Efficiency is one of those buzzwords that’s become a big deal in the world of automobiles and appliances. But it’s also a big deal when it comes to your body’s movements. Efficient movements lead to top performance while inefficient movements can result in poor performance and even injury.
What It Is
When it comes to body movement, efficiency can mean many things. One way to view it is your body’s ability to effectively gather, store and release energy. The energy you gather comes from impact forces, such as the impact of your foot hitting the ground when you walk. Once your foot hits the ground, your body absorbs the impact force, stores it as potential energy, and then releases it as elastic energy.
Kinetic Energy curve slide can go here.
The overall effectiveness of this three-step process depends on three components working together:
- Deceleration: This phase involves loading energy from impact forces as your foot hits the ground. Energy comes into the body by eccentric contraction of the inverter muscles of the foot and external rotators of the hips.
- Balance: Essential for all functional movement, balance is the ability to remain stable. Single-leg stability is especially crucial for walking or running, which forces you to stand and even squat on a single leg for a brief period as you move forward.
- Acceleration: This phase involves unloading stored energy from concentric contractions of the inverter muscles of the foot and external rotators of the hips. You release the potential energy as you move forward.
Slide “Components of Efficient Movement” can go here.
Why This Matters
This neat and tidy three-step process keeps your body moving efficiently, effectively and with a low risk of injury. The process, however, can become not-so-neat and even less tidy if it’s hindered by impediments. And one of the biggest impediments to efficient movement is shoes.
Yes, shoes can hinder efficient movement because they act as a buffer between your foot and the ground. When you’re barefoot and without the buffer, the incredibly fast, small nerves in your foot can react to the impact force. They quickly send signals to your nervous system that your body must absorb, store and release the energy.
When you throw on a pair of shoes, the small nerves are dulled, and the slower, large nerves of your foot and ankle take on the job of reacting to the impact force. Dulling the small nerves delays the amount of time it takes your body to receive, process and respond to information which, in turn, delays the deceleration process.
Because your body can no longer react as rapidly when it encounters an impact force, the stage is set for injury. In fact, Barefoot Training creator Dr. Emily Splichal says many, if not most of the injuries she sees in her office can be linked to uncontrolled or slowed deceleration. Not only can this delay increase your risk of injury, but it can decrease your body’s ability to perform at its optimum levels.
How to Fix It
Don’t worry. You don’t have to stop wearing shoes to regain efficient movements. You just have to prime your nervous system before your put them on. You can do this with barefoot training, which we explained in greater detail in a previous post. Barefoot training consists of a series of exercises that stimulate your feet, rev up those small nerves, and get your body ready for action.
Efficiency is one of the keys of barefoot training, and giving your body a chance to master it can make a huge difference in all your movements. Whether you’re about to start a workout, take a stroll down the block or simply set off for your daily routine, barefoot training makes an ideal prelude to ensure your body is functioning as it efficiently as it was designed to.
REFERENCES:
- Splichal E. Application of Barefoot Science in a Rehab Setting An Evidence-Based Approach. Presented as a seminar topic by Evidence Based Fitness Academy; April 26, 2014.