Sunday, March 28, 2010

Are Conventional Running Shoes Getting you Injuried?

For many of us in the Strength and Conditioning and Physical Therapy field, we are getting used to the idea and potential benefits of bare foot running. For many (especially the speed limping community) its a hard concept to grasp.

Hear is a link to a great video on barefoot running that a friend of mine Bret Contreras posted on the Strengthcoach.com Forum

The Barefoot Professor

In the video you will see that barefoot runners never strike the ground with their heel, they are known as fore-foot skrikers. This style of running (fore-foot striking) is a far more efficient, and safer way to run then the common heel-striking style of the many runners we see out the footpaths everyday.

Conventional running shoes (asics, etc) that most people wear force's them to heel skrike. Heel striking is not a good thing as the video above explains.


Ever since the release of Christopher McDougall's book Born to Run, barefoot training has exploded in the fitness industry among many top coaches and therapists. In McDougall's book he shows that the more expensive the runner the more likely you are to get injured! Check it out, it is well worth the read.

Now before you throw away your runners and start doing a barefoot lap of honour around the neighbourhood, be warned that you need to be progressive with your barefoot running training.

Make sure to check out the video.

Stay Strong,

RB

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