Saaj from SB-Fitness recently completed a 1-day Instructor course workshop with the VIVOBAREFOOT Training Clinic.

I hope the title caught your attention. Fact is I had the most amazing experience learning proper barefoot running technique from the coaching team of VIVOBAREFOOT. I literally felt liberated and born again, no exaggeration.

Of course, it’s not as simple as just taking your shoes off and running. Luckily I had the priviledge of learning from the students of Lee Saxby, the authority on barefoot running. A lot has been made of this book called Born to Run, Chris McDougall. The book that allegedly sparked a revolution. Well, Lee Saxby was McDougall’s coach. Also present (as a learner) was a London Marathon expert and advisor to over 50 charities on long distance running, Greame Hilditch. His book on running marathons has even helped BBC presenter Sophie Raworth to complete her marathon, a year after collapsing in one. It was thus an honour to be in such esteemed company, training in a centre just down the road from me at Premier Global, North London.

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How to run barefoot? Fresh from the Guardian’s Running Blog, here’s Adharanand Finn and Kate Carter learning the skill of barefoot running. They visited us at the VIVOBAREFOOT Training Clinic to learn more about why technique is everything.
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For a healthy life regular physical activity is a more powerful remedy than any drug you can take for modern day epidemics.

Find out more … download the eBook – Proprioception: Making Sense of Barefoot Running available for free from the VIVOBAREFOOT Training Clinic.

What to do next? Transition to natural movement:

• Live barefoot, first. And be barefoot as much as possible (80% of the time is about right!). If that’s an issue our casual range of shoes might help.
• Learn to walk again, heel, ball, toe…engage the great toe and use the muscles, tendons, nerves and bones that haven’t been used correctly for 5, 10…50 years.
• Gain your strength slowly, perfect the motorskill milestones. Little and often, perfect the walking, squatting, jumping.
• Now try running a little.
• Get the ultimate feedback and film your self running.
• Get a second opinion from someone that knows what they are looking for.
• Build up slowly, very slowy, little and often.

#barefootfact from VIVOBAREFOOT
Author: Jamie Page

This is a reaction to the recent findings of the Brigham Young University study regarding the importance of transitioning properly.

The word transition is now a commonplace term with runners, especially for athletes who have chosen to ditch the cushioned running shoes. The most likely journey is from jogger to unskilled runner to finally reaching the skilled runner.

But what does transition actually mean? In the context of running it is, as the dictionary definition highlights, the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another. With barefoot running there is definitely a physical change but there are also inescapable mental and social transitions as well. Read more…

Here’s a crash course in barefoot biomechanics from Lee Saxby. Lee discusses the practical reality of the biomechanics of barefoot running and the science that underpins skilful movement and natural human locomotion. Whilst at the same time acknowledging the importance of the story tellers of barefoot running, like the Barefoot Teds and the Chris McDougalls who deal with the emotional side of barefoot running. Read more…

Here’s a very insightful video from Edge.org featuring Professor Daniel Lieberman. Asking why and how the human body looks and functions the way it does, Lieberman combines experimental biology and paleontology to find the answers.

This interview goes into more details on the origin of bipedal walking, the biology and evolution of endurance running, and the evolution of the human head.

Author: Jamie Page

The VIVOBAREFOOT crew are heading to the Westcountry this Saturday to race the Wild Night Run, Jonno Gibbins and I will be making our way up and down the 10 mile course, with our support team, including Mark Esteban, back at base.
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