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How walking can make you a better runner.

In fact, even just standing in MBTs can help your running.

Their curved sole, in combination with the Masai Sensor and balancing area, helps to activate and strengthen core muscles, providing for greater stability, something that comes in handy on long runs.

This stability also creates a better movement pattern, so you don’t have to cancel or shorten runs because of knee pain or similar.

MBTs can help reduce or even prevent many common running complaints, including problems with the knee, shin, heel and Achilles tendon. Many of these problems are caused by poor alignment of hip, knee and ankle joints. MBTs increase stability and strengthen the lower extremity, which reduces the load on these joints, and helps to keep them aligned.

After training, using MBTs for cool down work like walking and slow running helps for faster removal of the metabolic by-products that accumulate in a long run. The faster they are removed, the quicker one regenerates. MBTs also enable a very efficient stretching of the calf muscles thanks to the soft Masai Sensor in the heel.

MBT for Runners

Even though running is considered a low-risk sport around 65% of all runners suffer injuries once a year.
These injuries are often caused by too weak leg muscles or muscles trained only unilaterally. In the view of leading sport physicians up to 25% of these injuries could be prevented if runners enhanced their training programmes and, amongst other things, routinely also strengthened their muscles and joints.
MBTs are not running shoes. You wear MBT before and after training, in your leisure time or at the office and in any case on days off from running. This means no extra training time needs to be planned.

Exercises

  • ABC Balancing
    Balancing exercises, like writing the ABCs in the air, strengthen the small, supporting muscles, which prevents injury by reducing stress on joints while running. Hold an upright posture in one-leg stance. Press into balancing area of MBT on standing leg. With other leg lifted in front of the body as high as possible, write ABCs into the air.
  • Single Leg Bridge
    The one-leg bridge exercise increases core stability, which is particularly essential to distance runners. Start in a bridge position. Straighten one leg so the bridge is held on other leg. On the standing leg, press into balancing area of MBT and hold this position. Roll forward to forefoot, and then back to the Masai Sensor.
  • Side Plank
    The side plank exercise increases core stability, which is particularly essential to distance runners. Lying on your side, place foot of the upper leg behind your body on balancing area of MBT. Lift pelvis and straighten other leg so it is parallel to the floor. Rest upper body on forearm at 90 degrees. Roll from balancing area forward to forefoot and back to the Masai Sensor.
  • Slow Running
    Slow running in MBTs prevents injury by reducing stress on joints and speeds recovery by increasing blood flow. With upright posture, take shorter strides than you normally would. Roll from the Masai Sensor through the balancing area to the forefoot.
  • Airplane
    Balancing exercises like this “airplane” pose strengthen small, supporting muscles, which prevents injury by reducing stress on joints while running. Start by standing on both feet and lean forward into airplane position. Stabilize body over balancing area of MBT. Hold this position, and then repeat on opposite side.
  • Bridge with Ball
    The bridge with ball exercise increases core stability, which is particularly essential to distance runners. Squeeze ball between knees and pull bellybutton in toward spine. Stabilize the body over the balancing area. Lift pelvis until upper body and legs are in a straight line. Hold this position. Note: Note: Exercise is also applicable without ball.
  • Slow Running
    Slow running in MBTs prevents injury by reducing stress on joints, can help stretch the hip flexor muscle and speeds recovery by increasing blood flow. With upright posture, take shorter strides than you normally would. Roll from the Masai Sensor through the balancing area to the forefoot. Variation: slow running with “exaggerated” pull-back motion can increase stretching of the hip flexor muscle.