s a very hard surface to be bounding your feet on over and over and over again. If you don’t believe that, go outside barefoot and just stomp your foot on the sidewalk a couple of times. It won’t take more than one time to realize that it hurts. Some of you might be thinking that, “People don’t stomp their feet when they run.” At least most people don’t, but you do hit your feet harder than when you walk just because you’re going faster. Even most grassy areas have hard ground underneath them.
Secondly, without shoes on, your feet are open to any attack the world has to offer. Nails, rocks, twigs, pebbles, stray toothpicks, dirt, crazed dogs, you name it, it’s out there. While calluses can be built up, they aren’t going to stop most of what your feet might happen to step on. If you get a cut on your foot, that could put a damper on your training. Especially if that cut were to become inflected.
In short, you might get a little more strength and balance, but it isn’t really worth the risks. Nothing cuts your training off faster than an injury, particularly a foot injury. Check out the news coming out of Boston from the American Podiatric Medical Association Annual Scientific Meeting, which was July 28-31. One of the main topics was barefoot running.
No comments:
Post a Comment