Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Fred Flinstone Had It Right

Should you wear shoes?

Ok so imagine living with your hands strapped up in cotton wool and living your whole life without being able to use your hands. Can you just imagine how irritating this would be as you would not be able to pick things up properly. In fact this is like wearing air system shoes all day long, where you are not able to spread your toes and feel the ground that we walk on. All the nerve endings, motor sensors, joints and bones in our feet are protected and very rarely see daylight at all.

But if you go far back to cave men and women times where we first evolved over thousands of years ago  we survived perfectly well without having our feet strapped up in colorful air system shoes on our feet. There are many modern day examples of how barefoot training can help aid physical performance.  Even Zola Budd the marathon runner favored barefoot training when she ran marathons, and there is research to show  that running barefoot ensures correct body mechanics.

 In his book "Take Off Your Shoes and Walk" foot Doctor Simon J. Wikler D.S.C., states that,
"Practically all shoes worn daily by men and women in our Western civilization have little relation to the shape of the human foot - Most adults' foot trouble would either not exist or would be much less bothersome if properly-shaped shoes had been worn during childhood or, better yet, if those people had gone barefoot"

So what are the benefits of barefoot training anyway?

Enhanced running efficiency
Laboratory research has shown that running barefoot results in a 4% increase in performance.  It is seen that the arches of the foot are allowed to move more freely without the need for air system shoes!

Stronger muscles in your feet and legsWhen running barefoot on hard surfaces, the runner compensates for the lack of cushioning underfoot by plantar-flexing the foot at contact, thus giving a softer landing (Frederick, 1986). Barefoot runners also land mid-foot, increasing the work of the foot's soft tissue support structures, thereby increasing their strength and possibly reducing the risk of injury (Yessis 2000, p.124).When running barefoot on hard surfaces, the runner compensates for the lack of cushioning underfoot by plantar-flexing the foot at contact, thus giving a softer landing (Frederick, 1986).

Greater agility and balance It is claimed that footwear increases the risk of such sprains, either by decreasing awareness of foot position provided by feedback from plantar cutaneous mechanoreceptors in direct contact with the ground (Robbins et al., 1995), or by increasing the leverage arm and consequently the twisting torque around the sub-talar joint during a stumble (Stacoff et al., 1996).  Siff and Verkhoshansky (1999, p.452) reported that running shoes always reduce proprioceptive and tactile sensitivity, and that using bare feet on the high-density chip-foam mats in gyms preserves proprioceptive sensitivity. Robbins et al. (1989) considered that behaviors induced by plantar tactile sensations offer improved balance during movement, which may explain the preference of many gymnasts and dancers for performing barefoot.

Greater flexibility in your leg musclesGoes without saying really. If your feet aren't strapped up all day in comfy shoes then they are going to be able to move freely whoch will help your feet and legs get better range of motion-thus increasing flexibility.

Improved circulation
The motion you get from your unrestricted foot when walking barefoot activates a number  of muscles in people's feet and legs, which in turn helps to pump blood back to their hearts. This motion may not be as effective if your foot is confined in a shoe, especially if it's a poor fitting shoe. This muscle action prevents the pooling of blood in your feet and legs, reducing the stress on the entire cardiovascular system and reducing blood pressure. This is why going barefoot is recommended to prevent deep vain thrombosis.

Decreased ankle sprains
It is claimed that increased awareness of foot position from direct contact with the ground (Robbins et al., 1995) may decrease risk of ankle sprain - and/or the reduced leverage and consequently twisting around the ankle (sub-talar) joint from going "barefoot" minimizes the risk of spraining the joint during a stumble (Stacoff et al., 1996).

Better proprioception
The modern running shoe and footwear generally reduce sensory feedback, apparently without diminishing injury-inducing impact-a process Robbins and Gouw (1991)  described as the "perceptual illusion" of athletic footwear. A resulting false sense of security may contribute to the risk of injury (Robbins and Gouw, 1991).  Yessis (2000, p.122) reasoned that once the natural foot structures are weakened by long-term footwear use, people have to rely on the external support of the footwear, but the support does not match that provided by a well functioning foot.

Increases biomechanical performance
The arches of the feet are shock absorbers for the foot. They store energy and return energy to the gait cycle. Similarly, the natural arches of the spine are designed to perfectly store energy as the body "derotates" during the gait cycle (Gracovetsky 1988, 1997, 2001). Wearing shoes that have arch supports prevent the arches from functioning properly and heels cause chaos  to posture as they compromise energy storage and change the sdhape of the spine which cause back problems and neck problems.

Improves balance and  prevents falls
The feet provide significant sensory feedback to the brain and are therefore significant in balance and efficiency when running or walking. But , (Chek 2004) sees the most common cause of death in people above 65 years is falling.  25% of elderly people who fall and fracture a hip, die within 1 year of falling.

So, like I said...Fred Flinstone had it right.

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