Find out if it was worth starting to run without shoes, and on what surface it is best to do it. Councils of professional athletes. Reigning views of what is happening change depending on society. If a few hundred years ago, people walking barefoot were quite normal, but today the lack of shoes will not attract attention only on the beach. Let's find out what benefits and harms running barefoot can bring. Note that all that has been said today is fully true for walking without shoes.
Who are Barefootters?
Probably not many have heard the word "barefooter" and now we will tell you who they are. If you meet a person on the street who moves without shoes, then most likely the first thing you will think is that he has no money or that he is just crazy. Today it is difficult to imagine that you can walk or run barefoot, because we are civilized. The only place where shoes are definitely not needed is on the beach.
However, having met a barefoot person, you should not rush to conclusions, because it is he who may turn out to be a barefutor. You already understood that this word is now called those who like to walk barefoot. Today, barfuting has become a real subculture, but has not yet taken root in our country. There are tons of subcultures out there, but breeches don't stand out for their vibrant hair color or colorful tattoos all over their bodies. They just prefer to run and walk barefoot.
It is quite obvious that they are reasonable people and do not intend to walk on broken glass. The footwear movement is growing rapidly and there are already a lot of fans in many countries. Clubs have already been created in our country, however, in large cities. For example, in Australia, visiting a supermarket without shoes is considered quite normal. In Germany and the Netherlands, about 40 parks have been specially created for foot-footers. Moreover, the paths in them are organized so that the visitor can move on various types of ground.
As you can see, this fact speaks of the popularity of the movement and in this regard, it is even more interesting to find out what benefits and harms barefoot running can bring. It is generally accepted that the Barefoot Hike movement began in the early nineties when The Barefoot Hike was published. Its author spoke in detail about how he developed the hobby of walking barefoot. We will look at some of the research findings for the benefits and harms of barefoot running. Only by combining practical and theoretical experience can one find the truth, which is always somewhere nearby.
Note that an international society for the barefoot has already been created. In addition, you probably know that in some sports, athletes also perform without shoes, although they are all related to the beach. At the same time, there are three documented cases when the marathon distance was overcome by barefoot athletes.
What are minimalist shoes?
Despite the provocative name, the minimalist shoe consists of a thin sole with no cushioning and frame at all. It should be admitted that the shoes are quite comfortable, and in warm weather you can go to the store or take walks in them. In addition, it can be used instead of house slippers.
Probably, someone thought that such shoes would be extremely unreliable, then he is mistaken. It is important to remember that it is good for your health and here's why:
- Allows you to use more than two dozen muscles that do not work when using ordinary shoes.
- The stress on the knee joints and heels is drastically reduced.
- Improves posture.
- Does not cause discomfort when worn, as the foot and toes are relaxed.
- Scientists have found that an injury called a runner's knee resolves in athletes using these shoes. Recall that this is an inflammation of the cartilage located above the knee joint.
As you can see, even from the benefits of using minimalist shoes, you can guess what benefits and harms running barefoot will bring. Surely many have worn and continue to use moccasins, which can be safely called the progenitors of minimalist shoes.
They were actively used by the American Indians, who easily ran great distances in them. This is due to the fact that in maxines the foot lands not on the heel, but the middle section of the foot. As a result, the load on the leg is significantly reduced and fatigue builds up more slowly.
Almost any modern shoe forces the foot to land on the heel, including a specialized running shoe. Scientists associate this fact with an increase in the number of leg diseases and all kinds of complications. We see that we get a solid circle, because in order to reduce the load on the foot, the shoe must be well cushioned, which makes the sole thicker.
Now in the wardrobe of any woman there are high-heeled shoes, and some wear them almost constantly. The desire to be beautiful is quite understandable, but in practice, no one thinks about the fact that for this you have to sacrifice health. We do not want to convince anyone that high-heeled shoes are evil and in certain situations they are really appropriate. Here's what happens to your feet when you walk in heels:
- Most of the body weight is concentrated in the forefoot, and if you start walking in heels at a young age, the likelihood of developing flat feet increases dramatically.
- The legs get tired quickly and the thumb joint becomes inflamed.
- As the muscles work in an unnatural way, the likelihood of arthritis increases.
- To maintain balance, you have to bend the spinal column in the lumbar region and this can lead to damage to the intervertebral discs.
- The blood supply to the legs is impaired.
- With prolonged use of such shoes, internal organs are displaced, and this has an extremely negative effect on the work of the genitourinary system. Scientists believe that in some cases, even infertility is possible.
Once again, I would like to note that we have only stated the facts and are not going to convince anyone of anything. Carefully read the list of negative effects that appear when wearing high-heeled shoes and make the right decision.
The benefits and harms of running barefoot
Let's answer the question of how barefoot running can benefit and harm. Let's start with the fact that people have long guessed about the positive effects of walking without shoes. First. Perhaps this opinion was reached in China, where in the first century of our era a healing technique, known to us as acupuncture, appeared. The Europeans lagged behind in this regard and, according to scientists, who are based on archaeological finds, this happened about five thousand years ago.
The mummy of a man was discovered, on whose body there were more than five dozen tattoos, most of which are similar to the dots used in modern acupuncture. You probably know that this technique involves the use of needles for therapy, but even massage can be very effective.
You still have not figured out how this has to do with the question of the benefits and dangers of running barefoot? There are about a thousand points on the human body, most of them on the feet. There are more acupuncture points on one square centimeter of the foot surface than on the whole body. You already understood that we are talking about a foot massage, which is constantly performed while running or walking barefoot.
Scientists are confident that this very natural massage is more effective in comparison with the procedure carried out by a specialist. Simply put, after jogging or walking barefoot, you can restore the work of all body systems without the use of medications. Not only are they expensive, but they also have side effects, unlike the massage received while running without shoes. There are many great people in history who walked barefoot.
Unfortunately, today it is not possible to run or walk barefoot everywhere, because you can step on, say, broken glass and get injured. But after all, we always look at our feet, if you do not wear shoes, you will have to be more careful. We have already mentioned Australia, where many people go barefoot. This is typical of many countries with warm climates.
Here are the main benefits of running barefoot:
- Running technique improves - we have already noted that in any shoe you involuntarily land your foot on the heel, which increases the load on the joints. Only the soft outsole saves runners from serious problems. Since the bare heel is sensitive to any irregularities in the surface, the gait becomes more confident and softer over time.
- Feet are massaged - we have already noted this moment and will not repeat it.
- The load is correctly dosed - at first, during barefoot jogging, you will quickly get tired, but the body quickly adapts. As a result, the operation of all systems is normalized, and you can more easily carry heavy loads.
Let's look at the disadvantages of barefoot running, because they also could not do without them:
- Contraindicated in obese people - this statement is true for any running, even in sports shoes. Such people are better off doing water sports.
- Quite serious limitations in terms of accessibility - unfortunately, we do not have special parks for footboat and it is very difficult to find a suitable route for barefoot jogging.
There are also several other diseases that people should not run for - diabetes, problems with blood vessels and rheumatoid arthritis. This is the kind of information we have collected to answer the question of what benefits and harms barefoot running can bring.
More on running barefoot in the following video:
