Let’s talk about a type of strength that is easy to overlook because there’s no bulging muscles to fuel your ego with: foot strength.
Most people lack strength in their feet including dedicated runners. Sure, this won’t affect your quest to get huge biceps or a neck the size of a tree trunk (that was tongue in cheek; I don’t want either of those things) but since my desire is to be fit and strong in every sense of the word, my feet will not be overlooked.
I’ve been a barefoot walker for a good year now, but an article from the Telegraph in the UK about why expensive trainers could be worse than useless inspired me to write up this short article sharing the benefits and challenges of barefoot walking. Here’s an excerpt from the article:
Science and sceptical runners are catching up with something the Tarahumara Indians have known for ever: your naked feet are fine on their own. According to a growing body of clinical research, those expensive running shoes you’ve been relying on may be worse than useless: they could be causing the very injuries they’re supposed to prevent.
Perhaps the best research in the field has been going on for hundreds of years in a maze of canyons in northern Mexico. There, the reclusive Tarahumara tribe routinely engage in races of 150 miles or more, the equivalent of running the London Marathon six times in the same day. Despite this extreme mileage, as I learnt during several treks into the canyons, the Tarahumara are somehow immune to the injuries that plague the rest of the running world.
The article itself focuses on the injuries of wearing shoes, but something else notable happens when you choose to wear shoes: a range of muscles are never properly strengthened in both your feet and legs. To test this kick off your shoes and go for a 300-400m walk down the road. It will be absolutely painful.
But I don’t want to turn this into a whole rant so I will leave you with a few points…
You should read The Barefoot Alternative, a blog post by author Tim Ferriss. This will introduce you to the reasons why saying “no” to shoes is one of the best decisions you can make for your health.
And don’t worry about looking like a hippie with mud-covered feet. You can still wear shoes. Going shoeless is always the best option for health, but you can get a pair of Vivo Barefoot shoes which are specifically designed to resemble barefoot walking, and they do so very well (I’ve had a pair for 8+ months and they’re brilliant). Here’s the official description of the line of shoes:
VivoBarefoot is a revolutionary, back-to-basics design based on the simple principle that being barefoot is the healthiest way for you and your feet to be. An ultra thin puncture resistant sole allows your feet to be as millions of years of evolutionary design intended – Barefoot!
I understand how big of a shift this is, doing away with the notion of traditional shoes, but 12 months or so later, after making the change I’m a better runner and have greater balance than ever before. It’s worth it. Plus, all those neglected foot and leg muscles are getting the workout they need.
Photo: Pixel Addict
