Stop Training on Your Heels if You Want Healthy Joints 🚨

[@athleticengine]

The ball of the foot is designed to absorb weight and force. Heels are for rest. Don’t use the heels as shock absorbers, it goes straight to the joints.

[@SingAndMoveForLife]

I appreciate the message, however, in my barefoot rebuild and journey (over 20 years), I've realized the only time I could properly forefoot walk was while completely barefoot. And since it is most often not possible due to climate and/or location (shops, etc), I found my best bet is to walk in a cushioned shoe (heel-strike), but run in a barefoot shoe (forefoot run). And I'm at home most often, which facilitates most of my day and week being barefoot (forefoot walking), so I maintain good foot flexibility and ankle strength. I'd appreciate your thoughts on this matter. Thank you very much for this video.

[@athleticengine]

I can totally understand it’s not realistic to be barefoot all the time in the environments most of us live in. What I would say is always move as if you are barefoot. So even if you have shoes on, make sure your shoes do not alter the way you are using your feet in the shoe. For example where I am I occasionally wear slide on slippers with a very cushioned sole - they are far from ideal, but I’m aware enough of how I walk in them so that I’m not allowing all that cushioning to change my gait. Just walk the surface barefoot first, be aware of how you have to walk to be comfortable without the protection, and then when the protection is there, don’t change anything about how you use your foot. So barefoot or not, move as if you’re barefoot. Hope that is clear and helps.

[@SingAndMoveForLife]

@@athleticengine Thank you for your response. I completely understand. And as mentioned above, I attempted for years to keep the forefoot walk/proper barefoot gait while wearing any shoes. After many years of trying, I found it was not becoming effortless, it looked strange, felt strange, and I would ultimately get frustrated from mental and physical fatigue, and rip off my shoes and carry them for the remainder of one such walk with the family. That can't be done in the winter. Nor do I wish to have to wash my feet upon returning home each time. I had to accept that it wasn't something that training could permanently alter, as I had thought. Thank you for your thoughts, though. It's just easier without shoes, unless I'm running. I read the article 'Learn to Walk' many years ago. It was a game-changer, as I was born with a right foot (toes) deformity, and wanted good foot and shoe habits for my children.

[@SingAndMoveForLife]

. . . However, it might be time to revisit the approach. :) Thanks for the encouragement!

[@athleticengine]

@@SingAndMoveForLife Using the heel to walk is natural. You don’t put heavy pressure in the heel but having the heel touch the ground while walking isn’t improper. There’s no need to walk only on the forefoot.

[@SingAndMoveForLife]

@@athleticengine Right. Not to worry as that's not what's happening. The forefoot touches first, protecting the soft midfoot, then the rest of the foot comes down. As it would while walking barefoot on a rocky pavement.