Shin splints are among the most painful injuries a runner can endure. For distance runners, the condition can be especially severe and prevalent. As engineered running shoes and improper conditioning increasingly catch the blame for this tenacious...
Many health and foot experts tout the benefits of barefoot walking and running, from Michael Warburton, a physical therapist and marathon runner, to the biomechanics researchers at Harvard University's Skeletal Biology Lab. However, the...
Proponents of barefoot running believe the act reduces stress on the heels and soles of your feet, reducing your chances of sustaining an injury to your feet. While the research on barefoot running is still lacking, individuals all over the world...
Barefoot running has gained a lot of media attention in recent years, and you may wonder why barefoot running is important today. With all the advanced training shoes available, offering cushioning, support and traction, why would anyone want to...
Since the release of "Born to Run", the bestseller about running without shoes, barefoot running has generated some serious interest from runners of all ability levels in Europe, North America and other running hot spots around the world. A 2009...
Barefoot running is a trend that has gained steam in recent years with books like Christopher McDougall's "Born to Run," which explores the physiological benefits of running barefoot and examines how shoes can actually hurt your feet. Footwear has...
Barefoot running is more than the latest wild idea -- it is a return to the natural way to run. When you run barefoot, you typically do not land on your heel, but on your forefoot. Decades of running in heavily cushioned sneakers have encouraged...
After hearing all of the hype about barefoot running, you found yourself giving it a try. After a week or two of running shoe-free, you may have noticed an aching feeling along the bottom of your foot both during and after your runs. If you...
Cramps -- also known as knots -- are common in runners’ calf muscles. Whether your legs are cramping from barefoot running or regular running, the options for treatment and prevention are similar. Fortunately, you often can remedy your...
Barefoot running is not a new activity --- in fact, it has been common throughout history all over the world --- but in the face of ever-increasing science and technology pumped into shoes, it has risen to popularity as a natural means of...
Our paleolithic ancestors ran barefoot, and athletes ran without specialized shoes until Phil Knight invented the first running shoe during the 1960s. Although many modern runners feel a running shoe is essential, running barefoot can produce...
Barefoot running can cause lower leg pain initially, but over time, running barefoot will likely alleviate many kinds of pain and reduce risk of injury. Harvard University's Skeletal Biology Lab students -- who have studied barefoot running and...
There is a fast growing subculture in the running community of people ditching the shoes and going barefoot. Positive benefits have been reported as greater foot strength and decreased risk of injury. The lighter style of running also claims...
When Bob Nicol of Winnipeg, Manitoba, heads out for a run, he leaves behind something most runners might consider essential to the sport: shoes. He regularly runs barefoot along the sidewalks, roads and trails near his home and expects to log...
Running-specific exercises help you strengthen weak or under-recruited muscles, prevent you from suffering the usual assortment of injuries that plague runners and improve your running mechanics by restoring your ankle flexibility and retraining...
Choosing the right exercise shoe is vital if you want to perform to your full potential in the gym and stay injury-free. The type of shoe that suits you best will depend on the activities you're doing. If you train in shoes which aren't suitable...
Proponents of Vibram “toe shoes” feel they offer health benefits of going barefoot with a minimalist shoe that protects the feet. They’re not only worn for water sports and other forms of exercise, some fans make them their shoes...
In his 2009 book "Born to Run," author Christopher McDougall explored the phenomenon of barefoot running, examining various theories claiming that you can run better and more efficiently if you run as nature intended-- without shoes. The...
If you've ever come home after a long run in the summer, you know what a relief it is to take off your sneakers and socks. A number of exercises come at the price of hot, sweaty feet, falling arches, tight calves and cramping from ill-fitting...
If you do not have access to an outdoor area or a treadmill where you can run, running in place may be an alternative. You don't need any equipment -- not even running shoes -- so it is an especially accessible form of cardiovascular exercise....
Interval training is becoming more popular as a tool to improve overall performance among amateur and elite distance runners. Shoes have always been an important piece of equipment for runners and the proper shoes for track workouts can enhance...
Barefoot running and other minimalist movements emphasize a change in form that reduces heel strikes and increases forefoot impacts during the stride. This type of running form may decrease the risk of injury and increase running economy. However,...
Sports companies have spent a lot of time an money trying to develop the perfect shock-absorbing, supportive shoes for athletes, but exercise experts are now asking whether it is better to train in bare feet. The barefoot buzz began with the 2009...
Walking without shoes can be good for your feet. Shoes can cause foot pain, bunions, hammertoes and place undue strain on the arches. Walking with bare feet strengthens the muscles in your feet and helps prevent falling arches, notes podiatrist...
Frostbite occurs when skin becomes overexposed to cold and typically affects hands, nose, ears and feet. Depending on your sport, frostbite can be a factor. In mountaineering, for example, frostbite represents one of the most common dangers...
Recent observational evidence suggests that forefoot, or front foot, running can help prevent common injuries associated with running such as repetitive stress fractures, plantar fasciitis and runner's knee by reducing the force with which feet...
It would seem enough that you have to deal with the impact of three to four times your body weight with each foot strike when you run, but when you add the issue of ankle pronation, you've got real problems. If you are a runner whose foot and...
You can warm up, stretch and train all you want, but you won't be able to run at your body's maximum speed without giving your muscles the food they need. Nutrition is just as important for a runner's performance as running shoes, and several...
Soft sand running requires a different type of stride than other types of running. Learn how to do soft sand running in this video.
