Barefoot walking form
There's plenty online about barefoot running form, but I've found it a real challenge to find much on proper barefoot walking form. I have found a few resources, which I though I'd summarize and share.
Everything I've read boils down to the following, and these are the things I'm trying to keep in mind while experimenting with barefoot walks home from work.
- Align your posture. The best advice I've read on this is to imagine that the top of your head is attached to a balloon. I have horrible posture and this has helped me a lot.
- Land softly on your heel. If barefoot walking has done one thing, it's made me realise just how hard I usually slam my heel into the ground.
- Use your toes. As the salesperson at the Vivobarefoot store told me, "Press your big toe into the ground." Where the big toes goes the rest of the toes follow.
- Flex your feet. Pressing your big toe into the ground helps with this, but it also helps to remember to flex.
- Shorten your stride. So far, this seems to be happeng when I focus on landing gently on my heel and pressing my big toe into the ground, but I also find that at times I have to consciously reign in my stride.