Why minimalist running

Because traditional running shoes tend to encourage runners to strike the ground with the heel first, this puts a lot of pressure on the body. Getting a lower heel to forefoot can help with dorsiflexion and plantar flexion," says Coster. This allows the foot to move and flex appropriately. More Running Articles. Look for this banner for recommended activities. Cancel Yes. Join Active or Sign In. All rights reserved. Go Premium. Need Help? Learn More Customer Login.

By Michael Clarke Active. Share this article. But in a study , the SMU group showed that you get a very similar double peak when you look at world-class sprinters—even though they land on their forefoot.

The vertical axis, as before, is force in body weights, and the horizontal axis is time in seconds. The first thing to notice is that for each speed the rising slope of the overall force curve—the loading rate—is pretty much the same in all conditions. But the lower leg component J1 does change: the more cushioning they have, the steeper and higher that peak is. In this study, the runners adjusted the angle of their foot strike to control how long that J1 impact took.

When barefoot, they landed on their forefoot, which prolongs and softens the landing, with the calf muscles and Achilles acting as a shock absorber. In the thick-soled trainer, the presence of cushioning allowed them to slam down directly on their heel, which led to a sharper J1 curve without changing the overall loading rate.

But by delaying that peak, it ends up occurring at a point where the other, slower component of force from the rest of the body is much bigger. In other words, you reduce one of the forces but increase the other, and end up with a similar total force. Either your shoe cushioning softens the impact, or you adjust your landing to get cushioning from your calf and Achilles.

Take your pick, because the end result—at least under these particular conditions—is the same. Weyand is justifiably hesitant to generalize, though. This is a small study of a few volunteers running under very specific conditions at fast speeds. Crucially, the simplicity of the two-mass model means that you no longer need a prohibitively expensive force-measuring treadmill to assess impact forces and loading rates.

Sign up and become a better runner today! Unstable shoe construction and reduction of pain in osteoarthritis patients. Med Sci Sports Exerc. Nigg BM. Footwear Science. Changes in EMG signals for the muscle tibialis anterior while running barefoot or with shoes resolved by non-linearly scaled wavelets. Journal of Biomechanics. Warburton, M. Barefoot Running. Sportscience ;5 3. Your Privacy Rights.

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Pros and Cons. Getting Started. Going Minimal. Barefoot Shoes vs. Traditional Running Shoes. Choosing the Right Pair. What Are Minimalist Shoes? Pros Strengthens your gait and feet Reduces injuries Forces you to use correct technique May improve balance and proprioception More connection to the ground.

Cons Little foot protection May increase Achilles tendinitis and calf strain May increase plantar pain More susceptible to blisters You may look and feel strange at first. Practice Good Running Form Land lightly, smoothly, and quietly on your mid-sole and then roll through to the front of your toes. Use short strides and avoid letting the soles of your feet slap the ground. Your heels can touch the ground, but only after you have first made contact to the ground with your midfoot.

A common mistake is to push the ground away with your toes, which may lead to blisters over longer distances.