Podiatrist · Specialist in Biomechanics · Founder of VOLKAN
"The body does not break because it moves. It gets injured when the load exceeds its capacity to adapt."
Two people. The same mountain. Two different outcomes.
A few months ago, two patients with very similar stories coincided in consultation.
Both had taken the same hiking route.
The same distance.
The same elevation change.
Even the same day.
However, one finished the hike enjoying the experience and went out walking again the next day.
The other could barely put weight on their foot.
The question seemed obvious.
What had one done wrong?
The answer will probably surprise you.
Many times, neither had done anything wrong.
Simply, their bodies had different adaptation capacities.
And that difference changes everything.
Our body is designed to adapt.
Every time we walk, run, or lift weights, the body receives a load.
Far from being something negative, that load is necessary.
Thanks to it, we strengthen muscles, tendons, and bones.
But there is a condition.
The load must be appropriate for the body's capacity at that moment.
If the stimulus is too small, there will be hardly any changes.
If it is too excessive, the tissues will not have time to adapt.
That's where many injuries tend to appear.
That's why, in biomechanics, we don't only talk about movement.
We talk about the relationship between the load and the capacity for adaptation.
The problem is rarely walking
I often hear phrases like:
"Walking has injured me."
"Running destroys my knees."
"Hiking isn't good for my feet."
In reality, walking, running, or climbing a mountain are not the problem.
The important thing is to ask ourselves if our body was prepared for that demand.
It's the same difference as lifting a grocery bag and lifting a hundred kilos in a gym.
The movement may be similar.
The load is not.
And, above all, neither is the preparation of the person performing it.
What does this have to do with barefoot?
Much more than it seems.
A transition to barefoot footwear also implies a change in load.
The muscles in the foot start to participate more.
The tendons work in a different way.
The joints receive stimuli that they may not have been used to.
That does not mean that barefoot is dangerous.
It means that the body needs time to adapt.
The most common mistake is not using minimalist footwear.
It is to think that a foot that has been functioning in a certain way for thirty years can change in a week.
Biomechanics always reminds us of the same lesson.
Adaptations take time.
What I see every day in consultation
Many people arrive disappointed.
They have read that barefoot strengthens the feet.
They buy a pair of minimalist shoes.
And a few days later, discomfort appears.
Not because the footwear is the problem.
But because the process has been too fast.
It is similar to someone who hasn't run for years and decides to complete a half marathon the first weekend.
The problem is not running.
The problem is the lack of adaptation.
When I explain this, most patients completely change their understanding of the process.
They stop looking for immediate results.
They start to build them.
What you can do from today
Every time you want to introduce a significant change in your physical activity, ask yourself a very simple question.
Am I giving my body enough time to adapt?
If you increase your walks, do it progressively.
If you start to run, gradually increase the load.
And if you decide to transition to barefoot footwear, allow your feet to regain capabilities without rushing.
Adaptation never understands calendars.
It understands progressive stimuli.
🔬 In a sentence
The load does not cause injuries. What causes injuries is a load that the body was not yet prepared for.
The most important idea
The human body is extraordinarily resilient.
But also extraordinarily honest.
It always responds to the stimuli it receives.
If we respect its timing, it adapts.
If we ignore it, it forces us to stop.
That’s why the best strategy is not to avoid movement.
It consists of preparing the body for it.
A question to reflect on
The next time discomfort arises, ask yourself:
Has my body failed… or have I simply asked it for more than it could still offer?
In the next article…
If the body continuously adapts, a new doubt arises.
So… why have we been thinking for decades that the foot needs so much support?
We will discover how the concept of stability in footwear was born and whether a foot really works better when it works more… or when it works less.