Fitness experts differ on best running techniques

Besides the issues mentioned in this article, there's been a lot of debate on the best type of running shoe. The development of the Vibram FiveFingers running shoes has made people wonder if the over-padded running shoes we see today may not be the best solution for many runners.

It is interesting to watch how many Japanese people walk and run, even some top soccer players. It is very different from much of the world since there is an overuse of thigh muscles and underuse of hamstring and deeper hip muscles. If on the street you watch people from Japan walk, you will see tiny steps and little buttocks scissor motion and also not as much corresponding shoulder arm motion. This is not the result of shorter legs, but because people pull with their thigh muscles and bend their knees, which lifts the leg up and with little shift and push from the hamstring, their stride is quite short. It also results in people hunching over more.

I'm not sure the cause of this difference, other than kids walking and copying their parents, so the style is perpetuated from one generation to the next. Some might say it comes from trying to walk with a kimono, but people here have not worn one for many years, so this explanation seems doubtful. And since Korean and Chinese people do not generally walk this way (though some may), DNA type explanations ring hollow. Any thoughts about this?

I used to go running a lot when I was younger, but now that I'm older, swimming is my new running, with no impact...