Barefoot Running Advantages

Humans have been running barefoot forever.
The modern running shoe is a rather new invention. It was only in the 1970s that the modern shoe reached households for daily use.

Before this, people were limited to using slippers, sandals and leather shoes to get around.
Activities like running were reserved only for people who were athletes, or played the sport competitively.

With the onset of this new age of modern running shoes, running became accessible to all sorts of people. While running is a great activity for one’s cardiovascular health, the number of running injuries shot up significantly. This is mostly attributed to bad form, and lack of knowledge that people have about the sport.

Some Misconceptions About Running

1. Running does not require a warm up - A lot of people run without warming up before leading to a higher chance of injury, assuming that running by itself is a very natural movement and can be done without warming up the body.
   
   
2. Running can be done anytime anywhere - While this is the best part about running, people usually forget that running is a high impact sport. It is important to take it slow and work on this skill cautiously.
   
   
3. Upgrading in running requires better shoes - Instagram has spoiled us to assume we need specialized shoes to run better. We were made to run as a species, and have evolved doing so on all kinds of surfaces, there are actual studies that prove “better” shoes end up hurting us more, literally. 

Now that you have made up your mind about running, here is
Why you should consider running barefoot, or in minimalist shoes - 

1. It is the natural way - Our bodies are designed to move a certain way, every muscle and ligament and tendon and nerve have a job when it comes to movement. As soon as we put shoes on, it limits our access to the ground we walk on, limiting our body to function naturally through movement.
   
   
2. Prevents injuries - Contrary to popular belief, unless you run in an extremely unsafe area that may have glass or needles that could cut you, running barefoot enables a better stride and gait that prevents injuries over regular running shoes. If you want the best of both worlds, barefoot shoes are the way to go; they keep you safe, and also help you run naturally.
   
   
3. You get stronger - Running barefoot means no artificial support from anti- pronation, cushioned shoes. While this may sound like a problem, this only means that your feet get to do what they were naturally designed to do, and when they are put through such training, your feet, calves and ankles get stronger and the more you run, the healthier they become. Whereas in shoes, due to these additional features, our feet don’t end up working and become weak over time.