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I get a lot of emails asking what I think of this shoe or that shoe to help with reducing stress in the body.
Today I got another one but it was about not wearing any shoes at all!
I am a very big proponent of going barefoot as much as humanly possible. TONS of "input" or "afferance" comes in through your feet!
As a matter of fact, a standard treatment for Native Americans suffering with back pain was to run barefoot along a river bank. The flood of input or "afferance" into the central nervous system blocked pain, relaxed tight muscles, and improved coordination to the brain! (This is also how chiropractic adjustments work, btw)
So if you've stopped using your feet the way they were designed in have buried them in leather coffins your whole life, guess what?
You're going to develop a "sleeping foot", or even a "dead foot" that has a real hard time interpreting the terrain underneath you and you're going to have a lot of trouble with your knees, hips, back, and even all the way up to your neck and shoulders!
So here's my response to the email I received and the videos about barefoot running which are all excellent!
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"The videos are very good. i believe whole heartedly in being barefoot. I do it mostly
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Intra abdominal pressure, okay engage my brace I get it but what about the 3 Pillars? I’ve always told people to use the entirety of the foot, Heel to Toes, Now heel is secondary?
Tim…I personally focus on landing on all 3 pillars at once with my toes spread and use the intra abdominal pressure in my core as a spring. As in the “science” video, landing heel first with running creates a lot more force that your body has to deal with. Walking is still heel to toe unless you’re sneaking silently through the woods! (which is a great exercise!)
Interesting thoughts. I am thinking that a lot of “barefootedness” in the dirt may help with some of the athelete’s foot and other fungus issues that seem to plague most of us. I spend most evenings with sandals on just to let my feet breath.
Wasn’t thinking of the “aeration” aspect of barefooting when I posted, but that’s a great point. Thanks Larry!