Remember the guy in college who went barefoot everywhere? He may have seemed eccentric, but it turns out he was on to something.
Walking barefoot, also known as "earthing," has gone from being a kooky counter-culture trend, to a scientifically-researched practice with a number of remarkable health advantages, such as increasing antioxidants, reducing inflammation, and improving sleep.
Earthing means walking barefoot on soil, grass or sand (meaning: any natural surface). So we’ll have to get off the sidewalk. Early studies are showing that the health benefits come from the relationship between our bodies and the electrons in the earth. The planet has its own natural charge, and we seem to do better when we’re in direct contact with it.
Why should you walk barefoot?
A review published in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health looked at a number of studies that highlight how drawing electrons from the earth improves health. In one, chronic pain patients using grounded carbon fiber mattresses slept better and experienced less pain.
Another study found that earthing changed the electrical activity in the brain, as measured by electroencephalograms. Still other research found that grounding benefitted skin conductivity, moderated heart rate variability, improved glucose regulation, reduced stress and boosted immunity.
One particularly compelling investigation, published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, found that earthing increases the surface charge of red blood cells. As a result, the cells avoid clumping, which decreases blood viscosity. High viscosity is a significant factor in heart disease, which is why so many people take blood thinning aspirin each day to improve their heart health. Another study in the same journal found that earthing may help regulate both the endocrine and nervous systems.
O K, I'm sold. What's next?
Even if there were no proven benefits to walking barefoot, I'd still recommend taking frequent walks in nature. Regular walking, as little as half an hour a day, can reduce cancer risk, improve cardiovascular health, moderate weight and prevent diabetes. In addition, walking improves blood oxygenation, circulation, and immune response, removes toxins, and relieves stress.
True, we can get many of these exercise benefits by using an indoor treadmill at the local gym. But without being outdoors in a natural environment, we miss out on many of the mental health benefits that are proven to increase when we spend time in nature.
For one thing, even if we enjoy it, going to the gym tends to be a chore. It’s just something we have to cross off our list. On the other hand, walking in nature is about being in the moment, rather than trying to achieve something. Even more importantly, we are surrounded by fresh oxygen-rich air and beautiful scenery, rather than gym smell and flatscreen TVs. And there’s no membership fee.
Walking also creates physical and emotional rhythms. Unlike running, which is by definition rushed and high impact, walking is gentle, nourishing and gives us space. We have an opportunity to work through the day’s events. In addition, even a light stroll releases endorphins. Most importantly, we breathe deeply.
As we walk, our breathing starts to synchronize with our motion. We experience a sense of expansion and freedom. Ultimately, walking becomes more than just exercise; it becomes a form of healing, removing our stress and replacing it with wellbeing on every level.
I think we would be hard-pressed to find a better win-win situation. By walking, we exercise our muscles and cardiovascular system, improve our mental health, reduce stress and support our overall wellness. Simply taking our shoes off seems to multiply those benefits by allowing us to synchronize with the earth’s natural electric charge. On an evolutionary level, this all makes complete sense. We evolved close to the earth, and it’s only relatively recently that we have been so keen to remove ourselves from nature.
Perhaps it’s time to take a step back, barefooted.
arefoot Benefits
Top 10 Health Benefits of Going Bare
Going barefoot works by reawakening a light, natural stride in the body, through the feedback we get from our feet touching the ground. There’s less impact and joint torque than in a shoe, it reawakens muscles that have atrophied in our shoes, reawakens nerve endings and our balance system, stimulates reflexology points on the bottom of our feet, and even has anti-inflammatory benefits through grounding. This all means a stronger body, less joint pain, better posture, more mobility, greater health, and greater freedom.
Going barefoot is like discovering a new fountain of youth. When our feet, knees, hips and backs are no longer in pain, we’re more likely to be active again. You’ll feel younger, your body will act as if you’re younger, and you’ll be stronger and more active than you’ve been in many years. Your mind will become sharper and your concentration better focused.
Here are some of the top health benefits:
1. Greater balance.
By feeling the ground, people begin waking up the vestibular system (balance system) of the brain, stimulating new neural connections and remapping their minds for greater balance. For seniors this is critical, because one fall or hip fracture can lead to a gradual decline in health.
2. Greater strength.
By going barefoot one begins to wake up new muscles, both for balance and support. Not only that, but if you look at a super-model’s legs, chances are she’s been walking barefoot at the beach, toning ALL of her leg muscles in the process.
2. Healthier feet.
The body works on the use it or lose it principle. Use something, you get to keep it. Don’t use it, and it atrophies. When people start going barefoot their feet reawaken and begin to strengthen again.
4. The corollary to this is less foot conditions.
As the feet strengthen, plantar fasciitis diminishes, foot neuromas go away, bunions begin to dissipate and other conditions such as hammertoes go away. Even the arthritic foot begins to slowly heal itself as it develops greater strength, flexibility, and blood flow.
5. Greater circulation.
Going barefoot not only wakes up long-dormant muscles of the feet and legs, but gets more blood flow to the feet and legs to get them going. This increased blood flow means less aches and pains, less varicose veins, and warmer feet and legs in the winter.
6. Better posture.
We’ve all learned an unhealthy habit, or pronounced pelvic-tilt from a lifetime spent in a traditional shoe. The typical running or walking shoe isn’t just a shoe, it’s a high-heel, sporting a heel of 1-2 inches (if not more) in height. To keep from falling over we’re forced to get our butts back and bend forward at the waist, straining our hamstrings, lower back, upper back, shoulders, and neck. It also puts a lot of force on our hips, knees and feet when we run. Once we’re out of a shoe we can begin to reverse this. By feeling the ground the nerve endings on the bottom of our feet begin to tell us that we’re leaning or tilting forward, or that we’re bending forward at the waist. With practice we run, walk, and even stand with better posture, more like a dancer or a model. Not only do we look better and get taller, but we greatly reduce all of the stress and strain on our bodies. And all without any additional work!
7. Kids get healthier.
With childhood diabetes and obesity, kids health is at an all-time low. And health begins with the feet. If you have strong feet you can walk, run, bike and more. But with weak painful feet, there’s no desire to exercise. The American Podiatric Medical Association now recommends keeping kids out of shoes for as long as possible, because they know shoes weaken and deform the feet. Keep them out of shoes and kids stay healthy. Not only that, but the act of feeling the ground strengthens their senses and helps remap the brain. According to Dr. Merzenich, one of the nation’s leading neuroplasticians, barefoot stimulation helps improve memory, focus, concentration, and overall intelligence too!
8. Decreased blood pressure.
Studies show that by stimulating the nerve endings on the bottom of the feet, we can decrease blood pressure and the parasympathetic (cortisol) fight or flight response of the body. In other words, we decrease stress and inflammation throughout the entire body.
9. Reduce inflammation.
Last, but not least, and perhaps most importantly, going barefoot has been shown to reduce inflammation. According to many new studies, inflammation is the number one cause of disease in the 21st century (from allergies to Alzheimers, arthritis to Autism, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, anemia, lupus, MS, and more are ALL related to inflammation). One possible solution may be grounding or earthing, the process of reducing inflammation by walking, standing or even sitting barefoot on the ground.
Studies have shown that free radicals, the pesky buggers responsible for inflammation carry a positive charge. Though these positively charged particles play an important role in our immune system and the healing response, if we don’t have a way to drain them, they build up in our bodies, creating excess inflammation and cell/tissue damage.
Meanwhile, the earth naturally carries a huge negative charge. (That’s why all of our appliances are grounded.) This difference in polarity or charge between your body and another is why you get zapped in the winter when you touch another object. It’s your body’s way of discharging this unwanted charge. Direct contact with the ground also allows us to discharge free radicals.
10. Reflexology benefits.
Reflexology is the process of stimulating nerves on the bottom of the feet to stimulate the immune system, reduce inflammation & pain, reduce blood pressure, reduce stress and tension, and to stimulate many other healing processes in the body. Studies have shown great reflexology benefits to going barefoot and stimulating the soles of the feet.
Getting Started
Before jumping into any high aerobic activity, we always advise warming up first. Our favorite method of warming up is to simply walk barefoot uphill (slowly). If there are no hills near you, try the exercise below. In our book Barefoot Running, we have dozens of exercises for waking up your muscles. A great one to begin with helps you wake up the arch of your foot. This exercise is called the Tiger Claw and can be done before each of your barefoot runs.
Do the Tiger Claw!
Pretend you have claws at the end of your toes, just like a cat or tiger’s claws. You simply want to walk very slowly for fifty feet with your claws extending, grabbing and pulling on the ground with your toes. Notice how much it builds up the shape of the arch. Do this for 3-5 times your first day, then increase by 1-2 more times every other day.
Doing this strengthens your toes and the arch of your foot, helping you to naturally support and propel yourself forward, rather than relying on the arch support of a shoe. Remember, a support is nothing more than a crutch and doesn’t strengthen you. Our bodies work on the use it or lose it principle, if we don’t work the muscles of the feet, we incrementally need more and more support until we’re in a lot of trouble. Wake up the muscles though and you’ll have years of pain free, healthy running to come!
Baby-Stepping Your Way Into Barefoot Form
Barefoot Running and Barefoot Running Form means waking up your feet and lower legs. Initially, it’s much harder on your feet, as they’re forced to move 3-dimensionally, rather than 2-dimensionally in a shoe. And the stride is like doing a calf-raise with each and every step. To help the muscles, ligaments, tendons and bones to adapt, we need to begin slowly.
Start fully barefoot – maximum feedback helps you find your lightest stride.
Always go barefoot before you’re shod – think form first, before you fatigue and before your feet get sweaty in a shoe.
Begin with only 200 yards – this gives your feet time to adapt to the new 3-dimensional movement.
Add 100 yards of barefoot time every other day – this gives the muscles, ligaments, tendons and even bones time to rest and recover.
Carry your shoes – these are your hand weights, hold them nice and high to practice proper form.
For the first three months only run barefoot every other day – spend the rest of your running time in your regular shoes and orthotics.
As you slowly increase your barefoot time, you can slowly decrease your time in supportive shoes and orthotics.
Have fun and don’t forget to smile!
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