(OR PLANNING TO BE PREGNANT)
The good news is that going barefoot adds additional benefits for future mommies to be during pregnancy. Swollen feet are common during pregnancy, and many women find themselves shedding their shoes anyway. Consider these barefoot walking benefits of truly going barefoot:
•Minimizes swollen feet. One of the big considerations for pregnant women is circulation. It's known that women's feet get bigger during pregnancy, and a large part of this is fluid gain, often caused by not working our muscles. However, fluid gain goes down as you use muscles more. When you go barefoot your feet have to wok more. That's a great thing when pregnant, because a working foot is like a fluid pump, bringing fluid up out of the foot and the lower leg and delivering it back to the heart.
• Improves overall circulation. The increased circulation doesn't just end with the feet. Your lower legs also do more work when you're barefoot, particularly as you shift your weight toward your forefoot. This increased circulation acts as a fluid pump and helps keep your legs healthier, happier, and stronger.
• Builds balance for less wobbling. One of the greatest benefits of going barefoot is that your feet are closer to the ground, which brings more stability during a time when your center of gravity is shifting. You can also feel the ground beneath your feet, which helps you reawaken and work the stabilizing muscle groups from your feet to your legs, hips, and up into your core, improving your balance for increased maneuverability and lower chances of falling.
• Strengthens core muscles for delivery day. If you think of the human body as a series of interconnected links of a chain, each one connected to the next, you start to get a real sense of the benefits of going barefoot when pregnant. After your legs, the next link in the chain is your core. Now, a stronger core isn't just about the stomach; it includes all the muscles from the pelvis on up. In essence, when you've fully engaged your core, you're doing somewhat of a Kegel exercise, just to hold yourself in place ㅡ muscles essential for an easier delivery day.
• Develops a healthier back for a happier mommy.
Keeping the back healthy and happy during pregnancy is often a big challenge. After all, you're carrying a growing heavy weight in front, and your back often arches forward.
And by working all of the muscles from your feet on up, you assist the circulation of your cerebrospinal fluid, in essence lubricating your spine and keeping it loose.
• Stand with better posture for more comfort. Since you are working right up the chain and have better body awareness, better circulation, and a stronger core, you also end up with better posture, because you can feel what is going on beneath you ㅡ especially when there comes a time you can't see your feet.
If you were already walking barefoot before pregnancy, congratulations ㅡ you've got a leg up here. Keep doing what you're doing if your doctor agrees, and it will serve you well. But if you're already pregnant and would like to experience the benefits of being pregnant and going barefoot, always trust your doctor here, and when in doubt, be safe and ask.
The good news is that going barefoot adds additional benefits for future mommies to be during pregnancy. Swollen feet are common during pregnancy, and many women find themselves shedding their shoes anyway. Consider these barefoot walking benefits of truly going barefoot:
•Minimizes swollen feet. One of the big considerations for pregnant women is circulation. It's known that women's feet get bigger during pregnancy, and a large part of this is fluid gain, often caused by not working our muscles. However, fluid gain goes down as you use muscles more. When you go barefoot your feet have to wok more. That's a great thing when pregnant, because a working foot is like a fluid pump, bringing fluid up out of the foot and the lower leg and delivering it back to the heart.
• Improves overall circulation. The increased circulation doesn't just end with the feet. Your lower legs also do more work when you're barefoot, particularly as you shift your weight toward your forefoot. This increased circulation acts as a fluid pump and helps keep your legs healthier, happier, and stronger.
• Builds balance for less wobbling. One of the greatest benefits of going barefoot is that your feet are closer to the ground, which brings more stability during a time when your center of gravity is shifting. You can also feel the ground beneath your feet, which helps you reawaken and work the stabilizing muscle groups from your feet to your legs, hips, and up into your core, improving your balance for increased maneuverability and lower chances of falling.
• Strengthens core muscles for delivery day. If you think of the human body as a series of interconnected links of a chain, each one connected to the next, you start to get a real sense of the benefits of going barefoot when pregnant. After your legs, the next link in the chain is your core. Now, a stronger core isn't just about the stomach; it includes all the muscles from the pelvis on up. In essence, when you've fully engaged your core, you're doing somewhat of a Kegel exercise, just to hold yourself in place ㅡ muscles essential for an easier delivery day.
• Develops a healthier back for a happier mommy.
Keeping the back healthy and happy during pregnancy is often a big challenge. After all, you're carrying a growing heavy weight in front, and your back often arches forward.
And by working all of the muscles from your feet on up, you assist the circulation of your cerebrospinal fluid, in essence lubricating your spine and keeping it loose.
• Stand with better posture for more comfort. Since you are working right up the chain and have better body awareness, better circulation, and a stronger core, you also end up with better posture, because you can feel what is going on beneath you ㅡ especially when there comes a time you can't see your feet.
If you were already walking barefoot before pregnancy, congratulations ㅡ you've got a leg up here. Keep doing what you're doing if your doctor agrees, and it will serve you well. But if you're already pregnant and would like to experience the benefits of being pregnant and going barefoot, always trust your doctor here, and when in doubt, be safe and ask.
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