As we get older we lose the awareness of our bodies we had when young

As the creator and prime evangelist of FloWalking, I am committed to raising awareness to as many people as I can about how walking can affect every part of your body. A proper walking motion can ease pain, prevent injury, and help bring on a state of total health and fitness, while the wrong walking motion can cause severe problems which can drastically affect your entire life.

I’ve just written a post on the FloWalking site that should be of interest to anyone with feet:

Do you know where your feet are? This may seem like a silly question, but many people look down at their feet as they walk. The main reason for this often unconscious habit is because these people lack a good, healthy sense or awareness of where their feet are in space at any given time. These people are likely to have a poor awareness of most of their body.

These people may know they are walking from Point A to Point B, but they have little sense of the specific movements their body parts are doing to take them there. From the neck down, they might as well be a blob. Given the latest statistics which show an all-time historical high in the number of obese and morbidly obese people, it seems that most people are blobs. Fortunately FloWalking is better than a shot of Antiblobicillin.

To find out more about the FloWalking revolution for health, fitness, and just plain feeling great, check out my post over at http://flowalking.com/2011/11/the-most-overlooked-aspect-of-walking-and-fitness/, and get your own shot of Antiblobicillin. It’s effective, it’s free and there is no fast talking TV announcer claiming that “side effects may include Mange, Restless Pinky Syndrome, Smellie-Pheet Disease, or Werewolfism.”

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Fox In Socks is a Dr. Seuss book I just read to my five year old son. I doubt Seuss based the book on a real fox, but if the good doctor were still alive he could write the true-life story, Doc In Socks, about Dr. Steve Gangemi. Gangemi is a chiropractic physician who has earned the moniker Sock Doc from his habit of wearing only socks or even going barefoot in his chiropractic office. Unlike other habits that could land you in jail, shunning your shoes isn’t only legal, it is good for you.

Gangemi has been trained in a variety of specialties ranging from functional neurology to applied kinesiology. Although he does not specialize in the treatment of foot ailments, he believes that healthy people have healthy feet which do not require cushioned, supportive shoes. Gangemi proposes the concept that feet can send you signs and signals about your overall health, and that these clues are well worth pursuing in order to arrive at a state of complete health, literally from head to toe!

Gangemi states that the feet are the foundation of your body. With approximately 7,000 nerve endings in each foot, feedback from your feet can affect your overall health. Any foot impairment, injury, pain, dysfunction, or the wearing of footwear can (and often does) impair sensory feedback, balance and y muscle-skeletal function. Given that we take thousands of steps a day, day after day, the end result can be injury, arthritis, pain or other problems.

Gangemi also explains that an ache in one part of our body may be (and often is!) the result of a problem somewhere else in the body. For example, he explains that pain in your knee may be due to a muscle imbalance in the foot, improper footwear, poor diet, or even stress.

One of the fundamental tenets of his practice is that rarely will an unhealthy person not present with problems in their feet, and it is these bases of the entire human anatomy which can reflect and influence the health of the organism as a whole. Wearing improper footwear can disrupt the normal walking gait, and that can have a knock-on effect which can point to problems being experienced elsewhere in the body.

Gangemi prides himself on dealing with his patients’ health problems on a cause oriented individual level, and highly recommends the barefoot lifestyle. He believes that everyone can benefit from walking barefoot, not just multiple sport athletes and dedicated runners. The wearing of built up shoes featuring supportive orthotics and plush padding benefits few if any people, since going barefoot equates with improved lower leg function and balance which has an impact on overall health.

Steve “Sock Doc” Gangemi’s website (http://sock-doc.com) is a treasure trove of information on every aspect of educating athletes and other interested people about injury, prevention, and treatment to help them live longer and healthier lives. Gangemi provides cutting edge information on injuries, training, racing, nutrition, gear and much more.  Dr. Seuss would be proud of him. And so am I.

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Dr. Nirenberg wearing his Vibram Five Fingers

Mark Anders is one of those top journalists who live the sort of romantic adventurous lives the rest of us can only dream about. Whether he’s surfing the Zambezi River, racing mountain bikes in the 24 Hours of Moab, or is embedded with Navy SEALs in desert war games, he brings to his readers a vivid portrayal of the esoteric experiences to be found in the most exotic locales on Earth. Mark’s work has been featured in Life, Wired, Popular Science, Outside, Men’s Journal, New York, and many other major magazines. He recently wrote an article for the American Council on Exercise Certified News which dealt with an University study of the benefits of minimalist footwear for runners.

Mark writes that John Porcari, Ph.D., and Caitlin McCarthy, M.S., researchers from the Exercise & Health Program at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, conducted a study on 16 young adult female subjects who were habitual joggers and free from injury. Two weeks before the testing each was fitted with a set of Vibram FiveFingers Bikila model, and asked to run with that minimalist footwear three times a week for two weeks. Once this “breaking in” period was passed, the test runners were brought into the laboratory at the University for 3-D motion analysis under three separate conditions: barefoot, with the Bikilas; and with New Balance 625 running shoes.

The results of the testing showed that all 16 subjects landed primarily on their heels when wearing the running shoes, while half of the subjects became forefoot strikers when wearing the Bikilas or running barefoot. Even though the researchers were encouraging all the runners to adopt a forefoot strike, the heel strikers were not able to make the switch. The reason for preferring the forefoot strike is that the ankle becomes more plantar-flexed at the moment the foot hits the ground, and it is this greater degree of flexion which seems to absorb the running impact forces to a greater degree. The research also showed that the barefoot and Bikila runners displayed a lower degree of flexion in the knee which is generally correlated to fewer injuries.
 
The research proved that when some runners adopt minimalist footwear they do not necessarily display the correct running stride, in which case the possibility of discomfort and potential injury actually increases over conventional running shoes. The reason for this phenomenon is that minimalist footwear such as the Vibram Bikilas have virtually no cushioning in the heel area and thus subject the foot to higher impact loads. Dr. Porcari concludes that runners “may need very explicit instruction and time spent practicing how to land on the ball of the foot” when first starting to run in minimalist footwear such as Bikilas as continuing to run in a heel strike gait pattern actually negates the benefits of ditching the running shoes. The increased flexion advantages displayed by the forefoot striking runners in both barefoot and minimalist footwear styles are notable as the impact loads are minimalized and that can lead to a decreased risk of injury.

The bottom line is simple: Minimalist footwear works but has to be matched with a forefoot strike. All you heel strikers out there, start practicing your forefoot gait pattern to gain the maximum benefit from your Vibrams!

Check out Mark Anders’ unique life experiences at http://www.markanders.com/markanders.com/home.html , and you can read more about the study at http://www.acefitness.org/certifiednewsarticle/1641/

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Barefoot activity has proven medical benefits

Do shoes contribute to knee pain, joint deterioration and arthritis? According to new research published by Drs. Andy Oliver Radzimski and Gisela Sole at the prestigious University of Otago, and Dr. Annegret Mundermann at the University of Constance, Germany, in most cases the answer appears to be a resounding yes.

For many barefoot runners and walkers who have avoided or alleviated their painful knees by shunning supportive shoes, arch supports, and orthotics (custom made arch supports), this research is nothing new. The barefoot community has known for years that barefoot activity is good for our knees, but now science is catching up.

Dr. Radzimski and his co-researchers reviewed the scientific literature on the effect of footwear and arch supports/orthotics on the knee. They looked at the external knee adduction moment (EKAM) when we are wearing shoes and when we are barefoot. EKAM represents knee load distribution from the inside to the outside of the knee joint. The higher the EKAM is, the greater and faster the progressions of deterioration (osteoarthritis) of the knee joint. In simple terms, a high EKAM is bad for our knee, while a low EKAM is good for the knee.

These researchers stunning findings came about after looking at a grand total of 348 scientific articles and including 33 studies in their research. In plain English: these highly educated and respected scientists evaluated all current knowledge and scientific information on the effect of footwear on the knee joint of healthy people and those with knee disorders with regard to EKAM. This impressive analysis of the literature is important because the ardent lovers of supportive shoes believe that our feet need to be encased in footwear will have a difficult time refuting the voluminous amount of scientific research analyzed.

Remarkably, these researchers found that sneakers and running shoes increased EKAM when compared to barefoot walking and barefoot running. Specifically, the knee has a greater load on the inside of the joint when wearing shoes as compared to going barefoot. In fact, the authors of this astounding research say that shoes that provide “stability” (or support) create increased load on the knee joint (again when compared to simply going barefoot).

Radzimski and his co-writers conclude by suggesting that people with knee arthritis on the inside of their knee joint should consider walking barefoot when possible. I recommend this too. Not only will your knees thank you, but your whole body will too.

This new, groundbreaking research is not proof that barefoot is better than wearing shoes, but if you will excuse the pun, it is yet one more step (in fact, a big step) in that direction. I do not expect this amazing research will convince the tiny percentage of supportive-shoe-loving zealots out there to take a step without their feet firmly encased in their thickly-padded shoes, but for the vast majority of people with an open mind, I urge them to give this research a read. More importantly, give barefoot activity a try!

Note: if you do decide to make the leap to barefoot walking or running, begin slowly, read up on the techniques of giving up your supportive footwear or shoes, and if you have any medical problems, proceed only under the care of your physician.

References:

Radzimski AO, et al, Effect of footwear on the external knee adduction moment – A systemic review, Knee (2011), doi:10, 1016/j.knee. 2011.05.013

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The Most Famous Barefoot Man Since Fred Flintstone

As the co-host of The Discovery Channel’s popular Dual Survival series, Cody Lundin is becoming one of the most recognized survival experts in the world. Cody is the author of two bestsellers 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive and When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need to Survive When Disaster Strikes, and he has become famous for walking through swamps, deserts, forests, and mountainsides in his bare feet.

Cody’s expertise in survival skills is a result of a lifetime of personal experience in exploring self-reliant living. He spent two years in a deep forest brush shelter sleeping on pine needles, and has recently designed and built a solar earth Arizona home where he captures rainwater, composts all his organic waste, and has brought his heating and cooling bills to zero: A tall order in the Northern Arizona high desert where temperatures can range from -20 to +110 degrees F.

Cody is now in his twentieth year at the Aboriginal Living Skills School which he founded in Prescott, Arizona, and where he trains people of all ages and from all backgrounds Skills Courses to provide hands-on experiences of primitive and survival technologies; and Adventure Courses which include prolonged cross-country treks while hunting and gathering for food.

CY Interview magazine called Cody The Most Famous Barefoot Man Since Fred Flintstone, and I had the opportunity to discuss his trend setting shoeless lifestyle with him in a recent conversation.

Cody explains that his choice to spend more than two decades in bare feet is a personal lifestyle choice which makes him feel comfortable. As an aboriginal skills expert he is well aware that many native people did not use footwear, and he reminds us that shoes are a fairly recent homo sapiens invention and that “human history and time” is on his side.

The barefoot lifestyle has its limits for Cody, but they are only in the most extreme settings. In Peru, he had to craft makeshift sandals out of a Volkswagen tire in order to cross searing hot, sharp volcanic rock expanses covered in prickly cactus. He will also put on three pairs of woolen socks for extended forays into arctic snow. Civilization forces Cody to compromise as well. He claims that he has to force himself to wear flip flops to enter restaurants and board airplanes.

Cody Lundin testifies that his barefoot Abo Dude image which Backpacker magazines termed Heavy Metal Meets Ancient Native American “is a lifestyle for me, not just a way to make a living.” His commitment to walking barefoot is a reflection of his overall philosophy about outdoor survival: “Most backpackers today travel in a gear bubble. And when your livelihood is totally reliant on modern gear technology, the prospect of that technology failing can be pretty scary.”

My conversation with Cody proved him to be a worthy torch bearer for the advantages and healthful benefits of the barefoot lifestyle. Walk on, Cody Lundin, walk on!

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The Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) has just published a two part news feature article on barefoot running, The Rise of Barefoot Running  and Low Tech Running Shoes in High Demand. Its conclusions as to the state of current medical research and the overall progress of the sport are definitely worth reviewing.

CMAJ Scrutinized The Research On Both Sides Of The Issue

The CMAJ articles are extremely fair and balanced, eloquently discussing both sides of the issue. On behalf of barefoot running, the association stated that it “encourages people to take shorter strides and to land more softly on the middle or front of their feet, which some people believe reduces injuries and strengthens foot muscles”, and “there is no scientific evidence that all the cushioning in high-tech running shoes provide a health benefit”.

Experts Agree That More Research Is Needed To Support Barefoot Running

CMAJ quoted a number of experts in podiatry and running kinetics supporting barefoot running, including articles published in Nature and Dan Lieberman, professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University who stated “the key thing is not being barefoot, but using a barefoot style, and not colliding into the ground with your heels.”

Dr. Kevin Kirby, an adjunct associate professor at the California School of Podiatric Medicine in Oakland examined the paucity of clinical research in the field on both sides of the issue and stated that “there is also no research that indicates running shoes reduce injuries.“

I Provided CMAJ With Information To Bolster The Benefits of Barefoot Running

The CMAJ articles quoted me in stating that “there is a lot of research that is leaning in (the) direction” of supporting that running barefoot has beneficial effects. To help bolster the case against running shoes, I stated that “there are four layers of muscle in our feet. The majority of the muscles are used less, if at all, when the feet are in supportive footwear.”

In my CMAJ interview I also stated that “there’s an idea that our feet need a lot of help or support. The truth is that feet are really strong and resilient”.

Runners Of All Styles Can Look Forward To More Rigorous Scientific Dialogue

The CMAJ should be lauded and commended for focusing on the full breadth of scientific evidence with regards to barefoot running. Further clinical research is certainly called for in this field, and all runners can look forward to more authoritative medical organizations like CMAJ publishing their findings and supporting the sport through rigorous scientific dialogue.

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Here I am at work, feeling great in my Vivo Barefoot Shoes.

Al Gauthier of  ‘Living Barefoot’ just posted a frank, detailed audio interview with me about barefoot activity and barefoot running. Al and his partner, Tina Dubois, were a pleasure to speak with and they asked many insightful questions. In particular, they asked what I thought it would take for barefoot running to be accepted by the medical community—my answer may surprise you.

To hear this loose and open discussion about barefoot activity from the perspective of a podiatrist who has spent 20 years treating foot problems and has become a strong proponent of the benefits of barefoot activity, listen to the interview HERE.

I look forward to speaking with Al and Tina again in the future on more narrow aspects of barefoot activity.

Links: Living Barefoot
Living Barefoot Show Featuring Dr. Nirenberg

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Essentially, Sandler’s book is a great follow up to  Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. Sandler takes McDougall’s observations of the Tarahumara Indians amazing ability to run many miles regularly in flimsy sandals (Huraches) and adds the science of barefoot activity and a reasonable training regimen, and much more!

Sandler’s personal journey to barefoot running began with his realization that fewer injuries occur in less expensive running shoes than expensive ones, that there is a higher impact on the body in shoes than out of shoes, and balance is better in thinner, less cushioned shoes, and lastly, children who did not wear shoes were less likely to have fallen arches or other foot deformities. Starting slowly, Sandler describes his successful transition to barefoot running.

Barefoot Running is a comprehensive book, covering everything you could possibly want to know about barefoot running. Among the topics Sandler addresses: Barefoot running verses running in shoes, the philosophy and science of barefoot running, how to run barefoot, stretching exercises, foot care tips for barefoot runners, dealing with weather extremes, nutrition, minimalist shoes and much more. Other topics covered include:

• A brief history of barefoot running
• The latest science behind the benefits of barefoot running, including findings of Dr. Daniel Lieberman’s 2010 British Science Journal Nature study (very important!)
• How to heal and stay injury free
• Building balance, strength, endurance
• Building strong feet, legs, hips, muscles, tendons & joints
• Developing strong pads on the bottoms of your feet
• Training routines including cross training
• How to use shoes as a helpful tool
• Adjusting to different surfaces & terrain
• Children and Barefoot Activity (also very important!)
• Meditation, quieting the mind and connecting with nature

The book itself is well organized, beautifully designed and printed with an easy to read text, high quality paper, and great photographs (though I wish there was an index!).  

Critics of Sandler’s book will say that the scientific fact for barefoot running is thin, and it is, but scientific evidence that expensive, thickly cushioned running shoes are better for you is even thinner. 

Final Thoughts on Barefoot Running

Barefoot Running is not for everyone, nor is it safe for everyone, but if you are interested in learning about the incredible benefits of running bare or how to barefoot run safely, Barefoot Running is a must read!

I give Barefoot Running my highest rating — 5 Toes Up  

Links:

Michael Sandler’s Barefoot Running site

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Is this the Barefoot Walker’s Dress Shoe?

Vivo Barefoot Gives Balances Protection with Barefoot Benefits

More importantly, the Vivo Barefoot shoe provides basic protection for your foot, decent grip against the ground and mild foot support, but still lets your foot “feel” the ground. The best way to transition to minimalist or barefoot running or walking hasn’t been defined, but for those looking to make the leap, Terra Plana’s Vivo Barefoot may be the best way to go.

Vivo Barefoot Shoe's Removable Insole

To help with the transition to barefoot, the shoe is incredibly flexible to let your foot bend and flex naturally, has no added heel to throw your body forward, a thin sole, and the Vivo’s insole is removable. I recommend that those people who are new to barefoot activity wear the Vivo with the insole for a while, and then, as their feet adjust, they remove the insole.  As an aside, I removed the insole within a day or two to improve that great barefoot feeling (though, the insole was very comfortable).  

Vivo Barefoot Shoe's Sturdy Tread

A Minimalist Shoe that Feels GREAT

Speaking of comfort, this shoe has what it takes! It feels great on your feet. And, as a podiatrist, I liked the nice wide toe-box (that area at the front of the shoe). Plus, the roomy shoe let my foot breath (something that most shoes do not!).

Final Thoughts on Vivo Barefoot Shoe

The Vivo is a great shoe for stimulating barefoot activity that you can wear unobtrusively while at work, weddings and shopping. It is also a great intermediate shoe to help you on your journey toward barefoot walking or running. 

I give the Vivo Barefoot my top rating — 5 Toes Up 

Links of Interest:

Barefoot and Grounded Vivo Review

Barefoot Runner Vivo Review

Barefoot Walking Lifestyle Vivo Review

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Is it time to take off your shoes?

Few people would deny that exercise is good for us, and our feet. Now, mounting evidence suggests that exercising the foot’s arch muscles can not only strengthen our feet, but may even increase the height of our foot’s arch.

Our feet are one of the most muscle-rich areas of our body. In fact, there are 18 muscles within the arch of our feet, with additional muscles originating in our leg, inserting into the arches.

It is well known that the more a muscle is worked, the stronger it becomes. Of course, the converse is also true (we have all heard “use it or lose it”).

Now, breakthrough research by Headlee and Fiolkowski shows that when the muscles within the arches of our feet weaken, the arches will actually lower and become flatter.

If the foot’s arch decreases when our foot muscles weaken, it reasons that strengthening the muscles in our foot will raise the arch. Anecdotal evidence from runners who run barefoot shows this to be the case. These barefoot runners relate stronger arches and higher arches. Research by Robbins supports these findings.

Robbins showed radiographic changes in the feet of runners who gave up their shoes and began to run barefoot. In his study, the bones that make up the ball of the foot were shown—radiographically—to move closer toward the rear of the foot. That is, barefoot activity shortened the length of the foot’s arch. Robbins paper did not say the arch increased in these barefoot runners, but when the foot’s arch shortens, it height must rise.

Recently, Mark’s Daily Apple commented on the beneficial effects of exercise on feet, and I second it. Shoes lessen the need for and use of most of our foot’s muscles. As a result, the muscles weaken and the arch will weaken.

It’s time to take off your shoes and start exercising your feet.

I have written previously about foot exercises HERE.

The best foot exercise is barefoot activity — walking, running and playing barefoot! Barefoot activity is the best way to strengthen the muscles of your feet (assuming that you have good health — that is, you are not diabetic or plagued with poor circulation or other ailments). 

Like any exercise, start slow. Let your foot muscles gradually adapt to barefoot activity, and only go barefoot in safe environments – there’s no point having good foot muscles if there is a nail in your foot!

References:

Fiolkowski P, Brunt D, Bishop M, Woo R, Horodyski M. Intrinsic pedal musculature support of the medial longitudinal arch: an electromyography study. J Foot Ankle Surg. 2003 Nov-Dec;42(6):327-33.

Headlee DL, Leonard JL, Hart JM, Ingersoll CD, Hertel J. Fatigue of the plantar intrinsic foot muscles increases navicular drop. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2008 Jun;18(3):420-5. Epub 2007 Jan 8.

Robbins SE, Hanna AM. Running-related injury prevention through barefoot adaptations.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1987 Apr;19(2):148-56.

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