Wearing specialist ladies sportswear can increase the ease and comfort of exercise, but recent research suggests that barefoot running is better for the feet than jogging in trainers.

Scientists from Harvard University have found that those who run with either no shoes or minimal footwear land on the balls of their feet as opposed to the heels, reducing impact and stress on the joints.

"Most people today think barefoot running is dangerous and hurts but actually you can run barefoot on the world's hardest surfaces without the slightest discomfort and pain," Daniel E Lieberman, professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University, told the Harvard Gazette.

The research, published this week in the journal Nature, found that more than 75 per cent of Americans heel-strike when they run.

These findings go against advice from Bupa, which said that trainers are an "essential" part of ladies running wear as they are cushioning and shock-absorbing.

Posted by Sue Wallis ADNFCR-2569-ID-19583720-ADNFCR

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