Running in barefoot shoes

Running has taken India by storm, and with this, running injuries as well.
More and more people are facing problems like runner’s knee, ankle sprains, plantar fasciitis, hip instability, flat foot, and shin splints.

With this, a lot of shoe companies now promote to “solve” pain for you. Unfortunately, as good as they may be at masking this pain, the underlying problem remains the same - weak muscles, overload, and not enough rest to allow for recovery.

The lower body is weight bearing, and even small injuries become very difficult to heal, as managing weight and load on the muscle to recover becomes very difficult.

The best way forward is to avoid injuries the best you can.
The best way to avoid injuries is to listen to your body and not push through pain.
The best way to listen to your body is actually allow it to feel even the smallest change with every step.

And of course to train the muscle in a controlled environment so they can take load when needed.

Here are our suggestions -

1. Weight train regularly to strengthen them to take the load
2. Train for running specific movements and plyometrics to condition muscles for impact
3. Don’t neglect joint health - hips, knees, ankles and the foot
4. Work on your mobility to ensure good blood flow
5. Always warm up and cooldown before and after running sessions

And most importantly, choose good footwear. Super cushioned shoes may seem amazing, doing all the work for you, but if you actually measure you end up taking more load when you run in cushioned shoes.
Thick shoes mean less awareness and feedback from the ground, which means you realise you have a problem only when it is very bad.

Barefoot shoes ensure both these things get fixed.

Now transitioning to barefoot shoes is a process in itself, I will leave it for another blog.