What type of shoes do you train in?? Try your own FEET!

For ten years I have been a believer of training barefoot for strength training, mobility and stability exercise as well as wearing more of a minimal shoe for running. Almost ten years ago, I hosted a Natural Running seminar and certification course via Newton Running Company at my Fitness Forward Studio in downtown Bellevue, WA. I still can’t get most clients to believe they don’t need to train in big bulky running shoes for their indoor workouts.

Why is that we do yoga and Pilates with our bare feet but we don’t do single leg squats, lunges and dead lifts without shoes? Bare feet are free and part of our body we need to strengthen!

I understand if you are in a big box health club – we need to look out for health and safety guidelines but if you are at home or in a private fitness studio as my place …then why do we wear big bulky shoes that cover up our feet? Running shoes for indoor training is similar to wearing a cast or walking boot on you foot for exercise. We don’t feel the ground and see where we are distributing our feet into the ground.

Yesterday, I was training a long-time client who did a gait analysis for running the week before so we were going over the findings. He had never been a “convert” to training in minimal shoes and still wore “high heel” running shoes for his workouts. Until yesterday.

I found that he was unstable on his left leg when running – as we were aware of his symptoms (knee pain and numbing of the foot). What we never noticed was what his feet were doing when running. He was gripping with his toes and landing off balance on his left side. As a personal trainer and natural running coach, we took off his shoes (and ideally socks as they change the shape of your foot) and worked on seeing what his foot muscles were doing when he was balancing on one leg, lunge or even doing a squat movement.

We have been working on his hip mobility and core stability exercises during our weekly session to help his performance in triathlons and injury prevention. I always want to get to the ROOT CAUSE… why are you having knee pain? It isn’t because of the knee often- but rather above or below: the hip/pelvis or the foot. Now we discovered his left leg was rotating inwardly each step when he runs based on his gait analysis. We need to add a ball or yoga block between his legs when he squats or does bridging to make the connection of his femur, hips and pelvis as well as work on his foot position. We can’t see what our feet are doing and how we are standing on them during exercise if they are wrapped up in socks and shoes! Plus bare foot shoes are FREE!

With my case study client, we have been working on his balance, stability, pelvis/hip mobility and core for months but not barefoot. Now I know to get him to take off his shoes and socks…spread the toes out and work on barefoot training. The first step and homework assignment is to use a Lacrosse ball daily to break up the tissue in the foot as well as go barefoot more often at home. For some reason people wear shoes inside their house! I don’t know why we don’t wear our “natural shoes” more often… our naked happy bare feet! Train barefoot and find out for yourself how your single leg dead-lift looks as well as lunge to balance or a single leg squat and cable row. Also try using a rebounder mini-trampoline to work on landing- running in place as well as one foot. Try a jumprope with bare feet as well. Ideally, wake up and walk outside with your bare feet to start your day!

The lacrosse ball or tennis ball standing works amazing…try starting with that movement training drill first to make your feet move and feel better as well as happy! Strengthen your feet as well as your body and mind!

Do you need a video demo? Let me know and I will take some photos and do a video of my suggested exercises as well as discuss on an upcoming podcast www.thewholeathletepodcast.com

The WHOLESTIC Method Coach,