Free form versus assisted form

 The latest greatest fad hitting the market is the Vibram Five Fingers and the Nike Free.  If you don’t know what they are come out of your cave and click on the links below before you continue to read. 

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/index.cfm

http://nikerunning.nike.com/nikeos/p/nikeplus/en_US/products/free5?blogSource=en_US

Along with these products comes a new debate; free form versus assisted form. 

The thought behind free form is that your body will adapt to the environment when given the chance.  The runners from Kenya and other parts of the world are used as the primary example as most of them train barefoot and they are really, really strong runners.  Another purported benefit is that you have a more stable base as your toes are not cramped together.  There will be less stress on your ankles, knees, and hips because the free form forces your body into a more natural position.

The thought behind the assisted form is that your body needs stability.  Although we are bilateral, we are not bilaterally symmetrical. There for one side will always be dominate and one side weak.  The support from a good pair of shoes will give you a solid platform and correct any abnormalities.  If you are pigeon toed or duck toes, your knees move in or out, your feet roll one way or another, the proper shoes will correct these issues. 

Because this is my blog and I get to tell you what I think – here goes:

Most people in this country do not know how to exercise in proper form; whether it is running, weight training, etc.  Free form is great if you already know form.  My suggestion is that you use a good pair of shoes for which you have been fitted and learn proper form for whatever activity you chose, then if you want to add some fun and a little bit more of a challenge go free form.  Start slowly and build up. 

I would thing in the next few years there will be a number of studies done that either prove or disprove al of the claims. 

Disclaimer:  I have a pair of the Five Fingers and love them.  I do almost everything in them except run.  I am not a strong runner and I need to really work on my form before switching over. 

For a really great primer on running go to:

http://www.chirunning.com/shop/home.php