I have looked into this stuff and there is some pretty compelling evidence for shoes making people run faster, like your typical highly cushioned shoes. The reason barefoot shoes are good is because it is the equivalent of a manual transmission car, we are forced to learn how to actually make our feet do the right things for proper kinematics. The automatic transmissions still heavily beat any manual paired with a good driver in most races. So barefoot shoes aren't actually that great in certain contexts despite being very helpful for making our bodies do well. Once our body gets good at using barefoot shoes though we can use regular shoes and intuitively know that we are using it correctly which is also an advantage.

My balance of these things at the moment a pair of some shoes from wildling that are water resistant but not super breathable and a pair of boots from lems that have proper outdoor siping (not their other boots that have terrible siping) these boots are about as barefoot minded as you can get boots to be while still being functional boots. And that's it, just the 2 sets of shoes.

The biggest thing is realizing that our legs have a built in spring system for all this wear and tear that we put on it. Basically our ankles are springs and the travel those springs have is the amount of distance you can move your ankle to not stomp your heel on the ground except for when needing to make quick turns or standing still for balance, momentum is what gives us balance while moving forward just like a bike rolling.

People sometimes take that and think they need to dinosaur walk all the time lol, this is just saying that walking pains come from heel stomping too hard, its ok to touch it on the ground often.

figured I’d put something here to explain what I actually do day-to-day so folks know the kind of practical stuff we’ll be talking about.

My Current Routine

• Breakfast: Big shake that’s a mix between overnight steel-cut oats and Bryan Johnson’s nutty pudding, plus my NOVOS stack and a few extras.
• Supplements: I take a couple more NOVOS things after checking my phone.
• Strength: A few lifts with 25-lb weights (different variations) to strengthen my back — I learned my weak back muscles were causing more sweat → acne.
• Shower + skincare: PanOxyl on my back.
• Throughout the day: Sunscreen, staying fairly active.
• Night: Adapalene on my face and back.

I’m tall, a bit underweight, and fairly active, so the real challenge is eating enough food consistently — not exercise.

My Approach

I basically find the weakest link and improve it in a sustainable way. Most things I figure out by watching how my body and mind respond.
If I need precision, I’ll use a watch, scale, or blood tests.

What’s Next

• Add daily walks (short and consistent).
• Possibly use dog-walking apps — that way I get full-body movement and get paid.

Why This Matters

I’d been slowly sliding into a fog since middle school through college.
Taking my health seriously has felt like getting my superpowers back — clearer mind, more energy, better mood.
I wish more people felt this way. You’re your own greatest weapon in this world; better keep it sharp.

3 Tiny Things That Helped Me Stay Consistent

1. Make big calorie dense meals with variety you can prep the night before (so you don’t skip) and keep eating calorie dense foods and drinks throughout the day, I check what I'm doing occasionally with the app called cronometer.
2. Short, regular strength moves (5–10 minutes, same time every day) to build base muscle — consistency > intensity.
3. Pair a habit with a trigger: “put on shoes → 10-min walk” or “shake in blender → take morning supplements.”
   Small chains beat willpower.

Not to mention sleep, I thought I slept well until I started to really analyze what my sleep scores and habits were like and how I felt before during after sleeping.

This is the scientific study that the article references.

The study took 84 housekeepers at hotels and asked them how much they exercised and how fit they thought they were. Then they tracked steps and activity for a while. Then the researchers told about half of the housekeepers that their daily work is more exercise than most Americans get. The steps and activity level didn't change after telling them, but the ones they told got noticeably fitter and healthier!!!! TLDR: Fitness level seems to be affected less by activity and more by whether or not you consider that activity exercise.