Let me start this post by saying that this is not a sponsored post. I bought these myself and wanted to share some hard, objective data with you to potentially help you with your own weight loss/fitness journey!
A few months ago when I reignited my fitness journey, one of the first conscious decisions I made was to take a risk and try something different. I have very flat feet and have been wearing orthotics for the past decade… ever since I stopped my intense training in the martial arts. With my arches so flat, I always felt at the end of the day like I had been walking around Disneyland for the past 13 hours; even if I hadn’t walked that much. So, I sought out a podiatrist and began looking into picking up some prescription orthotics. Eventually, I picked up a pair and it was heavenly! Though it was pretty harsh walking on plastic footbeds (with padding on them), my feet weren’t sore like they were before. That is how I was fixing the problem of dealing with my flat footedness. Conventional wisdom. Conventional medicine. Like I said though, this time around I was going to try something new.
Minimalist Shoes and the Hype
Back to present day: When I decided that it was time to do better, it wasn’t a whim that lead me to the notion of going with barefoot running and minimalist running shoes. I’d heard about VFF’s, as they’re called by the minimalist faithful, roughly two years earlier and had been following the research and headlines off and on since then. They looked pretty cool (I have a thing for camo) and at the time I first found them I was looking for water shoes not knowing that Vibrams were so much more than that. So, the day I decided I was getting back into shape I immediately ran out to REI and picked up a pair of Vibram Five Fingers’ TrekSports. It was love at first run! My calves were sore but I could feel them getting stronger and as an added bonus, I could actually see them getting stronger. There was just one nagging concern in the back of my head… hype. One of the claims of the barefoot and minimalist running evangelists is that running shoes actually weaken arches and the supporting muscles in your feet and by running the way that nature intended, you will actually strengthen those atrophied muscles. A large part of my decision to go the minimalist route was various posts I’d read by large guys like myself who were now running without shin splits or knee or hip pain, thanks to Vibrams. I was 250lbs and figured that if other 250 or 300lb guys were seeing results then it was probably not too far fetched that I could as well.
Vibram Five Fingers and the Foot Scanner
Being the nerd I am, anecdotal evidence wasn’t enough for me. I decided that around the 3 or 4 month mark I would have my feet rescanned to see if my new running posture (I’ve been using the Pose method), which I attribute to the wearing of the VFFs, had yet effected the muscles in my feet for the better. That meant that I should also see an improvement in my arches. During this time I also wore my VFFs at work, for short walks around the neighborhood and to work out in. In other words, I practically lived in them. They’re so comfortable that I wanted to wear them all the time! The only time I didn’t wear them was when summer got into full swing and I started wearing flip flops. This week, I went and had my feet rescanned, the results of that scan are below, along with my baseline scan which shows how my feet looked prior to wearing VFFs.
The scan above is my baseline scan. This is what my feet looked like after having worn prescription orthotics. I wish I had scans from before I began wearing the orthotics, but I don’t. The right side of the page shows what healthy feet should look like and the left are mine.The dark areas of my foot are where the most pressure is being placed on the contact surface. Notice how different the arch on my right foot looks than the left? My right arch is pretty collapsed, which means the left side of my body is doing more work. This can lead to lower back pain (and it has), very tight thigh muscles (IT band issues) and sore, tired feet. I’ve experienced all of the above.
This scan shows my feet today. Notice how balanced my arches are now? That’s because my right foot actually has an arch now! I thought it was a pretty dramatic difference myself. I could’ve had the doc send my scans to the lab to have them pour over them with precision and give me hard data for the improvements in my arch, but I figured I’d save the doc and myself the expense since the pictures are fairly striking. I can tell you that I’ve been running now for four months, averaging 3-5 miles a week, and have had no shin splits, no lower back pain and no running associated knee pain (they’ve been a little tender but that’s because I’ve also been doing a lot of squats).
So, there you have it! Let me make one thing clear though. I’m always asked by people, “how do you like your Five Fingers?” I tell them that I love them and how much better I “feel” having worn them but I’m also careful to let them know that the shoes themselves aren’t a “magic bullet.” Vibram Five Fingers didn’t do this to my feet, running with no cushion, on the balls of my feet like a sprinter did this to my feet. Walking around in them all the time, did this to my feet. Not pushing myself too hard and injuring my feet (people are seeing instances of plantar fascitis and top of foot injuries from overuse) did this. The shoes, as awesome as they are, were the catalyst for all of this though. If I hadn’t stumbled upon the site while looking for water shoes years ago, I may not have stumbled upon the barefoot and minimalist running movement and added one of the most important tools in my fitness journey to my toolbox.
Nine Things That Your Parent Teach You About Examples Of Online Shopping examples of online shopping
You’ll Never Guess This Window Replacement Near Me’s Secrets Window Replacement near me
7 Helpful Tips To Make The Best Use Of Your Semi Truck
Lawyer Semi truck accident attorney
You’ll Be Unable To Guess Demo Zeus Slot’s Tricks zeus
slot demo (Alison)
Guide To Double Glazing Near Me: The Intermediate Guide On Double Glazing Near Me double glazing near me
The Reason Replacement Upvc Door Handles Is Fast Becoming The Hottest Fashion Of 2023 replacing Upvc door panel
You’ll Never Be Able To Figure Out This Window Replacement Near Me’s
Benefits window replacement near me – Mable –
How To Explain Upvc Window Repairs To Your Grandparents
Upvc Window Repairs Near Me (https://Kb.Speeddemosarchive.Com/Api.Php?Action=Http://Molchanovonews.Ru/User/Soilchin5)
Nine Things That Your Parent Taught You About
Kids Treehouse Bunk Bed kids treehouse bunk bed
Why Is Spare Key For Car So Famous? http://www.99811760.xyz
5 Laws That Anyone Working In Replacement Lock For
Upvc Door Should Know upvc doors near me
The Most Significant Issue With L Shaped Beds For Small Rooms, And What You Can Do To
Fix It L shaped Bunk bed
10 Simple Steps To Start The Business You Want To Start Need Spare Car Key Business
99811760
This Is The Workers Compensation Compensation Case Study You’ll Never Forget
Workers’ Compensation Lawsuit (https://Tourdeskhawaii.Com)
Replacement Window Glass: It’s Not As Expensive As You Think Window glass Replacement
Three Greatest Moments In Cost Of Spare Car Key History 99811760.xyz
How To Research Repair Upvc Windows Online Upvc Windows Repair
Five Qualities That People Search For In Every Spare
Key Maker Near Me 99811760.xyz
Five Killer Quora Answers To Cheap Online Grocery Shopping Uk Cheap Online Grocery Shopping Uk
Five Killer Quora Answers To Charity Shop Online Clothes Uk Charity shop online clothes Uk
10 Misconceptions Your Boss Shares Concerning Boot Scooters 4mph boot
scooter; Wesley,
I all the time emailed this web site post page to all my contacts, as if like to read it afterward my contacts
will too.
What’s Holding Back This Car Key Locksmith Near Me Industry?
locksmith for car keys (Lucas)
Guide To Online Clothes Shopping Near Me: The
Intermediate Guide The Steps To Online Clothes Shopping Near Me Online clothes shopping near me
17 Reasons To Not Be Ignoring Semi Truck Legal Semi truck Accident lawsuit
10 Beautiful Graphics About Princess Slot Demo princess pragmatic Play
The 10 Most Terrifying Things About Sectional Couch
With Recliner Sectional Couch With Recliner
The 10 Most Terrifying Things About Cheapest Online Grocery Shopping Uk cheapest Online grocery shopping uk
Responsible For A Upvc Window Repairs Budget? 10 Incredible Ways To Spend Your Money upvc window repairs near me
Truck Accidents Tools To Ease Your Daily Life Truck Accidents Trick
That Everybody Should Be Able To Truck Accidents
Why All The Fuss Over Mazda 2 Key Replacement?
Car key replacement service
Why Is It So Useful? In COVID-19 Slot Gratis Demo
Guide To Shop Online Uk Women’s Fashion: The Intermediate Guide For Shop Online Uk Women’s Fashion shop online Uk Women’s fashion
Why Everyone Is Talking About Private Adhd Assessment Uk This
Moment Book Adhd Assessment Uk
What Is Personal Injury Case? What Are The Benefits And How
To Make Use Of It personal Injury attorneys
Upvc Repairs Near Me Tools To Streamline Your Daily Life Upvc Repairs Near Me Trick Every Individual
Should Be Able To upvc repairs near me
Assessment Of Adult Adhd Explained In Less Than 140 Characters adhd diagnostic Assessment for Adults
16 Must-Follow Instagram Pages For Mesothelioma From Asbestos-Related Businesses Cassy Lawn
12 Companies Are Leading The Way In Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
Chico medical malpractice lawyer (vimeo.com)
5 Killer Quora Answers On Window Replacement Near
Me window replacement Near Me
“Ask Me Anything,” 10 Answers To Your Questions About Private Assessments For ADHD private adhd assessment leeds cost, Denese,
10 Best Facebook Pages Of All Time About Malpractice
Attorneys Malpractice Law Firms
What’s The Current Job Market For Online Shopping Uk Groceries Professionals Like?
Online Shopping Uk Groceries
Ten ADHD Medication That Will Help You Live Better all adhd medications
The 10 Scariest Things About Uk Online Shopping Sites For Electronics
Uk Online Shopping Sites For Electronics
The Most Effective Private ADHD Assessment Edinburgh Tricks To Make A Difference In Your Life Adhd assessment private cost
Five Killer Quora Answers On Railroad Injury
Fela Lawyer railroad injury fela lawyer
You’ll Never Guess This Online Shopping Uk Sites’s Secrets
Online Shopping Uk Sites
10 Top Facebook Pages Of All Time About List Of Online Shopping Sites In Uk Shopping online uk websites
You’ll Be Unable To Guess Dangerous Drugs Lawsuits’s Tricks Dangerous Drugs lawsuit;
Thegowiki.com,