Summer Fitness & Health
Posted by Tracy in June's Magazine
Got your attention? That’s good, as this issue’s column is all about running barefoot (feet naked). Even if it’s not as exciting as running through green fields in the nude, it’s a fascinating topic nonetheless.
Feet are amazing. The arch of your foot is designed like the Forth Road Bridge, with a complex arrangement of tendons and ligaments holding the arch up. Anyone who studied science at school will know that the arch shape is one of nature’s most effective supports. So if you imagine the amount of weight that goes through your foot, and the fact it’s counterbalanced by this wonderful natural arch, you can start to understand the principles of why it’s good for your feet to go barefoot. The arch of your foot is built to absorb shock and tension, and if the arch is supported by a lot of cushioned shoe, it may not get to do the job it was designed for.
I learnt lots about feet in Born to Run by Christopher McDougall – it’s part adventure novel, part running book – about a lost tribe of Mexican Indians who live in a canyon and happen to be phenomenal ultra runners (that’s ultra long distance, running over a marathon at a time). The book questions why more and more runners nowadays are getting injured, even though the human body was built to run. Yes, we’re built to run, according to a popular theory about how humans have evolved to hunt prey by running it down. Humans, unlike most mammals, are able to radiate body heat through our non-furry skin. Our unique ability to sweat means that we can keep pursuing prey without having to stop to cool down, which is the case with most mammals who expire heat through panting). So our skeletal framework, tendons, ligaments and other bits and pieces are designed so we can pursue our prey not by speed, but by persistence. We are designed to be slow plodders.
It is interesting that historically we never wore big spongy running shoes. Ironically running shoes with lots of cushioning (to protect the legs from the impact of running on tarmac) can actually exacerbate leg injuries. Running on tarmac is not a natural thing to do. Full stop. ‘Pounding the pavement’ in squishy shoes really is a bit bizarre when you think about it. The squishier the shoe, the more likely you are to run heavily. If you want to know your natural running style, kick off your shoes and run about your house. You will find your foot lands (‘strikes’) differently. It’s not particularly feasible or desirable to run around town with no shoes on, so what to do?
If you live in Leith and like running outside, then generally you will do it on tarmac. If you run on tarmac it’s advisable to wear protection, as tarmac is a hard surface. That doesn’t mean knee pads in case you fall over, although they might be handy. No, protection means wearing squishy shoes that will help absorb the impact that reverberates up the shin. Heard of shin splints? Shin splints can be caused from too much impact going through the lower leg, i.e. from pounding the pavement. You are less likely to get sore legs if you run on a natural surface; dirt absorbs the impact of a foot strike more than rock hard tarmac. If you think about it, there wouldn’t have been many occasions our forebears would have had to run on rock hard surfaces. So the urban spread is also unhealthy for our legs – hence those squishy shoes.
In a similar way that the massive sounds of rave music pared down to minimal techno with time, so the squishy running shoe has recently been pared down to a minimal model. The premise of this new running shoe, as championed by British brand Innov8, is that less cushioning means you will run more in your own natural style. However, and this is a big however, minimal running shoes are designed mainly to be worn for off-road running. Another shoe in the new minimal genre is the strange shoe that has toes on, Vibram Five Fingers. I call them ‘yeti shoes’ as they are most unbecoming on the feet.
It would be good if I could finish this article with a definite yes or no, but in a similar vein to my recent pondering on the safety of microwave ovens, it’s a case of those eternal ‘swings and roundabouts’. I do know two facts: running on tarmac requires cushioning and secondly, extra cushioning may change your running style. So, if you can find a field or a beach to run along barefoot – go for it! Otherwise, pull your squishy shoes on and go for a good long slow plod around the fine port of Leith… and spend some time at home (feet) naked. getfitandenjoyit.com