five finger shoe testing

 yes, they are colourful. and yes, they are shoes!


these are the vibrum five fingers , an innovative, barefoot style shoe marketed for use on trails, in water, at the gym, or just about anywhere else you can think of.

why?

"No footwear comes closer to recreating this natural [barefoot] sensation than Vibram FiveFingers®. It allows you to land on your forefoot, directly below your center of gravity, resulting in optimum balance, increased stability, less impact and greater propulsion. Running in FiveFingers delivers sensory feedback that improves agility and equilibrium and allows immediate form correction. In addition it stimulates and strengthens muscles in the feet and lower legs.


In FiveFingers, you get all the health benefits of barefoot running combined with our patented Vibram® sole that protects you from elements and obstacles in your path."


(directly from the vibrum five finger website, retrieved 2010).

you may want to ask yourself, if barefoot running is simply a fitness fad, or an incredible new (but actually old) way to connect with the environment and our bodies. clearly, i am a little bit more 'for' it than 'against' it. but there is a lot of opinion to support either argument. i sincerely advocate that you research this for yourself before jumping in head first ...or would that be feet first?

at this point i have not used them extensively. i have walked a few times and done one little hike in them. i am trying to start out very slowly because as i have heard, it is extremely easy to over exhaust your foot if you are used to wearing shoes...as most of us are. so i'm trying to only wear them for short amounts of time and doing lower impact activities until i feel ready to use them to the full extent they are marketed for. i'm thinking of it as a training period for my foot and this training period is going to be very different for each person looking to try these shoes.

so far....

what i enjoy:
enhanced feedback and sensation through the foot.

more natural running feeling.

the idea that i'm training more of the muscles in my feet and running in a more natural way.

concerns:
i believe there is an increased risk of injury to begin with, due to the lack of support in the shoe.

there is a lot of evidence both supporting and not supporting the claims of barefoot running.

conclusions:
this may be the most important statement on the website:

"As with any new sport or activity, Vibram recommends you consult your physician or a medical professional to see if natural running in FiveFingers is right for you."

i am trying not to advocate for or against the shoes right now (although i am enjoying my pair greatly!).

many activities are alright as long as we are sensible about the benefits and risks and take into consideration our own personal goals and limitations.

so if you are interested...give them a try!
i found mine at mountain equipment co-op (of course!) where many of the employees can also share their personal experiences using the shoes.

 who else has used five fingers out there in the MOVEment community?

what did you think of them?



Goal Reflection...

how are your new years resolutions coming along?

this time of year is the time where many people become discouraged, realize their new years goals are tough, and often cease to pursue the better, healthier life they had envisioned for themselves this year.

so what can we do about this?

• review your goals.
• reset or revise them if necessary.
• gain social support.
• tell your friends that you need their help.
• remember why these goals were important to you and why they still matter.
• if it's a fitness goal, try something new to kick start your motivation.
• register in a class to enhance your commitment.
• set an end point, like a race or competition you will be involved in (the TC 10km is a great one!)
• celebrate the small successes!
  
  more ideas?

even though i study goal setting, leadership, and psychology as part of my degree and put motivational strategies into practice with my personal training clients, i am struggling just as much as everyone else to stay on track with my goals. i feel lazy, uninspired, and unmotivated. and i have a million excuses...i was ill for two weeks, i'm very busy at the university these days, i was helping my family... but life will always happen while you are trying to achieve your goals. the trick is incorporating your goals into a healthy lifestyle and realizing that most health or fitness related goals are a process, not something you can accomplish and be done with right away.

so how can i get back on track? what has worked for me in the past? maybe another trail race to keep me motivated?

maybe i should start MOVEment X 100 days again....