Barefoot or athletic shoes?

bizco
bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
When exercising at home to a cardio DVD (Jillian Michaels, The Firm, etc.) is it better to wear athletic shoes or go barefoot? There's usually a good amount of jumping exercises involved. Or doesn't it matter? Thanks!

Replies

  • caseymtemple
    caseymtemple Posts: 6 Member
    I work barefoot for low impact activities. When I do ones that require more jumping around, usually I wear sneakers.
  • shadesof66
    shadesof66 Posts: 75 Member
    I haven't done the JM cardio routine - but having done a lot of cardio routines in the P90x and x3 series I can say that footwear is essential - for arch support and ankle support. Be safe :smile:
  • ShibaEars
    ShibaEars Posts: 3,928 Member
    If it's a carpeted room or you have some type of mat down, you should be okay to go barefoot. If it's hardwood or tile, I'd go with shoes.

    When I workout at my trainer's gym, we do everything barefoot - cardio (sometimes involves jumping), heavy weights & circuits. It's really helped strengthen my feet and ankles.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I would try barefoot. I weight train barefoot at home and in the past did a bodyweight circuit that included jumping jacks barefoot.
  • kb9222
    kb9222 Posts: 42
    I used to do it barefoot but I prefer to do it in athletic shoes, I find that I perform some of the exercises a lot better that way :)
  • ChrisJMellor
    ChrisJMellor Posts: 29
    Sort of depends on how heavy you are now. If it's jumping then it's impact. If it's impact then it can cause injury. Even slight injuries can cause pain that will put you off exercising in the future.

    So - where does that leave you?

    I lost a lot, I started to use "barefoot" shoes for running and all sorts of things. This I found was a mistake. While I'm sure the ads are right - it's the best thing for your feet, if you are going to do any impact exercise in them, then you better get your feet used to them. Also be aware that you have no ankle raise - this can put a lot of extra strain on your Achilles - I certainly had a lot of pain there after trying some running after a break for a few months.

    If in doubt - go to your local specialized store or podiatrist (foot doctor/specialist) and check in with them.

    The correct footwear is soooo important - don't skimp on it and make sure it fits.

    Good look with your search and post back when you choose:)
  • yellowlemoned
    yellowlemoned Posts: 335 Member
    I do barefoot, even on tile or hardwood floors. I also just don't really like the way athletic shoes feel though.
  • YalithKBK
    YalithKBK Posts: 317 Member
    Personally, I wear training shoes because I have crappy ankles that roll at the drop of a hat. I'm always afraid of spontaneously falling over with 10lb dumbbells in my hands. I also generally wear them just to protect my feel when using any sort of equipment and/or flailing around my small and crowded living room (I broke my toes when my bare foot strayed too close to a couch once, never doing that again). But if you have plenty of room and good ankles, then I don't see why shoes on/off would matter.

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