Fitness Mantra: Chennaiites discover benefits of running barefoot

Chennai

May 6 is celebrated as International Barefoot Running Day — the movement has spread worldwide and is now knocking on our doors as well. In lieu of this event, Chennai Barefoot Runners (CBR) are organising an awareness run about the advantages and health benefits of running without shoes. It is a method of encouraging existing as well as first-time runners to participate in the one-and-a-halfhour programme. 

Speaking about the evening, Venkat Venkataraghavan, a practising Chartered Accountant who is part of CBR says, “This is the second year we’re celebrating International Barefoot Running Day. How we came about doing this is very organic, there were no meetings or discussions. We’re an informal group of friends who decided to bid goodbye to our shoes and feel the earth beneath our feet.”

Venkat switched to running without footwear under the guidance of his peers who had prior experience; he started training on the beach and has grown so adept at it that he’s finished a marathon of 42 km barefoot. “I could feel the difference between running with and without shoes almost immediately — the advantages are manifold. Yes, there were times when I got injured due to glass pieces or bad roads but I overcame this by putting medicinal plasters on the sensitive parts of my feet,” he explains. All of us run like children, using our fore and midfeet, so it’s better to bandage the front half of your foot and toes suggests Venkat. 

Wondering why he needed so many fancy gadgets or expensive shoes to run, VP Senthil Kumar decided to start experimenting barefoot too. “Running is the most basic form of exercise and I grew tired of complicating it. Moreover, I was aware that running barefoot was becoming a movement worldwide due to the increasing focus on health and fitness. So I requested my friend who is part of CBR to initiate me into the process. I adapted quite quickly to it; I’ve been running this way for so many years that now I don’t even know where my shoes are!” he smiles.

The benefits are not only health-wise but, “It has made my life easier,” he says. “Running without shoes assures me that I can live with the basics. So now if I don’t use anything at home for six months or more, I give it away,” says the entrepreneur, quickly adding, “Except books.”

Things to remember before/while running barefoot

• Get basic guidance in terms of how much to run from someone with  experience and slowly build up your pace.
• Parks or playgrounds are good places to start training; on the beach closer to the shore (not in the water or on dry sand) is the best option. Venues like Boat Club and Gandhi Nagar are great to start running on tar roads.

Advantages of running barefoot vs with shoes

• As a natural body form, we run with our fore and mid-feet; the heel doesn’t impact the ground much, reducing chances of knee injuries.
• Training on the beach strengthens calf and glute muscles.
• Just like how the hand withdraws when you have an electric shock, the brain tells the body to shift form and land differently if you step on a sharp object while running which improves reflexes.
• You can literally become ‘grounded’ and feel closer to the earth if you expose your feet while running; it acts as a form of acupuncture.

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