Exercise and Depression

Last night, I realized I had been in a bad mood for about a week.  Busy at work, some sick kids at home, blah, blah, blah.  You've been there too.  I couldn't put my finger on a specific reason, I just felt like kicking someone.  Then my wife said "You were snoring last night".  Don't worry, I didn't kick her.  But it made me realize my problem.  When I don't exercise (also, when you don't exercise) my brain starts to shut down.  We are made to MOVE!  This is documented in medical literature, as well as thousands of running and exercise books, blogs, movies, fliers, and pamphlets.  My last run was on October 27, when I was still in Phoenix!  I had gotten zero exercise since that time.  I have been trying to catch up on work stuff, including hiring a new staff member and had generally just been lazy.  Problem noted.  Now to solve it.

After we got the boys in bed last night I went out to run my 3 mile loop.  I felt so good after the first half mile that I ended up going 5 miles.  I could have kept going, but it was getting late and I knew my wife would be heading to bed soon so I went home.  I feel better today than I have in two weeks.

I just did a quick search on PubMed - the depository for all things related to human research.  Searching for "exercise and depression" yielded 9500+ hits.  Searching "exercise improves depression" still hit 273 times.

What does it all mean?  If you feel bad, get off your ass.  It is as simple as that.  Even just going for a walk around the block will improve your mood a great deal.

Run on, Runners!

Shoes, Injury, Misinformation, and a Soap Box

Time to get a little preachy.

On Tuesday mornings I go to a business networking meeting before I go to my office.  I've been a part of that group for a few years now.  The other day I was wearing my Trail Gloves to work for a change of pace.  I've been preaching foot strengthening and barefooting for a few months now, and a few people have actually been genuinely interested.  Not necessarily about running barefoot, but at least in strengthening their feet up to help with things like plantar fasciitis and the like.

Before the meeting a few of us were talking and someone asked, "how long until we hear that those are bad for your feet?"  They had seen brands like Earth Shoes come and go (and incidentally come back again after a hiatus of 20 years).  Another example is the current mess rocker shoe by Sketchers and a few others.  Those rocker soles came out in the 1990's from a company called MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology).  Sketchers say they will supposedly tone your flabby butt so it looks a little more like a Victoria's Secret model all without you having to do anything but hoof it to the kitchen for another bag of Cheetos.  Probably not happening.  MBT says that their shoes mimic the natural motion of walking over soft uneven ground, based on their observations of the Maasai people in Africa.  They supposedly cause better posture and function.  MBT says on their website, "When the body is unstable, the body is stronger".  That is nonsense.  Ask a person with a torn, unstable rotator cuff how strong their shoulder is.  Strangely enough a University of Wisconsin study even found no significant difference in muscle activity when comparing the "toning" shoes vs. a regular athletic shoe.

So how long until minimalist shoes are bad for you?  Depends on who you ask!  Some physicians, podiatrists, etc. are already screaming dire warnings about taking the $400 arch supports out of your motion control shoes.  They are quite sure your feet will literally fall into pieces and you will have to balance on the bloody stumps that used to be your ankles.  That position is interesting because you won't find a medical doctor, chiropractor, podiatrist, or shaman that will recommend putting your toddler in a hard-soled supportive shoe.  Why?  Because it interferes with normal foot development and function.  The question is, at what point do our feet become so frail that we need to constantly encase them in a shoe that prevents movement?

I like to take a different route with my patients.  I give them strengthening and self-massage activities to do at home to strengthen the muscles in their feet and promote good circulation and a self-supporting arch.  I do those same things at home.  I firmly believe that strengthening the foot to support itself is a better way to go.  Orthotics aren't bad, and shoes aren't bad.  They are tools, but we have started to look at them as armor for our frail feet, and our feet have become frail because of it.  At this point I must admit I used to promote orthotics and supportive shoes to everyone.  Why did I do this?  It is what you are taught in school.  You don't question your instructors.  You nod, smile, and move on to the next topic.  Critical thinking is removed.  Barefoot should be a no-brainer for chiropractors.  We constantly promote natural healing and movement.  How can we in good conscience then say that your feet need constant outside support for the rest of your life?  There are instances where orthotics are appropriate, but they should be used as a temporary device while the foot is remodeled and strengthened to function naturally. 

To ensure full disclosure, there are some people who shouldn't be walking around barefoot.  If a diabetic (or anyone) no longer has sensation in their feet, barefoot probably isn't appropriate.  If you can't feel damage happening, you need some protection.  That's common sense.  I don't think that rules out some barefoot activity in a safe environment, or minimalist shoes for periods of time either.  That answer must come on a case by case basis.

My answer to the question of how long until a minimalist shoe is bad for you is simple.  Never!  They are a tool and should be used appropriately by someone who is instructed in their use and will use them appropriately.  In a perfect world, that could be nearly anyone!  Who does the instruction?  Well, you can find someone who is using them already and get a little instruction from them.  If your shoe salesman can't answer your questions, find a different shoe salesman!  In reality, the best teacher is your own feet.  If it hurts, you are doing it wrong.  Start slowly and build up activity as you are able!

Run on, runners!

The Science of Running

There is a growing amount of research on barefoot running.  Daniel Lieberman and his crew at Harvard have been doing a lot of work comparing barefoot running to shod running and really trying to define the mechanics of barefoot running.  Their work shows vastly decreased impact when running barefoot and using a forefoot strike over a heel strike.  They are careful to explain that their research does not specifically indicate less injury potential in barefoot running, but it stands to reason that with less impact there would likely be less injury potential.

Click the link to head to their site.  There are videos and training tips as well as a great discussion on the bio-mechanics of running if you want to nerd out.

From Lieberman's Website:

Our research asked how and why humans can and did run comfortably without modern running shoes. We tested and confirmed what many people knew already: that most experienced, habitually barefoot runners tend to avoid landing on the heel and instead land with a forefoot or midfoot strike. The bulk of our published research explores the collisional mechanics of different kinds of foot strikes. We show that most forefoot and some midfoot strikes (shod or barefoot) do not generate the sudden, large impact transients that occur when you heel strike (shod or barefoot). Consequently, runners who forefoot or midfoot strike do not need shoes with elevated cushioned heels to cope with these sudden, high transient forces that occur when you land on the ground. Therefore, barefoot and minimally shod people can run easily on the hardest surfaces in the world without discomfort from landing. If impact transient forces contribute to some forms of injury, then this style of running (shod or barefoot) might have some benefits, but that hypothesis remains to be tested.