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This is the first in a series of posts on forefoot running. Basically, forefoot running is landing on the mid foot instead of having your heel strike first.

Our feet are not designed to land heel first. Our ancestors ran barefoot. Try it. Run with no shoes on and you will naturally land on the mid part of your foot. Watch children they run on the balls and mid foot. Modern running shoes are of heel support. This encourages a heel first landing. Running barefoot is a great way to strengthen the muscles in the foot and ankle. However, most people run in areas where foot wear is required for safety purposes.

What is wrong with landing heel fist? Landing heel first usually occurs with the knee straight. This leads to force transfer from the ground into your leg. Because your knee is straight the force is transferred up into your knees hips and back. Many runners complain of knee pain.

A heel first landing usually results in slowing the runner down as they roll from heel to toe to take the next step. The

Heel first landing- causes force transfer to the shins and knees

more time a runner  is spending on the ground the less they are spending in the air. Essentially more ground time equals less air time and a less efficient running pattern. Efficient running has less ground time than time in the air (when neither foot is contacting the ground). Logically the less time on the round the less time  force is being absorbed by the body.

In this photo you can see the runner is leading with the heel and it is out front of their body. This will lead to the heel striking first and a long period spent rolling form heel to toe.

Mid-Foot strike note calf is loaded, knee is bent and foot is not reaching out front.

In this picture the athlete is landing with a mid-foot strike. When landing on the mid-foot you will note the knee is slightly bent and the calf (gastroc and soleus muscles) is loaded. The calf is now absorbing the shock instead of the knees and hips. Also note, the foot is no longer out front of the athlete. This will result in a shorter ground time as there is less contact area with the ground. No longer does the foot need to roll form heel to toe, for the next step to begin.

Look at all the money you can save with these free health and fitness tips

I did a presentation on this, recently and thought I would share it with my loyal reader(s).

How to get the most results from your fitness budget.

5) Healthy Eating at work- Most people make poor food choices at lunch and say” nothing healthy was available near my work”. If you are going to be eating 5 meals a week or 20 per month at one location you need those meals to be as healthy as possible. Pack your own lunch, ideally a balanced meal of protein, whole food carbohydrates, and essential fats. Better yet, form a lunch bunch with other healthy eaters at work. Then you would have to prepare a healthy meal for five one-time per week (or once per two weeks in a group of 10), instead of for yourself daily. We all know it’s much more reasonable to buy in bulk.  Simply place a sign-up sheet with strict rules for what the foods can be in your office reception or lunch room. A daily organic salad with grilled chicken, fish or meat prepared fresh that morning, and at low cost because you are buying in bulk is a great way to help eliminate food court cheat meal mistakes.

How does this strategy stack up against your current lunch regime?

4) Eat Organic where possible and naturally raised and non-medicated for meats where possible. These foods can seem more expensive when at the grocery counter compared side by side based solely on price. However, organic food has been found to be up to 20 x more nutrients dense.  Your body craves nutrients not calories. Therefore if you eat low nutrient high calorie food your body will still send hunger signals at it will be lacking nutrients. So, when you eat low nutrient food it costs more than the sticker as you are left low on nutrients and you eat again. Also, commercially farmed meats have a lot of hormones which help fatten up the animal. This ends up in your body working against your efforts in the gym.

Where can you eliminate low nutrient foods from your diet and replace them with organic whole food choices?

3) Take advantage of metabolic effects of training and diet. Weight training, including body weight exercise and sprinting for cardio instead of steady state cardio, have a greater metabolic effect after your session ends. Weight training and sprinting increase your metabolism for hours after you workout. This is like getting an extra workout in for frees (no trainer fees, gym fees or even time required). To maximize this effect, its best to train in the morning so your metabolism is working at a higher level all day (burning more calories at rest). For food, digesting protein has a positive metabolic effect (almost 10 calories). By having a small amount of protein with each meal and snack you can basically create the effect of an extra workout (400 -500 calories based on 4-5 small meals each with 2-4 oz protein).

What can you do to maximize your calories burned from metabolic effects?

2) Find a workout partner or join a group class. The extra motivation of working out with someone will push you harder. Additionally, you will have someone holding you accountable (your partner or the group). This accountability will lead to more consistency and consistency is the key to results. As a bonus having a workout partner is cheaper (60% the cost of a one on one session) and group fitness classes are much cheaper than having a one on one trainer.

Who do you know that wants to get fit and will hold you accountable?

1)Eliminating is free. Eliminate grains, sugar and alcohol for as many consecutive days as you can. All of these items cause inflammation. To fight the inflammation your body holds onto water. Eliminating the alcohol will also allow your liver to breakdown fat. Many people workout hard but their body is unable to process fat as a fuel source as it is busy processing fat. Sugar causes your body to release insulin. Insulin is a fat storage hormone. Your body will not be burning fat while you exercise if you are eating sugar or high fructose corn syrup (found in soft drinks). The more days in a row you can go without having these items will increase your chances of burning fat while working out.

Where are you consuming these items that can be eliminated?

Craig Boyd is one of Vancouver’s top personal trainers, boot camp, and CrossFit  instructors. Check out his websites www.precisionathletics.ca and www.precision-bootcampvancouver.com.