This week I was fortunate to have ridden my mountain bike in the beautiful hills surrounding my hometown of Zichron Yaakov, Israel as well as my newly upgraded Orbea road bike on the windy Carmel Forest roads. Today I was joined by a friend who has been a riding buddy of mine for about the last year and a half. During our rides we discuss many different topics including, work, family, politics religion, riding as well as running. My friend has been a consistent runner for many years and was excited to tell me several months ago how he is joining the forefoot or toe strike running movement. I remember telling him how I thought that running is very individualized and that just because it says in a magazine that running on your toes is the "new" way to run doesn't mean it is for everyone. Ironically forefoot running enthusiasts believe that this form of running is actually quite old and only now are we returning to it. To make a long story short, after 6 months of "toe strike" running, my friend is complaining of nerve pain, tenderness and inflammation in the area of his forefoot. I of course expressed my sympathy and then explained that if you look at the anatomical structure of the human foot, you will see that the heel area is significantly more padded and designed for impact than the forefoot. He is now eager to get back to running in his older traditional way. The take home message is that when it comes to exercise, fitness and health, one needs to evaluate whether or not the latest trend will be appropriate for them. Wishing everyone a great weekend outdoors!
David Garber PT, DPT
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