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Overview of #Barefoot Running--well done

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Improve Memory and Increase Brain Power By Walking #antiaging #droz

Think about this: Exercise does for your brain what trading in your old PC for a speedy new model does for your output -- you get a bigger, stronger, smarter network inside your noggin. Annoying glitches (forgetting your new neighbor's name, misplacing the electric bill) fade away. Information processing (balancing the checkbook, planning that vacation) gets smoother. And here's the really cool part: You can get this mental upgrade just by taking regular walks.  

To read more->  Improve Memory and Increase Brain Power By Walking

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Christopher McDougall: Are we born to run? #barefoot #running #gait #PT #feldenkrais

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Barefoot Walking and Running Part II: Graphic Evidence

One would think a foot is a foot. But not so. If you had never worn shoes in your life, your own foot might be unrecognizable to you because it certainly wouldn’t look like the foot you use today.

In 1905 an orthopedist wrote an article entitled "Conclusions Drawn From a Comparative Study of the Feet of Barefooted and Shoe-Wearing People”. Using photos from his paper as a reference, we are providing two sketches. The sketch A shows the foot of a man who had been wearing the classic dress shoe of his time. When comparing the shape of his shoe to the shape of his foot, we can see that the shoe itself became a kind of mold. (Hoffman)

Ready for a visually breathtaking comparison to someone who had never worn shoes and lived close to the earth? Sketch B illustrates the foot a Bagobo tribesman who had never worn shoes.  

The first response of a westernized shoe wearer might be "Ugh--how primitive." But that would be the point. Feet were designed to be in connection with the earth. Nowhere else in the human body will you find 26 bones, 33 joints and myriads of muscles, tendons and ligaments designed to marvelously adapt to a changing terrain under a load.

In Part I: The Incredible Human Foot of this series, we delved into the evolution of the human need (perceived or otherwise) for footwear. This article continues a bit further along these lines. The difference between a more “original model” foot that is shaped by its direct contact with the earth and a foot that bears the wear and tear of a mold causes us to consider when and how we shoe our ourselves and our children. 

If you read Part I, you already know my position is not either/or but both. Yet, I am inclined to believe that most of us (myself included) wear shoes far more of the day than is helpful for a healthy skeletal system and perhaps even mental state. 

How much of the day do you wear shoes or go barefoot? What are your thoughts on children and shoes? If you are a runner, have you been exploring the barefoot running possibilities? We enjoy hearing your thoughts.

Part III?  Coming in a few days.

By the way, the 1905 article is well worth reading.  It takes a while to load but follow the reference below if more interests you. It also contains more graphic evidence through pictures.

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Cynthia Allen is a Feldenkrais Practitioner and Bones for Life Teacher/Trainer. She is co-creator of the Integral Human Gait Theory and teacher of Gait for Wild Human Potential workshops. 

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References

Hoffman, P. (1905). Conclusions drawn from a comparative study of the feet of barefooted and shoe-wearing peoples, The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 2 (3), 105-136.

Sternbergh, A. (2008, April 21) You walk wrong.  Retrieved 01/15/10 from http://nymag.com/health/features/46213/.

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Barefoot Walking and Running: Part I - The Incredible Human Foot

During the last couple years, barefoot running has become a hot topic. If you are following social media, you may be seeing tweet after tweet on the topic. In view of my interest in reconnecting individuals to a life-supporting gait or walk, I’ve decided to join the discussion with an attempt to shine an integral light on the subject.  

The discussion really revolves around the fact that shoes didn't come with the original make and model. Obviously, many things in this world are not part of the original human structure. Walking sticks, gloves, bras, and jock straps, like shoes, were invented to support and/or protect the human being. And like most things, there is a time and place for them.

As a somatic educator, I’ve had an interest in the topic for a while now, and especially since the day when I asked a new client with balance problems to remove her shoes for a private Feldenkrais® session. The 80-something-year-old woman began to sob as she told me could not stand without shoes. Her balance—what little of it she had left—would be gone.

I was struck by both the statement and by the palpable fear

Read the rest of this post »

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Ta! Da! Our video, The Seed, on our mission/vision is now ready for your to view.

 We hope you will take a few minutes to view and listen. So many people contributed to this project! We have alot going on and wanted to capture as much of it as possible. Who knows you may see someone you know (maybe yourself) and get some needed inspiration. 

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Case Study: Gait as an Assessment and Intervention Tool

Case Study: Gait as an Assessment and Intervention Tool by Cynthia M. Allen and Carol A. Montgomery Download Abstract [PDF] Graphs related to key tests and sketches of Feldenkrais Functional Integration® lessons are also available for viewing in post: Case Study Results: Judy

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE It is our belief that the primacy of gait has been vastly overlooked both in identifying its vital components as well as understanding its effect on human health. We have developed a theory called Integral Human Gait(tm).  Integral Human Gait (IHG) probes unexplored lines of thought in the kinetic analysis of gait including ground reaction forces (GRF) in various positions, the uncoiling/spring power of counter rotation throughout a closed system, and the value of using sensory experiences. In this case study, IHG theory was used to guide the assessment and intervention with a client who had underlying musculoskeletal dysfunctions from long-standing scoliosis and more recently, a full thickness rotator cuff tear, both of which contributed to significant functional limitations.

METHODS Judy referred herself to Improving the Gait, a 3-day workshop, due to an increasing undesirable feeling of “dragging my body around” and an increasing need for rest. The workshop was on Integral Human Gait(tm) using a didactic and experiential format that included Awareness Through Movement® lessons, Bones for Life® processes, and physical therapy exercises. IHG explores ground reaction forces using the vertical power line of the heel and its impact on spinal alignment and counter rotation at various points from foot to head. Post workshop Judy received five Functional Integration® (FI) lessons. Tests administered included Timed Up Go (TUG),One Legged Standing Test with Eyes Closed (OLST) and several tests selected from the Berg Balance Scale. Tests were not specifically selected for this case study but used because directly prior to the workshop, Judy volunteered as a participant in an inter/intra reliability pilot. Videotape of Judy’s gait was also recorded.

RESULTS Improvements were measured at 3 days and sustained at 1 week in the following tests: Timed 360° both directions (360x2); Timed Alternate Placement of Foot on Step (STEP); Timed Tandem Stance (TS); and Timed Standing on the Left Foot (FOOT). No significant changes were measured in TUG, OLST or Right FOOT. Improvements in standing rotation were demonstrated. Her gait displayed subtle but increasing levels of counter rotation between pelvis/lower extremities; pelvis-lower ribs/shoulder girdle; and head/shoulder girdle. Counter rotation of the arms was increasingly generated by trunk rotation instead of movement at the glenohumeral and elbow joints in the sagittal plane. Judy’s need to rest “on a regular basis” decreased from 2-3 hours to no more than ½ hr daily. She reported depression over the decline of her physical body lifting. “I know it is possible to move securely even if I get up in the morning and feel out of alignment. I know the path I can use for moving forward confidently.” Judy further reported standing longer in choir performances without having her “back go out.” Results related to her shoulder have been variable.

DISCUSSION With the intervention Judy learned how to recognize and transmit GRF from the vertical power line of the heel to the head. We theorize that the transmitted GRF served both as feedback and feedforward input into the nervous system allowing decompression of the scoliotic spine. The decompression restored the biomechanical possibility for counter rotation, both locally between the vertebrae, and globally with the head, shoulder and pelvic girdles. Both decompression and counter rotation are needed to perform well in 360x2, TS, STEP and FOOT. The lack of improvement in TUG and OLST seems appropriate. The components of rising from a chair quickly, fast walking, and peripheral proprioceptive balance input were not specifically addressed in the Gait Workshop. Using gait as an instrument to assess change and design interventions, Judy experienced improvement in stamina, emotional outlook and back comfort with standing and walking. She is currently continuing with FI lessons and open to surgical intervention if needed.  While the Feldenkrais® community understands gait from a broader perspective as compared to a traditional model, IHG theory creates a template for discovery of previously unexplored aspects of gait, thus enabling the practitioner and client to experience more focused outcomes. Additionally, people with scoliosis have more difficulty and energy expenditure in moving than is commonly understood. It is a novel idea to consider that a person’s scoliosis could contribute to a rotator cuff tear; and how, if left unaddressed, it may lead to a change in function. Innovative and less observed in the health care community, is the examination of “how” a person walks, and the impact that this “how” has on one’s overall health and sense of well being.  

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