Gravity Fx Fitness

Could some of your pain and injuries be related to your shoes?

I recently came across an article on Dr. Daniel Howell, a biology professor who hikes and runs without shoes.  He has been running barefoot for almost two years and has been studying the benefits of going shoeless.

He thinks that shoes can contribute to flat feet and fallen arches.  Women who wear high heels comes to mind.  While working in chiropractic and physical therapy clinics, I saw more than one woman with plantarfasciitis, who wore heels all the time.

Men who wear lace-up boots with a decent sized heel are not immune either.  This can lead to tightness in your achilles tendon, over time.  This can also create problems further up the chain, in your knees or hips.

Besides spending time without shoes, you can increase your ankle mobility with some specific measures.

I’ve worn Nike Free’s in the past and noticed a difference in my posture and how I moved.  You use your glutes more when your foot isn’t supported or elevated.

Howell says that it takes a while to toughen your feet for barefoot running and you need to be patient as this process occurs.  He thinks that hiking without shoes is easier to get used to as your skin gets tougher – not quite as abrasive as concrete.

I also recently read some seminar notes from Dr. Shawn Allen.  His presentation on the different types of shoes and how they affect your feet sounds interesting.  The big picture he painted was that the wrong type of shoe for your foot can cause lots of problems.

Some people are now doing their strength training in minimally supportive “shoes”, like the Vibram five fingers, in order to strengthen the foot and lower leg.

If you would like more info on running barefoot, go to barefootrunner.org.  I think you might find it interesting.

Brian Morgan

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Do your feet need any specific workouts or just a nice, cushioned shoe to train in?

Wearing shoes with minimal support can actually strengthen your feet and ankles, as well as improving postural alignment.  The body is a series of links that all work together and a problem with one link (joints) can affect those above or below it.

About 3 years ago I got a pair of Nike Free’s and soon noticed an improvement in my posture.  My walking became more efficient, as my feet now were working harder and “doing their job.”  I wore them around as much as possible and did most of my workouts in them.

They provide very little stability and are very flexible – perfect for strengthening your feet, as they now have to work harder.  Recently, I bought a pair of Vibram Five Fingers.  They are kind of like a surf sock with individual pockets for each toe.

I’ve always had flat feet and also balance issues when standing on one leg.  I could squat with decent weights but had problems when I tried to do balance exercises at different fitness seminars, feeling a little embarrassed.

I really like how the Five Fingers separate your toes so each one has to do their share of the work.  Using them while doing resistance training will help strengthen your lower leg, too.  Since there is a neurological link between your foot/ankle and your hip, you may see improved glute function.  Coach Dan John has reported decreased hip pain from wearing these unique “shoes”.

Those who do martial arts, yoga, and pilates will frequently go barefoot to train their feet and this will give you that barefoot feel with some added traction.  I’m not sure if I would do much running on concrete with them, but softer surfaces would work okay.

I did talk to one guy who wore the Nike Free’s while completing the marathon portion of the Hawaii Ironman and his feet help up very well, with minimal blistering compared to others – according to his post-race massage therapist.

Shoes with excess cushioning – most athletic shoes – can keep the receptors in your feet from sending the appropriate signals to your nervous system.  A strong stimulus to your feet can strengthen the signal to the muscles further up the chain, making them contract a little more.

This is why some lifters wear flat soled shoes like Chuck Taylor’s or occassionally do some lifts while barefoot.  Besides when doing resistance training, I like to just wear them around when at home or when doing joint mobility work or creative movement.

Get moving!

Brian

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Never seen a shoe with individual pockets for each of your toes?  Well, I just bought a pair called the Vibram Five Fingers and I’ll soon tell you why.

Not long ago I was reading an article about a coach who used these “shoes” to reduce the hip pain that he had been dealing with for about a year.  During this time he saw doctors, massage therapists, and physical therapists, with noone really having any answers.

He decided to give them a try after going to a strength training seminar on kettlebells and seeing them on some of the other participants.  After a week of using these shoes, he noticed his baby toes were now gripping the floor and no longer “sleeping.”

At the end of the week his hip pain was significantly improved.  Your feet and ankles are linked to how your hips function.  The idea of wearing the five fingers is to strengthen the muscles of your feet, improving how well everything further up the chain works.

Shoes that are too rigid or too cushioned can weaken the muscles of your feet, as they don’t have to do as much work as they would otherwise.

I’ve had some problems with my right hip and have a slight bunion on my right foot.  I’m trying to see if these shoes will help.  My baby toes seem to always curl under the toes next to them and I have had some slight balance issues when standing on one leg, in the past.

So I bought my pair yesterday and have been wearing them inside for a few hours at a time.  Getting all your toes into the individual pockets can be a little tricky the first time, especially the last two toes.

The second day was a little easier to get them on.  I wore them during my workout today and they feel a little strange at first, but you get used to them.

The idea is that by stretching out your toes, they will all have to do plenty of work as you walk.  They could be used during yoga or pilates classes, joint mobility training, or weight (resistance) training.  Though, you might get some strange looks or whispers when lifting at the gym.

Since I don’t train at a large commercial facility it doesn’t matter – but I frequently do exercises outside of the mainstream, anyway, so I don’t care how silly these red shoes might look on my size 13’s.

I’ll keep you posted on any changes that might occur.

Get moving!

Brian

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