I have had off and on issues over the past 12 months with calf problems. In addition, my left ankle periodically acts up not to mention a PT had me use OTC inserts to deal with peroneal tendonitis about a year ago. I recently heard about barefoot running and wonder if some occasional barefoot "striders" on a track or football field after an easy run with shoes on would help develop my lower leg muscles better and rid me of these occasional annoying flare ups.
Thoughts ?
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It's hard to advise in these kind of situations, however whatever you do, make sure you ease into it or you will only be further hurting yourself.
How comfortable are you just walking around barefoot? If the answer is not very, start there. How comfortable are you walking around outside barefoot? Try that. Any of these steps will start building muscle and stability if you're used to it.
Jumping right into running could cause stresses you're not ready for yet. Listen to your body and see where you're at in terms of strength.
As for barefoot helping you with all of the pain/issues, it's possible, but you're looking to invest minimal time into something and reap maximum benefits. I don't think it works that way.
Slowly exploring can't hurt you though, so keep it fun, and enjoy.
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