Where do runners get their information and what information do they trust

NewsBot · Feb 14, 2016

Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.
What do people think about running barefoot/with minimalist footwear? A thematic analysis
Peter D. Walton and David P. French
British Journal of Health Psychology; Early View

Objectives
Barefoot running describes when individuals run without footwear. Minimalist running utilizes shoes aimed to mimic being barefoot. Although these forms of running have become increasingly popular, we still know little about how recreational runners perceive them.

Design
In-depth interviews with eight recreational runners were used to gather information about their running experiences with a focus on barefoot and minimalist running.

Methods
Interviews were analysed using a latent level thematic analysis to identify and interpret themes within the data.

Results
Although participants considered barefoot running to be ?natural?, they also considered it to be extreme. Minimalist running did not produce such aversive reactions. ?Support? reassured against concerns and was seen as central in protecting vulnerable body parts and reducing impact forces, but lacked a common or clear definition. A preference for practical over academic knowledge was found. Anecdotal information was generally trusted, as were running stores with gait assessment, but not health professionals.

Conclusion
People often have inconsistent ideas about barefoot and minimalist running, which are often formed by potentially biased sources, which may lead people to make poor decisions about barefoot and minimalist running. It is important to provide high-quality information to enable better decisions to be made about barefoot and minimalist running.
Click to expand...

Statement of contribution
What is already known on this subject?

There is no known work on the psychology behind barefoot and minimalist running. We believe our study is the first qualitative study to have investigated views of this increasingly popular form of running.

What does this study add?

The results suggest that although barefoot running is considered ?natural?, it is also considered ?extreme?. Minimalist running, however, did not receive such aversive reactions.
?Support? was a common concern among runners. Although ?support? reassured against concerns and was seen as central in protecting vulnerable body parts and reducing impact forces, it lacked a common or clear definition.
A preference for practical over academic knowledge was found. Anecdotal information was generally trusted, as were running stores with gait assessment, but not health professionals.
Click to expand...

NewsBot · Feb 14, 2016

Press Release:
Supportive shoes a confusing term, runner attitude study finds
12 February 2016 Manchester University

New running shoes to burn off Christmas excess are a popular purchase in the New Year, but the terms associated with supportive footwear and alternative styles of running can be confusing, a new study has found.

In what they believe is a first of its kind study, University of Manchester psychologists conducted in-depth interviews with eight recreational runners to find out their attitudes to barefoot and minimalist running (minimalist shoes are designed to mimic running barefoot).

They found that there were strong negative reactions to barefoot running, with the interviewees concerned about risks regarding support and injury, without being clear what these might be.

Trusted sources of information about potential risks included shops which provided gait analysis, blogs and also anecdotal evidence from fellow runners. Health professionals and scientific research tended to be disregarded.

Most runners buy supportive trainers – but don’t have a common or clear definition of what they are buying, leading to confusion even amongst the more experienced runners featured in the study.

Peter Walton carried out the study. He said: “When you buy supportive trainers is what you’re buying different to everyone else? Ultimately if there is no clear definition, then people don’t know that their shoes are meeting their expectations.

“Conversely, barefoot running has been used by humans for hundreds of thousands of years, yet running shoes as we know them were only introduced in 1972. Attitudes to barefoot running also centre around negative perceptions of the loose term ‘support’, yet without a foundation in evidence.”

With around 25% of all recreational runners injured at any one time the researchers believe that the findings are important to help people make the best choices and have the best access to information.

Peter added: “People often have inconsistent ideas about barefoot and minimalist running, which are often formed by potentially biased sources and which may lead people to make poor decisions about barefoot and minimalist running. It is important to provide high-quality information to enable better decisions to be made about barefoot and minimalist running.”

The paper, ‘What do people think about running barefoot/with minimalist footwear? A Thematic Analysis,’ appeared in the British Journal of Health Psychology.
Click to expand...

NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

corns everywhere or are they corns

Migrating from the UK- where can I work?

My Foot Dr clinics popping up everywhere in Australia

At the Arena , where are you?

Where can I get Naboso insoles in the uk, does anyone supply

sharps containers for mobile podiatry bag where blades do not fall out.

Move to where the world comes to play !

Share This Page