The unexpected lockdown benefit that can help our running form

We all spent a lot more time at home this year than we intended – and for many of us, that meant less time in shoes and more time in slippers or socks. We loved when Nigella Lawson admitted that she hadn’t worn a pair of proper shoes in over 6 months during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show – and we totally identified with her.

Surprisingly, this small change to our footwear has had a big impact, with a lot of podiatrists noting that our feet have adapted to suit shoeless life by changing shape. And that’s not all; they may be stronger too. By wearing shoes that are less restrictive and less supportive (sorry, slips), or no shoes at all, the many muscles and tendons in our feet have gotten stronger. And, of course, this is a win for us runners – the stronger our feet are, the happier they’ll be as they hit the ground running.

So, how do we keep these new-found foot gains as we start to wear proper shoes again? First up – stay barefoot where you can. If you are still working from home some days, focus on moving around your house as much as possible, and try to vary the terrain if you can – think grassy fields or sandy beaches.

Barefoot exercise is a great way to keep our feet strong, too. Some of us will already have sacked off our trainers for those at-home Zoom workouts, but if you haven’t yet and are still working out at home, that’s a good option. But don’t worry if you are going back to a real-life gym – while you can’t very well rock up in your socks, you could invest in a pair of minimalist shoes that will help you continue to reap the rewards.

This also could be the perfect time to try out some barefoot or minimalist running. Adapting from highly supportive running shoes to minimalist shoes can be tricky, but if we’ve already started to get our feet used to barefoot movement, we’re already well on the way. Check out our article on the benefits of minimalist running, and top tips on how to get started.