Pilates and Barefoot Running

By Pat Guyton
Peak Pilates News
June 1, 2010
Original article here

Barefoot running, or minimalist running, has been gaining quite a bit of traction recently.

Last fall, I met Michael Sandler, author of Barefoot Running. Michael was teaching a clinic on barefoot at a local running store here in Boulder. His story is inspirational and his message was provocative. Before civilization and the development of agriculture, humans needed to gather grain and hunt for food. The ability to run for long distances over terrain was not for recreation or fitness.

People ran to hunt and ran from predators. While research suggests that they may have worn some minimal covering for their feet during inclement weather conditions, they nevertheless ran effortlessly and naturally. A moccasin, for example, was not designed to eliminate or correct the natural motions in the foot. Many researchers and doctors are beginning to consider the implications of the shoe and how it may actually impede the natural biomechanics of the foot in motion. I suggest reading some of the current research and applying this information to your Pilates teaching practice.

In Return to Life, Joe Pilates states that "Cats as well as other animals acquire (this) ideal rhythm of motion because they are constantly stretching and relaxing themselves, sharpening their claws, twisting, squirming, turning, climbing, wrestling and fighting" (page 26). Joe considered every part of the body in his movement education. Mary Bowen, renowned Pilates first-generation teacher, commented that Joe watched animals and babies as inspiration for his work.

Throughout his lifetime Joe also spoke about the lack of exercise and consequent loss of the quality of health and vitality. Despite Joe's efforts, the importance of exercise for the general public did not really gain popularity: Only professional athletes and dancers went to gyms or studios.

In 1977, The Complete Book of Running by Jim Fixx launched the running movement that hooked the public's interest in fitness. A market soon developed for entrepreneurs to service new enthusiasts. Clinics, coaching, running wear and organized running events were hot topics of conversation. The element of most interest was the shoe.

I started running in 1976. I purchased my first pair of shoes recommended by a 1980 Olympic team member and marathoner. The shoe looked like a fancy sneaker with minimal cushioning on the flat bottom or sides. There was no insole designed for support. The brand was not much more complicated than my Keds; however, they did brandish the right logo and a higher price tag!

Over the years, I have invested in many brands and styles of running shoes. Sometimes I feel that there may be more technology in the running shoe than in my cell phone. Despite the improvements and innovations, my running time became slower and my distance decreased. I kept looking for shoes that would fit and feel like that first pair. I am three decades older and I suspect that I am not immune to mortality, my hair is turning gray and I have a few aches and pains, which are the accepted outcome of aging—isn't that natural? I still enjoy running and would still like to run better! However, I practice Pilates to keep me active and healthy.

The foot is an amazing structure of 26 bones and 25 articulating joints. What did Joe know about the importance of the foot in natural motion? The secrets are in the Pilates system.

The foot has many proprioceptors that provide information of where the foot is on the ground and to the ability to navigate uneven terrain. The reformer foot and leg exercises, the guillotine foot exercises, the foot on the push-through bar and the upright supports on the trapeze table and the foot on the paddle bar of the Wunda Chair all require input from the foot. Joe developed foot correctors and toe correctors. Few other sports and exercise programs consider the foot as part of the body that needs strength and flexibility.

The proper running form for minimalist runners includes certain postural corrections that are important when changing the running technique from the shoe to the foot. The stride is smaller and the forefoot lands first instead of the heel. The pelvis is held level and the shoulders are positioned over the hips. For many of our clients, years of running in shoes has created imbalances and misalignments in the feet, knees and pelvis. There is some evidence that the more technology applied to the shoe has actually contributed to an increase in running injuries.

Pilates principles of posture and alignment in movement are rehabilitative, preventative and educational for the runner. Leg and foot work at the beginning of a reformer class allows the student/runner to experience hip, knee and ankle flexion in alignment. The different foot positions promote bilateral symmetry in movement. For those runners who may have pain and dysfunction, the supine position places less stress on the joints as the movement becomes more functional or, as Joe might say, more natural. Emphasis on core control strengthens the lower back and abdominal muscles.

Mat work creates a more flexible spine and lengthens the posterior back muscles, relieving tight hamstrings and lower back pain. Mat work can be done at home before running or after a long run. The Pilates system is comprehensive and includes all spinal mechanics improving the function of the entire body. It is important to remember that runners are also people who may experience job-related poor posture, accidents, normal aging and health challenges.

To surmise: As a Pilates instructor, you can encourage your clients who are runners to work on form, integrate the mind and the body, and balance the run with rest and good health habits. Pilates can help the runner maintain the ability to run into the later decades of life. It is a great cross-training program and is ideal for the runner who is adapting from the shoe to the foot. It is important to remember that a slow and steady transition in running technique is necessary. Too much done too quickly is not a good plan. If one of your clients or yourself decides to take up minimalist running it is highly recommended that you first have an assessment by a qualified orthopedic practitioner to determine if this style of running is appropriate especially as the mechanics of our feet are very different, and poor foot mechanics during barefoot running could result in stress fractures or even complete fractures in the bones of the feet.

Here is a list of books about barefoot running:

• Barefoot Running: How to Run Light and Free by Getting in Touch with the Earth by Michael Sandler
• The Barefoot Running Book: A Practical Guide to the Art and Science of Barefoot Minimalist Shoe Running by Jason Robillard, Tamara Grken, Todd Johnston and Joel Wermiel
• Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall

Pat has been teaching Pilates for 24 years. She has presented at many studios and conferences nationally and internationally and served on the Pilates Method Alliance Board of Directors from 2002 until 2008. Pat works with a full spectrum of clientele from seriously injured patients to advanced athletes seeking performance enhancement. She mentors teachers and students of all lineages in the application of the Pilates principles for movement and health.