minimalist running
Abebe Bikila won the 1960 Olympic Marathon in Rome. He ran barefooted the entire way but this wasn't the start of the minimalist running movement. People had ran like this since the dawn of time. Our feet have evolved to allow us to all do this even though society has tried to dispel the idea that it is possible. There are clear benefits to wearing shoes, but not when the shoes start to hinder our natural bio-mechanics. When people started realizing how ridiculous and cumbersome all the fake technology on some of these shoes had become that was really the start of the minimalist running movement. This movement has allowed more people to realize that their shoes are causing them more issues than they might think. Your shoes may have the same ooze that mutated the Ninja Turtles flowing through the sole, but does that really help your movements be more efficient?
It is common place for most Division 1 Track & Field athletes to run barefooted on the infield grass after practice to work the muscles in their feet that don't get worked normally when they have shoes on. Overtime it was realized that too many athletes were getting injured by their shoes. Now it wouldn't be logical for a short sprinter to run barefooted because their wouldn't be enough traction at the start of the race. Everyone with spikes would accelerate more efficiently than you would if you were barefooted, but when you look at track spikes they are actually a minimalist design. They are simple, don't have a jacked up heel, and don't typically have a ton of arch support. They are rigid on the ball of your foot because they have a spike plate where the spikes are mounted to give you traction. Click here for more information on minimalist running shoes.
It is common place for most Division 1 Track & Field athletes to run barefooted on the infield grass after practice to work the muscles in their feet that don't get worked normally when they have shoes on. Overtime it was realized that too many athletes were getting injured by their shoes. Now it wouldn't be logical for a short sprinter to run barefooted because their wouldn't be enough traction at the start of the race. Everyone with spikes would accelerate more efficiently than you would if you were barefooted, but when you look at track spikes they are actually a minimalist design. They are simple, don't have a jacked up heel, and don't typically have a ton of arch support. They are rigid on the ball of your foot because they have a spike plate where the spikes are mounted to give you traction. Click here for more information on minimalist running shoes.
minimalist running injury prevention
Injury prevention when running barefoot or running with minimalist shoes on comes down to a few key points to remember.
- When starting out don't overdo it.
- Don't over-stride.
- Make sure your cadence isn't too low. Short quick steps are better.
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