UT PODIATRIST STATES THAT BAREFOOT AND MINIMALIST RUNNERS NEED TO START SLOWLY

BAREFOOT RUNNING IS, FOR MANY, NOT TECHNICALLY DONE WITHOUT SHOES.  RATHER, RUNNERS SLIP ON SHOES THAT LOOK LIKE GLOVES FOR FEET, WITH LITTLE TUBED SLOTS FOR EACH TOE.  A 2010 HARVARD STUDY AND THE BOOK BORN TO RUN BOTH CLAIMED THAT BAREFOOT, OR MINIMALIST, RUNING DECREASES POUNDING ON THE BODY AND CAN HELP RUNNERS INCREASE THE LENGTH OF THEIR RUNS. DOCTOR BRANDT GIBSON, A PODIATRIST AND RUNNER, HOWEVER IS CAUTIONING PEOPLE TO TAKE IT SLOWLY.

"IT CAN TAKE UP TO SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR TO RUN FULLY IN THOSE SHOES," PODIATRIST GIBSON SAID.  "YOU ARE INCREASING YOUR CHANCES OF INJURY IF YOU ARE WEARING A BAREFOOT RUNNING SHOE AND YOU DON'T WORK INTO IT."PODIATRIST GIBSON SAYS TO FIRST TRY THE SHOE FOR FIVE MINUTES DURING A TYPICAL RUN, A COUPLE OF RUNS PER WEEK, AND THEN INCREASE THE TIME 10 PERCENT AT A TIME, EVENTUALLY WORKING UP TO THE FULL LENGTH OF THE RUN.  GIBSON SAYS THE CAUTION IS, IN PART, BECAUSE MANY RUNNERS WILL END UP CHANGING THE WAY THEY RUN, ESSENTUALLY RETRAINING.  IF A RUNNER IS A NATURAL HEEL-STRIKE RUNNER, THE METHOD WILL SWITCH THE RUNNER TO A MID-FOT OR FORE-FOOT STRIKE.

ANOTHER THING TO CONSIDER WHEN RUNNING BAREFOOT OR WITH A MINIMALISTIC SHOE IS THAT YOU WILL NOT BE WEARING YOU CUSTOM MADE ORTHOTICS.  MANY RUNNERS HAVE TO WEAR ORTHOTICS BECAUSE WITOUT THEM THEY HAD PLANTAR FASCIITIS, METATARSALGIA, ACHILLES TENDON CONDITIONS, PATELLAR-FEMORAL SYNDROMES, HIP OR SPINAL PAIN.  CUSTOM ORTHOTICS ARE PRESCRIBED IN MOST CASES FOR FOR A GENETIC PREDISPOSITION THAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ARE BORN WITH KNOWN AS OVERPRONATION.

MOST TORONTO FOOT SPECIALISTS, INCLUDING TORONTO FOOT DOCTORS, TORONTO CHIROPODISTS AND TORONTO PODIATRISTS AGREE THAT IF YOU INJURE YOUR FOOT DURING RUNNING OR ANY OTHER ACTIVITY IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE IT SEEN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BY A FOOT SPECALIST.  DELAY COULD LEAD TO FURTHER PROBLEMS OR SECONDARY COMPLICATIONS.