Does anyone run on their toes?

reederx5
reederx5 Posts: 76 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I was watching a few people jog/run and noticed that a few people run on their toes. I never saw their heel touch the ground. I tried it on the treadmill but not sure about it. I am new to jogging/running and it is very difficult for me to do more than a couple of minutes at a time. I have been alternating walking with a short jog in between. I just need any tips that will make it an easier transition. I start gasping for air pretty quick! I am determined to one day be able to run at least a mile.
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Replies

  • SueGremlin
    SueGremlin Posts: 1,066 Member
    That isn't good for your skeleton in the long run. You are meant to strike with your heel first.
  • Bigsur2
    Bigsur2 Posts: 92 Member
    I"m not a runner but when I DO jog, I alternate b/w running normal and running on the balls of my feet. Seems to create a different pressure and gives relief to other parts of my feet and body. Once you get used to it, you might like it. I have read before that it's healthier to run on your toes, but I'm no expert. That's why I'm a cyclist...only one way to pedal :)
  • missdaisy79
    missdaisy79 Posts: 566 Member
    I see a girl running on her toes each week, and I can't do. I concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other and breathing steadily to try and avoid getting a stitch. I try not to let the heel hit first, personal preference.

    It will get better for you, and you're doing the right stuff, you just need to keep on with it. Try getting a stop watch or a heart rate monitor and doing a minute walk, a minute jog, and so on. Eventually you'll be able to increase your jog intervals, and reduce your walk intervals. It really does work. At the start of the year I couldn't run for sh1t. Now I just completed my first 5k without walking.

    Good luck!
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
    This technique is only really supposed to be used for sprinting. Any long distance running you should be aiming to land mid-foot, underneath your centre of gravity.

    A good test to see if you''re doing it right is to run across sand - you should have a balanced foot print - not a hole at the back where you heal strike (its rare to land toe first)
  • azwethinkweizm
    azwethinkweizm Posts: 47 Member
    I think running on your toes is for fast running/sprinting - are you running or jogging? Don't try to hit the ground heel first - can get a lot of injuries from this. Try to hit with the middle of your foot... if you concentrate on doing it like that for a while you should just get used to it and it'll come naturally :)
  • HRCephei
    HRCephei Posts: 85 Member
    That isn't good for your skeleton in the long run. You are meant to strike with your heel first.

    Um....no. Heel striking is not good. One should naturally mid-foot strike. We heel strike because its easier and most people do it because they're fatigued.
  • AMHouse85
    AMHouse85 Posts: 285 Member
    My son is a "toe-walker" he has shortened calf tendons. We have been doing PT with him 1x a week along with daily stretching. Trying to avoid having to get him leg braces to keep his foot in a flexed position. He always walks/runs/stands on his toes. Maybe they also have something along that line where it's just more comfortable for them to be on their toes where they don't put so much tension on the calf. Just a thought.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    This technique is only really supposed to be used for sprinting. Any long distance running you should be aiming to land mid-foot, underneath your centre of gravity.

    A good test to see if you''re doing it right is to run across sand - you should have a balanced foot print - not a hole at the back where you heal strike (its rare to land toe first)
    ^^^This.

    Let your leg swing naturally under you and let your foot land under your body, not in front of it which would cause a braking action. You should find you naturally land mid-foot, the rest of your foot absorbs the impact, then you push off on the next step.

    Forced heel landing, especially in beginner runners who think that's what you're supposed to do, can lead to discomfort and injury including shin splints and plantar fasciitis.
  • reederx5
    reederx5 Posts: 76 Member
    Thanks for the tips! Speaking of side stiches... my daughter gets them really bad but I've only had a few. Are they always on the right side? We were wondering if so and why? Just curious.
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    That isn't good for your skeleton in the long run. You are meant to strike with your heel first.

    Ummmmm no you are not. Doing that puts more shock to your knees, hips & shins. It can cause more injury than anything else. You are NATURALLY meant to run on your mid-foot...try it barefoot.... you will NOT strike heel 1st. Please don't give that advice to anyone that they should.
  • upnorthtim
    upnorthtim Posts: 376 Member
    http://www.sportsscientists.com/2008/04/running-technique-footstrike.html

    The link above has a great discussion on heel vs. toe running. I used to land on my heels. Last year when I tried to switch to toe running I pulled both calf muscles simultaneously and I have not been able to run for almost a year. If you are just starting be very careful and start SLOW!
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
    run intervals. that will help you run farther longer. I just started running in march. Up until August I was doing intervals, then i started training for a half marathon.....Last saturday I ran 6.5miles straight.

    running on toes - don't do it. It's not good for you. there's a guy in my training group that does it and he has all kinds of issues. He's used to it, and it's hard for him to change, but my trainers tell us all it's not the natural form - should go heel to toe. You should not be landing on the ball of of your foot.
  • krnlcsf
    krnlcsf Posts: 310
    This technique is only really supposed to be used for sprinting. Any long distance running you should be aiming to land mid-foot, underneath your centre of gravity.

    A good test to see if you''re doing it right is to run across sand - you should have a balanced foot print - not a hole at the back where you heal strike (its rare to land toe first)

    not necessarily... if you watch the british guy who won the olympic triathlon, he ran the entire distance on his toes. all I could think was how strong his calves must be!

    personally for me though, i find it awkward, so i go heel-toe if ever I do run or jog (which is rarely).
  • Stefanie7125
    Stefanie7125 Posts: 462 Member
    We are designed for our ball/midfoot to hit the ground first. Try running barefoot outside for just a short distance, you'll see. Shoes messed us all up.
  • reasnableblonde
    reasnableblonde Posts: 212 Member
    I strive for a mid-foot strike and actively attempt for a neutral pronation. A heel strike sends shock waves up my medial tibias, which then leads to overwhelming inflammation and pain. After x-rays, MRIs, and countless doctors and fitness professionals poking and prodding my shins, this is the only solution that works.

    Watch Olympic runners. Sprinters don't let their heels touch the ground. Longer distance runners oftentimes don't heel strike either, but they're not all the way on their toes. Watch little kids running... they don't heel strike either. They're usually mid-foot, meaning they land on the balls of their feet.

    I also ice my shins after every run.
  • yoga_mel
    yoga_mel Posts: 76 Member
    That isn't good for your skeleton in the long run. You are meant to strike with your heel first.

    Um....no. Heel striking is not good. One should naturally mid-foot strike. We heel strike because its easier and most people do it because they're fatigued.

    yes can cause injury....I run on my toes when i am doing my sprints
  • reederx5
    reederx5 Posts: 76 Member
    I guess its more of a jog. I want to run though. I will continue to plug along and hopefully get there soon. It's starting to get cooler outside so the gym membership will come in handy. I struggle to try and remember how to breathe while trying to concentrate on my feet? I still can not breathe in through my nose. I feel like I am going to sufficate. I have to breathe through my mouth. Does anyone else do that?
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
    Thanks for the tips! Speaking of side stiches... my daughter gets them really bad but I've only had a few. Are they always on the right side? We were wondering if so and why? Just curious.

    From what I understand, stitch is a type of cramp caused by not getting enough oxygen to the muscles. Focus on taking deep breaths (which is best done by breathing out as much as you can - breathing in is natural!) and they will pass quite quickly.
  • crazy_indeed
    crazy_indeed Posts: 138 Member
    I tend to run on my toes when I am climbing hills or sprinting....
  • FitBeto
    FitBeto Posts: 2,121 Member
    I picture myself with a rocking chair for a foot. Heel, then slowly roll to toes, trying to keep perfect form in my legs. My knees hurt less and i can run faster. If you focus on form, or moving correctly in anything you do, you find that things are 100% easier (plus after practice you don't have to worry about form, it just comes naturally!)

    And when i sprint its more on the ball of my food (i guess below my toes) so i can take pressure off my knees.
  • avasano
    avasano Posts: 487 Member
    When I run I am trying hard to keep going, I can't think about my feet, lol!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    I guess its more of a jog. I want to run though. I will continue to plug along and hopefully get there soon. It's starting to get cooler outside so the gym membership will come in handy. I struggle to try and remember how to breathe while trying to concentrate on my feet? I still can not breathe in through my nose. I feel like I am going to sufficate. I have to breathe through my mouth. Does anyone else do that?
    Runners don't say jogging, you're just running at a different speed. Congratulations, you are now a runner!

    Try as run outside as much as you can before the weather gets too bad - a little cold air and drizzle can actually make it easier to get faster and stop you getting too hot. Not to mention the passing scenery making your run feel quicker.

    Yes, most runners breathe in through their nose and mouth together, we need a lot of oxygen! I run three steps in, three steps out. Many people do two and two, but I find I'm going too fast if I need to do that and I can't keep it up. Once you get a rhythm going you won't need to think about it.
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
    If I run ball 1st I end up with shin splints. I had to say to myself over and over again Heel Toe to break that habit. Now I run mid foot / heal toe. My longest run in 10.5 miles with no issues and when I'm in a running phase I'll to 6-8 miles at a time.
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
    Actually wrote that before your question on breathing. All breathing technique seems to work best when you focus on emptying your lungs rather than filling them. Definitely true of running, swimming and weight lifting anyway.

    also - best video on running form ever (probably)!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx6x2cD6Y8Q

    I think the key is that you are not 'landing on' your feet, but passing them underneath you - focus on moving them backwards - as if you were lifting yourself over a treadmill and just catching the belt as it comes past.
  • ChristyRunStarr
    ChristyRunStarr Posts: 1,600 Member
    When I first started running, I ran on my toes. My boyfriend tried to correct me but I could't think about how I was running as well as trying to keep a pace AND breath so I didn't worry about it. Now that I've been running for awhile, I still streak with my toes but don't run completely on them anymore, my heels do get a workout :love:

    How to change it, I can't tell you but honestly, run the way your body naturally wants you too
  • PrimalGirl
    PrimalGirl Posts: 148 Member
    I guess its more of a jog. I want to run though. I will continue to plug along and hopefully get there soon. It's starting to get cooler outside so the gym membership will come in handy. I struggle to try and remember how to breathe while trying to concentrate on my feet? I still can not breathe in through my nose. I feel like I am going to sufficate. I have to breathe through my mouth. Does anyone else do that?

    Hi, I transitioned to mid-foot striking over the summer and my calves were in agony the first dozen times. I could only run once a week because it took that long for my calves to recover - however, it wasn't injury, just pain from the muscles adapting. I now run three times a week mid-foot with no problems at all. My calves, ankles and feet are much stronger. One of best things you can do if you want to run "barefoot" is to buy "barefoot" trainers - Vibram Five Fingers or Merrells Barefoot. They have minimal cushioning at the heel and you find this automatically makes you raise your heels, otherwise it hurts to heel strike. It was only the invention of the modern trainer in the 1970s with its large padded heel that caused people to begin to heel-strike, and that's only because the padding is so great you have little choice but to land heel-first.

    Also, with breathing, I start off breathing through my nose and end up breathing through my mouth towards the end of the run. It dehydrates you faster but unless you're running ultra-marathons I wouldn't worry about that.

    I also found that to avoid getting stitch you need to breathe regularly - in for two strides out for two strides - always inhaling when the same foot hits the ground.

    Good luck and keep at it. Even five minutes a day will see your strength and ability increase.

    PrimalGirl
  • erikazj
    erikazj Posts: 2,365 Member
    This technique is only really supposed to be used for sprinting. Any long distance running you should be aiming to land mid-foot, underneath your centre of gravity.

    A good test to see if you''re doing it right is to run across sand - you should have a balanced foot print - not a hole at the back where you heal strike (its rare to land toe first)
    ^^^This.

    Let your leg swing naturally under you and let your foot land under your body, not in front of it which would cause a braking action. You should find you naturally land mid-foot, the rest of your foot absorbs the impact, then you push off on the next step.

    Forced heel landing, especially in beginner runners who think that's what you're supposed to do, can lead to discomfort and injury including shin splints and plantar fasciitis.

    A good way to work out where your midfoot is, is to run on the spot for a few seconds before you set off...you'll naturally land on your mid foot when you do this, and then you just need to carry it on. If you have to stop to cross the street, run on the spot to remind yourself where the midfoot is.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Son's friend not only runs on his toes he also walks on his toes, he's a lightning fast sprinter.
    Due to injured knees I can't jog slowly as I lose my form and start to land heavily. I used fartlek training to get back into running when my heart/lungs couldn't keep up with the speed I needed to maintain to run smoothly.

    http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/general/qa-how-do-i-do-fartlek/722.html
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    I guess its more of a jog. I want to run though. I will continue to plug along and hopefully get there soon. It's starting to get cooler outside so the gym membership will come in handy. I struggle to try and remember how to breathe while trying to concentrate on my feet? I still can not breathe in through my nose. I feel like I am going to sufficate. I have to breathe through my mouth. Does anyone else do that?

    I been running for just over a month & only breathe through my mouth. Nothing wrong with it cause as long as I'm still breathing. Don't stress on the jog vs run thing.... my RUN is someone elses jog.
  • 4flamingoz
    4flamingoz Posts: 214 Member
    I've been a runner for 20+ years, and my knees are testament to it. After a debilitating toe surgery last year that forced me to be sidelined for 2 years prior to the surgery, and friend gave me the book "Born to Run". I have since changed the way I run, to the balls of my feet, and voila-no more knee pain. I am finally building up my endurance, and losing a little weight as well. It's not for everyone, but if you love to run, sometimes adjustments are necessary. Good luck!

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