Barefoot running has the potential to improve running performance, but it comes with its own pitfalls to be aware of. As the title suggests, here are some of the ways that have helped me transition to a more minimal running style and the do's and don'ts of minimal running style.
Bare foot running has become a fad that has helped many people unlock their full potential. With recent research and books such as Born to Run, many have tried this technique. Barefoot running has many other names such as forefoot striking, and minimalist running. Changing your gait pattern can improve performance and decrease pain, but if done incorrectly, barefoot or minimalist running can be detrimental and even dangerous. I have had a few patients in the past that have switched from rear foot strike to forefoot striking and developed stress fractures in their feet and shin bones. This is because their anatomy was not adapted to the new stresses put on it with forefoot striking. The risk for developing stress fractures from switching running styles is quite low for most people, though it does highlight the need for slowly transitioning to a different running style to decrease the risk of injury. As the title of this article states, the best thing to do when trying a new running style is to take it slow.
I will start by saying that switching running styles is not a binary situation. Where your foot strikes the ground first is a spectrum, with some favoring the forefoot, some the midfoot, and most favoring the heel. These are the broad categories that are spoken about in the rehab field. The body will naturally choose the path of least resistance in most situations, and taking into account footwear, training surface, and early learning, people naturally select a running style. Changing this style will add forces to the body that it is not accustomed to, and more drastic the change, the longer it will take for the body to adapt. Thus, switching from a heel strike to a forefoot strike will require more change from a physiological standpoint, than switching from a midfoot strike. If you are reading this article, I assume that you are looking into changing to a forefoot or minimalist running style. Let’s look into some of the reasons why switching may be beneficial.
I switched to a forefoot strike style of running from a heel strike style many years ago. My reason for switching was because I found that I had knee pain that started after around 2-3 miles of running, no matter the surface. Research has described some of the benefits of forefoot running can switch some of the work done by the muscles attached to the knees and hips to those in the foot and calf. For this reason, it can decrease pain experienced in the knees and hips with running for some. Apart from decreasing pain, forefoot running involves muscles of the entire leg at a higher degree than traditional heel strike style. It "adds" the entire foot and calf muscle groups to the overall power available when running, thus spreading the load of running over more muscle groups. This variation in muscle activation can improve speed and endurance while running. While this is a positive attribute, it can lead to too much stress on muscles that are not used to the amount of work required by them, putting you at risk for injury when switching.
Before switching to forefoot running,it would be a good idea to evaluate strength and endurance of the muscles that will be working harder because of it. If the muscles are not up to the task, the force of a new running style will eventually make its way to the bones, tendons, and ligaments of the foot and lower leg. Over time these structures can become injured if not adapted properly. Increasing your foot intrinsic muscle strength, and calf strength can help mitigate some of this risk, and doing some preliminary work before switching is a good idea.
Now for the actual running itself. As I mentioned before, I switched from heel strike to forefoot running many years ago, though the transition between styles took longer than I had originally thought.
I started by using the same shoes that I had been previously running in, consciously switching to forefoot striking for around 1 minute for every 4-5 minutes of heel foot strike running. This equates to a 20-25% forefoot strike running, which I sustained for around 2 weeks.
After I was able to do this without issue and it became easy to switch between styles, I upped the percentage to around 40-50%. I continued to switch between running styles, though I kept overall volume of training the same, around 10 miles a week (I know pretty tiny mileage compared to some of you out there). I stayed at this stage for around another 3 weeks, and switched to a minimal style shoe half-way though this phase.
After that I went to 100% forefoot running, but I dropped the overall volume of running by half, for me this was 5 miles a week. After 1 week of this I bumped up the mileage by 10-15% each week until I was at full capacity again. Check the table above for detailed breakdown of my personal running plan.
As you can see, this switching was a commitment, taking about 10-11 weeks. However, I was able to switch to minimal style running with no injuries or overtraining. What’s more, I was now able to run without pain in my knee. I still am able to run to this day without pain, which I attribute to the switch to forefoot strike running style.
If you are looking to switch running styles, I urge you to first take a look at why it is you want to switch. If you have no pain while running, and are improving in performance, there may not be a real benefit to switching. If you fall in the camp of wanting to switch to improve pain and need a slight boost to performance, switching styles may be the right choice but take it slow! Build up the muscles and supporting structures of the foot and lower leg beforehand and transition to minimal running little by little. I hope that this answers some questions regarding minimal style running and can help you make the right choice for yourself in a safe and effective manner.
If you have any questions or would like other information about minimal style or barefoot running, comment below! And if you or your friends are thinking about changing running styles, show them this article to help them make the switch safely.
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