Image by Mitch Mandel (September 2010 Runners World)

Exercising while barefoot is a good way to work on your balance, proprioception (joint position sense) and lower leg strength. Runners World has a fine short article on Barefoot Exercise written by Adam Bean (which I was interviewed for) in the September, 2010 issue and online.

Several Videos of an agile athlete demonstrating the exercises are online and on the iPad app.

The wobble board exercise is particularly good for many ankle injuries as part of a recovery plan. The toe curls and toe pickups can be helpful in conjunction with an overall plan for plantar fasciitis. Overall the series of exercises was set up for a healthy runner. In you have an injury, check with your sports doc or PT for advice specific to your injury.

Toe Curls

Toe Pickups

Wobble Board

One-leg Hops

One Leg Squats

Runners like to run where they can. But sometimes where they can run easily is not the best place for them. With a bit of effort you can often find a place that works well for you and your specific problem set.

The ideal surface is firm but not incredibly hard. Packed dirt is often called the perfect surface. In the opinion of most sports medicine doctors, you should avoid running on concrete at all costs. It is just too hard a surface with too much shock and force transmitted. Crowned surfaces may also cause problems because they may cause one leg to act longer than the other. Effectively, you’ve created an artificial leg length inequality, meaning you are running with one leg significantly longer than the other.

Other opinions on surfaces will vary depending on what your specific problems are. For those with Achilles Tendon problems such as Achilles Tendinopathy or tendonitis we’ve already recommended avoiding surfaces that are too soft. Your heels will squash down into the surface and over stretch the Achilles tendon. Individuals with plantar fasciitis or medial tibial stress syndrome may not fare well on overly soft surfaces either, since their feet may pronate excessively on an extremely soft surface.

Running downhill can be tough on your knees. Those with peripatellar pain syndrome should consider just walking down the hills, or skipping them altogether. Many coaches have their runners run the uphill, but wisely walk back on the downhill. On the other side of the leg, of course, those with a calf or Achilles injury should not be charging up the hills either.

And the worse surface, in evidence where I live, is ice. You should not consider running on ice at all. Snow, may be slippery, but you may find a good foot plant, but ice, is not nice. If you want to run on ice, get a pair of ice skates and glide across it instead.

Billy Joel – Running On Ice