Download pdf - Barefoot Running in Vibram Guide

8/2/2019 Barefoot Running in Vibram Guide

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A Step-By-Step Guide.


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For more than 75 years, Vibram has been a trusted leader in

perormance and innovation. Our founder, Vitale bramani,

lived in Milan, Italy, and developed the frst rubber sole on a

mountaineering boot, which changed the way people moved,

up, down and across the Earth orever.

Ever committed to saety, Vitales experience as a mountain guide

and climber in the Italian Alps convinced him o the need or

perormance rubber soles on ootwear.

What ollows is an undeniable success story: years o research

and the production o millions o soles or the best shoes in

the industry led Vibram to its next milestone. In 2001Viram

ean reearcin and tetin a unique concept at the Creative

Lab in Milan, Italy. The outcome was another industry-changing

innovation: a sole and shoe that allowed the oot to work and move

naturally, as i bareoot. n 2006, Viram FiveFner wa orn.

O

ur founder,Vitale Bramani

Vibram Fiv

ootwear.

the oot to

eet! Becau

is a lesson

team knew

would em

. Wh R W WRTg Ths g


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since te launc of Viram FiveFiner in 2006, much has

happened to bring the concept o minimalism, and minimalist

runningin particular, into popular culture. Bareoot running

research, theNew York TimesbestsellingBorn to Run, and a vocal

and progressive FiveFingers user base, are just a ew things

that have inspired consumers to put their shoes aside, put on

FiveFingers and start moving.

gTT

As a result, bareoot/minimalist r unning has spawned a

recurring public debate across todays newspapers, magazines

and webscape. so, ow are we uppoed to do ti minimalit/

arefoot tin? The truth is, there isnt a single correct approach

its probably more complicated than that. However, as one o

the prominent leaders in this movement, we want to give you

Vibrams take on it. We hope this guide will help you discover

how YOU can saely get back to movements natural roots.

Our running guide brings you a selection o scientifc research

and anecdotal evidence resulting rom more than six years o

livingin Vibram FiveFingers.

Vibram believes that moving and running in FiveFingers can

make u ealtier and more connected to our odie.We invite

you to join us and explore the joys o natural running.


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. FRsT Thgs FRsT: gTTg TO OW OR FT.

When it comes t o running, very ew pe ople stop a nd think

about the two most important running tools: your feet. They

contain 52 bones, 66 joints, 40 muscles, and hundreds o

sensory receptors, tendons, and ligaments collectively formin

two of te ody mot efcient mecanim. Its about time

that we got to know them!

In some cases, we have become so shoe dependent that our

eet are a mystery. Another unortunate side-eect: most people

assume that there is something inherently wrong with their

eet: arches too high or at, too wide, too narrow, curled toes,

long toes, short toes, etc. Traditional shoes have become a way

o hiding or fxing these assumed abnormalities. And, as a

result, the powerul architecture o our eet has become hidden,

disliked, and incredibly sensitive even weakened. Feet have

taken the brunt o a cultural notion that your oot is wrong;

that corrective shoes will make it right.

Vibram FiveFingers celebrates

and assists the natural orm

and unction o your oot.

Beore you embark on this

journey, it is important that

you amiliarize yours el with

your bareoot through a series

o sensory exercises.

1 gT TO OW OR FOOT

Look: Take o your shoes and socks. Take a good look at your eet.

Become amiliar with the shape and condition o the eet. This will

help you understand and identiy the changes that will take place

as you transition to moving and running in FiveFingers.

Touc: Massage is one o the best ways to stimulate the nerves

and muscles o the eetand it eels good, too! Try these exercises

sitting down and bareoot.

1. Run your fngers between your toes push back and

orth, twisting your hand a little.

2. Use your elbow to rub the entire base o the oot.

3. Use your hand to push toes back and orth, creating

a gentle stretch.

4. Administer gentle

pressure with your

thumbs, moving towardsyour toes. Feel/tweak

your tendons, ligaments,

and connective tissue.

1. Run fi

and forth3. Use hand to push toes back


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exploredifferent surfacesbarefoot

Feel: Feet are excellent at collecting inormation. Thousands

o neurological receptors in the eet send valuable eedback

to the brain to tell your body where it is in space and what the

terrain is like. Actively stimulating these receptors improves

balance, increases circulation, and enhances overall oot health.

Walk on dierent suraces. This is one o the most

obvious and easiest ways to stimulate and exercise

the oot. With bare eet or in Vibram FiveFingers,

explore your home and its surroundings. Notice how

your eet eel on smooth vs. rough suraces and try

to sense/recognize the signals that your eet send

to your brain.

Youll probably notice that your oot strike and stride instinctively

adjust to dierent suraces. Experiment in a sae, controlled way

on grass, carpeting, pavement, dirt, pebbles, and smooth rock

keeping your eyes open or potential hazards or unriendly objects.

Walk on

Walk on


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2 VbR FOOT FTss:

2-WEEK STRENGTH TRAINING PROGRAM

Re-ducation and strentenin

Now that you have begun to amiliarize yoursel with your eet,

youve probably noticed that they are pretty weak. Maybe its hard

to spread or control your toes? Perhaps being bareoot or an

extended amount o time leaves your eet sore or tired? To saely

begin the transition to Vibram FiveFingers running, we highly

recommendte followin foot trentenin exercie beore

you take your frst running step.

Practice the exercises below in 3 et of 20 rep, 3-5X/week for

2 week. Your eet may eel tired aterwards, but you should not

be in pain. Ultimately, this series o exercises will be part o your

running warm-up routine.

1. Heel raise

2. Toe grip

3. Dorsi/plantar exion

1. Heel raise 2. Toe grip

3a. Dorsiflexion 3b. Plantar flexion

4. Toe spread/tap

5. Exaggerated eversion/inversion

6. Grabbing towel on the oor with toes pass to other oot

7. Walking in FiveFingers : never underestimate the beneft

o just being bareoot or in FiveFingers. One- to two-hour

intervals o general day-to-day activity in your FiveFingers

is an excellent way to slowly build the small muscles in the

eet and ankles.

5a. Exagg

6a. Grabb4a. Toe spread 4b. Toe tap


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R

FOR TsT R? 3 TsT R: CREATE A PERSONAL PLANFOR SUCCESS

I youve ollowed the program up to this point, youve probably

noticed some signifcant improvements in the strength and

exibility o your eet. Now youre ready or a test session to explore

the light and joyul eeling o bareoot running!

In order to make this as easy as possible, weve broken down

the process into 4 parts: cooin a urface, arefoot tecnique,

meaurale ditance, and a ample trainin plan. Please

remember, the inormation and advice we are about to share is

based on scientifc research, anecdotal evidence, and personalexperience. There is no single training and transition program

that is suitable or everyone. You should try to discover what works

or your body in order to make this transition sae and successul.

One o the reasons bareoot running has become so popular is

that it is synonymous with reedom and exploration. Give yoursel

the git o time and patience as you explore this new way o

running a

PRs or a l

connectin

Your patie

experienc

Cooin

you. Its co

immediat

should stic

a proper

can be com

te et w

a moot,

Running o

extremely

o the mus


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barefoot Tecnique:A good landing should eel gentle, relaxed,

and compliant. Many experienced bareoot runners suggest trying

these two phases to learn the recommended oreoot technique:

Phs 1 Phs 2

FiveFingers runners typicallyland on te all of te foottowards the lateral side. Its

best to land with the foot nearlyhorizontal, so you dont workyour calves too much or put toomuch stress on top of the foot.

After the front of your foot lands,let te eel down radually,

bringing the foot and lower legto a gentle landing. (Its like whenyou land from a jump, exing the

hip, knee and ankle.) Again, thelanding should feel soft, springy,and comfortable.

mportant point to rememer:

o not overtride (this means landing with your oot too

ar in ront o your knee and hips). Overstriding with a

oreoot or midoot landing requires you to point your toe

more than necessary, addin tre to te calf mucle,

cille tendon, and arc of te foot. One way to avoid

overstriding is to raise your cadence to 180 beats/min.

Practice with a metronome or an up-tempo song youll

notice that it is impossible to overstride at this requency.

Make sure you arent leaning too ar orward. Your body

should be almost upright with your eet directly below

your hips.

Land litly. Not sure i youre landing lightly? Try running

totally bareoot on a hard, smooth surace (e.g. pavement)

that is ree o debris. Sensory eedback will quickly tell you

i you are running too hard. Light runners are quiet runners.

Try to make as little noise as possible when you land.

o not

landin

- Wal

up,

- Wal

hee

regularity something to consider i you are still a beginner with

weaker oot muscles. Just know that the soter the surace, the less

likely you are to land lightly and with the most compliance.

Wicever urface you cooe, make ure to elect a controlled,

familiar environment to ein your trainin. Dont venture too ar

rom your starting point in case you need to stop and pack it in

or the day. Choosing a surace actually means lea rning where

to place your eet and how to negotiate every single step. In time,

it becomes a high-speed reiterative process and contributes to a

wonderul eeling o sel-awareness.


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eaurale itance: how far ould run? i te mot

frequently aked quetion from runner new to FiveFiner.

I you are an athlete with a no pain, no gain mentality, you

may want to reconsider that approach. Your oot, ankle, and

cal muscles could be very weak rom spending a lietime in

traditional shoes. I you vigorously work out any ill-conditioned

muscles in your body, theyll become sore and sti. Your oot and

cal muscles are no exception. We sincerely recommend that you

not overdo it, because you will probably injure yoursel by doing

too much too soon.

Followin, youll nd a conervative trainin plan to elp uild your

Viram FiveFiner runnin ditance in a afe and enjoyale way.

Dont orget, this is about having un and enjoying your r un! Stress

ractures, tendonitis, and other injuries are NOT un, mostly because

they prevent us rom doing something we truly cherish. Also, in the

long run, they may become debilitating. Pleae liten to your ody

at every tep of ti proce. You will thank yoursel in the long run.

sample Trainin Plan

Ws 1 2 Ws 3 4 Ws 5 T

Foot Fitness (pp.10-1 1) 3-5X/wk Warm up with Foot Fitness (pp.10-11)Gently stretch your calves and arches

Warm up witGently stretc

Wear FiveFingers for 1 to 2 hour

intervals per day (simple day-to-

day activities: sitting, standing,

walking, etc.)

Run 10% of your normal running

distance no more than once every

other day.*

Each week,

FiveFingers

than 10% of

the previous

to run no m

other day.*

Practice foot stretching and

self-massage as described on

p.5. Include calf massage as part

of this recovery process. self-

maae will reak down car

tiue and elp your mucle

eal and et troner.

After each r

stretching a

described o

massage as

process.

*This is not a hard and fast rule, but a general guide. If your muscles remain sore, do not increase yo

another week.


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take care ofyour body

dditional tip to rememer:

stop if your arce or te top of your foot i urtin, or if

anytin ele urt! Sometimes arch and oot pain occurs

rom landing with your eet too ar orward relative to

your hips and ha ving to point your toes too much. It

can also occur rom landing with too rigid a oot and not

letting your heel drop gently.

stop and let your ody eal if you experience pain. Sore,

tired muscles are normal; bone, joint, or sot-tissue pain

is a sign o injury.

lway e patient, and uild radually.It can take several

months to a year to make the transition to running in

FiveFingers.

n te einnin, rememer to carry your traditional

footwear in your and a a ackup. I you need to stop in

the middle o a workout, you can put on your cushioned

running shoes and return home.

rad

trainin

gradu

strikin

severa

Reme

suits y

strikin

cardio

ftness

chanc


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LOV OR R.

LsT TO OR bO.

TR LghTL.

sTRT WTh OR FT.

Part o the reason we love Vibram FiveFingers running is because

it helps us build relationships with each other and ourselves. This

sense o community has generated riendships, inspired debates,

and helped us learn. Vibram FiveFingers running may help you

run aster or it may just allow you to love running. Either way, this

will soon become YOUR journey as you develop a new appreciation

or your body.


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Disclaimer:The inormation in this book is oered or educational purposes only; the reader should be cautionedthat there is an inherent risk assumed by the participant with any orm o physical activity. With that in mind, those

participating in cardio, strength, and conditioning programs should check with their physician prior to initiatingsuch activities. Anyone participating in these activities should understand that such training initiatives may be

dangerous i perormed incorrectly, and may not be appropriate or everyone. The author assumes no liability or

injury; this is purely an educational manual to guide those already profcient with the demands o such programming.

Vibram would like to thank the Vibram Tester Team, Dr. Daniel Lieberman, Proessor o Evolutionary

Biology, and Dr. Nicholas Campitelli, DPM or their guidance and advice while writing this piece.

Vibram and Vibram FiveFingers are trademarks of Vibram S.p.A. 2011 Vibram S.p.A. All rights reserved.