Walk With Us

EFFECTS OF WALKING

Have you ever heard the saying by Hippocrates, "Walking is a man's best medicine?"

Walking combined with regular clean water intake, good sleep and a healthy diet can help you avoid the doctor's clinic altogether.

As little as 15 to 30 minutes of walking every day can drastically improve not only a person's overall appearance, but health as well.

Good old walking habit is a single practice which could significantly benefit the whole human body and mind. It is free, easy and require only little efforts.

Here is a list of benefits you can literally walk yourself into:

Benefit #1. Positive Brain Changes

As a study reveals, low impact aerobic exercises, like walking, prevent the risk of Alzheimer's disease, and improve overall mental health.

Not to mention reducing mental stress and maintaining a higher level of endorphins. When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins. These endorphins interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain. Endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the body, similar to that of morphine. Endorphins is a group of hormones secreted within the brain and nervous system and having a number of physiological functions. They are peptides which activate the body's opiate receptors, causing an analgesic effect.

Benefit # 2. Improved Eyesight

Even though eyes might seem like the last organ to be connected with the legs, walking actually benefits their health too. Try barefoot walking. It may even help to fight glaucoma by relieving eye pressure.

Benefit # 3. Prevention Of Heart Diseases

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), walking is no less effective than running when it comes to the prevention of heart-related disease or stroke.

This walking activity helps avoid heart problems by lowering high blood pressure and cholesterol levels and improving your blood circulation.

Benefit # 4. Increased Lung Volume

Walking is an aerobic exercise which increases oxygen flow in the bloodstream and helps train your lungs, as well as eliminate toxins and waste.

Because of better and deeper breathing some symptoms associated with lung disease may also be relieved.

Benefit #5. Beneficial Effects On The Pancreas

It might be hard to believe but walking for exercise turns out to be a much more effective tool in preventing diabetes than running.

This research shows that a group of "walkers" demonstrated improvement in glucose tolerance almost 6 times greater (i.e. how well blood sugar is absorbed by cells) than that of a group of "runners," over a 6 month trial period.

Benefit # 6. Improved Digestion

10 minutes of walking every day could not only lower the risk of colon cancer in the future but improve our digestion and constipation by helping to regulate our bowel movements.

Benefit #7. Toned Muscles

Muscle tone and weight loss (in overweight cases) may also be achieved through walking. The practice of walking 10,000 steps a day may be counted as an actual workout in a gym, especially if you add some intervals or walking uphill.

Additionally, it's low impact and there's no recovery time, which means no sore muscles and regrets for missing tomorrow's workout due to being too sore the next day.

Benefit # 8. Sturdier Bones And Joints

Walking can provide more joint mobility, prevent loss of bone mass, and even reduce risk of fractures. The Arthritis Foundation recommends walking moderately at least 30 minutes a day on a regular basis to reduce pain in your joints, along with stiffness and inflammation. You can drink some water before , during and after the walk.

Benefit # 9. Back Pain Relief

Walking may become a real life-saver for those people who experience back pain during more challenging high-impact exercises.

Since walking is a low-impact activity it won't cause more pain or discomfort, like running or HIT would. High Impact Training (HIT).Walking contributes to better blood circulation within the spinal structures and improves posture and flexibility which is vital for a healthy spine.

Benefit # 10. A Calmer Mind (if it was an organ, to be sure)

If walking improves depression symptoms in patients with major depression disorders, just imagine how easily it could help people cope with feeling down or exhausted.

And a joyful walk with a friend or family member will only multiply the happy-effect and improve your mood!

Walking can be an ideal low-impact exercise. Get the most from your walking routine.

This low-impact exercise prevents loss of bone density, thereby reducing the risk of osteoporosis, fracture, and injury. Since bones determine our framework, stronger and healthier bones help to improve posture, stamina, and balance . Walking can also prevent arthritis and reduce the accompanying pain.

That's because regular walking can help improve your body's response to insulin, which can help reduce belly fat.  Walking every day is one of the most effective low-impact ways to mobilize fat and positively alter body

Slash Your Risk of Heart Disease, Cancer, Osteoporosis, and More. One study found that walking for two miles a day or more can cut your chances of hospitalization from a severe episode of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by about half.

When sedentary people started 20-30 minutes of low-impact exercise, several times a week, that they had more energy and less fatigue. Walking will increase the blood flow to their muscles and their brain, increasing their energy levels and help them feel better.

The next time you have a check-up, don't be surprised if your doctor hands you a prescription to walk. Yes, this simple activity that you've been doing since you were about a year old is now being touted as "the closest thing we have to a wonder drug," in the words of Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Of course, you probably know that any physical activity, including walking, is a boon to your overall health. But walking in particular comes with a host of benefits. Here's a list of five that may surprise you.

1. It counteracts the effects of weight-promoting genes. Harvard researchers looked at 32 obesity-promoting genes in over 12,000 people to determine how much these genes actually contribute to body weight. They then discovered that, among the study participants who walked briskly for about an hour a day, the effects of those genes were cut in half.

2. It helps tame a sweet tooth. A pair of studies from the University of Exeter found that a 15-minute walk can curb cravings for chocolate and even reduce the amount of chocolate you eat in stressful situations. And the latest research confirms that walking can reduce cravings and intake of a variety of sugary snacks.

3. It reduces the risk of developing breast cancer. Researchers already know that any kind of physical activity blunts the risk of breast cancer. But an American Cancer Society study that zeroed in on walking found that women who walked seven or more hours a week had a 14% lower risk of breast cancer than those who walked three hours or fewer per week. And walking provided this protection even for the women with breast cancer risk factors, such as being overweight or using supplemental hormones.

4. It eases joint pain. Several studies have found that walking reduces arthritis-related pain, and that walking five to six miles a week can even prevent arthritis from forming in the first place. Walking protects the joints — especially the knees and hips, which are most susceptible to osteoarthritis — by lubricating them and strengthening the muscles that support them.

5. It boosts immune function. Walking can help protect you during cold and flu season. A study of over 1,000 men and women found that those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less. And if they did get sick, it was for a shorter duration, and their symptoms were milder.

 

Barefoot Walking: Benefits and More

Barefoot Walking: Free Your Feet to Minimize Impact, Maximize Efficiency, and Discover the Pleasure of Getting in Touch with the Earth

Paperback – March 26, 2013

by Michael Sandler  (Author), Jessica Lee (Author)

From the authors of Barefoot Running, the essential guide to the life-changing benefits of barefoot walking.

As the thousands of people who have fallen in love with barefoot running already know, shedding your shoes is good for the body and the soul. Barefoot Walking shows all readers, no matter their fitness level, how to take command of their physical and spiritual well-being through this simple and easy practice, even if they are daunted by sore feet, achy joints, injury, illness, or feeling out of shape. This book contains special material for children, pregnant women, and seniors, and shows anyone how this gentle, natural activity can literally transform one's life, restoring health, vitality, strength, and balance, and improving focus, mood, memory, and more. Full of tips and tools for going bare, this is the essential handbook for people who want to move their body, connect with the earth, and feel physically and psychologically more alive.

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE LIFE-CHANGING BENEFITS OF BAREFOOT WALKING

Shedding your shoes is good for body, mind,soul and earth.

Barefoot Walking helps you rediscover your physical and spiritual well-being through this simple practice, even if you are daunted by sore feet, achy joints, injury, illness, or feeling out of shape. easy to follow, it includes a step by step plan to keep you going. 

I click here to LOOK INSIDE the Barefoot Walking 

Breathe Easy On Your Runs!

In my teens I was diagnosed with exercise induced, and later full-blown asthma. I thought I could just will my way through it, until I started honking like a freight train in races.

Even on multiple inhalers and pills, when the going got tough, my air passages would get inflamed, clamp down, and then it was day-over for catching my breath.

I learned quickly, I had to try and calm myself down fast, and back off (not great when the pack is leaving you behind) until I could catch my breath. It was frustrating, but also my inspiration, for I knew if I wanted to compete at the top, or simply keep myself out of trouble, I'd have to find a better way to breathe, and fast!

That's when I tripped across the book Breathe Play, a 1980's book that introduced me to the idea of controlling your breathing and that by making your breathe a conscious activity, you could expand, strengthen, and even heal your lungs.

I was told I had tiny lungs, and that there was nothing I could do about it. But working on my breath, I went from having teeny tiny lungs with only 60% of the average capacity, to something like the top 1% or better of lung capacity for all people out there my size! (A big surprise to my docs after they tested me!) I went from sucking wind in races, to having extra air. And I went from struggling to get up hills, to making them my forte.

I can remember when people would yell at me in races saying "Shut Up Michael, can't you tell I'm suffering." I just had so much air and was having so much fun, I just wanted to talk! By doing breathing exercises mainly during my workouts, but also on their own, I pretty much doubled my lung capacity, and got off of all the meds and their heavy side-effects.

I often talk about focusing on your breath. But what does that mean? First, it means breathing deep. This is something we're all unfamiliar with in the west. In fact, here in Hawaii, the derogatory term given to white people when they first arrived many years ago, was Haole, which means short breath. When Westerners first came to Hawaii, they were seen breathing with a very shallow ineffective breath. It's what we've all grown up with, but need to unlearn.

So we don't want to be Haole, we want to breathe deep. This means focusing on your breathing (this means shutting off the ipod so you can listen for a few minutes) both in exercises before, and while you run.

There are dozens of great exercises you can do. We'll be introducing many of our favorites in our upcoming Mindful Running Video series this fall. But the simplest, easiest, and perhaps most effective breathing technique you can do to get started is to focus on the exhalation.

We have a Tai Chi and Qi Gong, master who tells us "No one thinks of the exhale. They always say inhale. But it's your exhalation that is most important! When you exhale, you blow out unwanted CO2, you blow out the bad stuff, and you blow out the stuck energy. Then you can get more clean air in. The more you focus on the exhale, the healthier and stronger you will be."

We completely agree. When you run, blow out as much air as you can in each breath. Don't worry at all about the inhalation. It will take care of itself. In fact, try this now, while you're reading this. Take a good deep breath, then blow, blow, blow, blow, blow out all of the air you can as you watch, and feel your stomach squeezing in (if you don't see it, place your on your stomach to feel and help it along). Then relax, and let the air rush back in and see your lungs and belly expand. To your amazement, you'll find it took ZERO effort to get in all the air you just expelled. Even better, it's EASY to strengthen these muscles to move air fast, and breathe deeper.

When you breathe this way, you'll take more steps between breaths, and feel more oxygenated, or more powerful with each breath. Before you may have been running 2 steps inhale, two steps exhale, and now you'll find yourself 3 and 3, or even perhaps four and four. The number's not important, but it means you're getting more air in with each breath.

More air means happier lungs (less chance of the dreaded honk I used to experience), happier legs, less lactic acid buildup, a lower heart rate, less fatigue, and means you can go faster too!

Practice this each time you run. Concentrate on the exhalation, and watch yourself fly!

Side affect: You too may find people telling you to stop talking so much as you run together, as they're panting hard, and you're comfortably breathing deep. Don't sweat it, but feel free to teach this too them as well. Then you could have a conversation!

Preface

by The Sakyong, author of

Running with the Mind of Meditation

 Walking is the most basic of human activities. It is also one of the most healthy forms of exercise. Not only is it beneficial for our bodies but also for our minds. It helps us connect with nature and the outdoors. It provides a natural basis for meditation and contemplation—a time of the day when we come in contact with our inner feelings, thoughts, and emotions. As humans, it is essential that we have a moment in our day when we can self-reflect, release the busyness and stress, and for a moment, contact how we feel. These very brief moments of switching our allegiance from being extroverted to contacting an inner and deeper aspect of who we are is the cornerstone of living a meaningful life. It helps us prioritize. It allows us to reflect on the meaning of life itself—to come in contact with our inner purpose and motivation. Walking is not simply how we get from one place to another. Rather, it can be a great mixture of mind and body—exercise and spirit. Therefore, walking is in itself a totality of human existence.I am delighted that Michael and Jessica have highlighted many of these key points, especially encouraging how we, as humans, can contact the earth. We can do this as a personal form of health and well-being, or as humans, naturally  within the ecosystem of our planet. By walking, we begin to re-contact that natural balance between humanity and our earth.The Sandlers encourage us to remove our shoes and feel the earth beneath our feet, to walk on fresh green grass, to make contact with the sand along the beach, and even to venture out into mountain trails. All this is to reconnect with our own humanity. This is what I appreciate about the Sandlers’ message.

 Preface

Utilize running, and now walking, not only as a way to exercise but as a way to connect with our own goodness and strength. As humans, we have this basic goodness as the innate quality of who we are.However, through the challenges of life, we often lose contact with this intrinsic strength. When we lose contact with this, the fear and anxiety of life begin to overwhelm us. Te natural harmony between mind and body gets disturbed and we begin to lose life-force energy. In order to restore a sense of vitality,meditation is helpful for the mind and exercise is helpful for the body.In this light, walking is an excellent antidote to disharmony. It provides a perfect balance between movement and stillness. It slows our mind down in order to gain insight, while the increase of movement benefits circulation. Walking also naturally involves the breath. With the simple act o being aware of our breathing process, we are able to be present, which relieves anxiety and stress regarding the past and the future. This simple use of mindfulness is a natural component of walking. Placing one foot in front of the other, there is a natural inhalation and exhalation. As undramatic and simple as this may seem, it has a profound effect on our mental health and physical well-being. We are living in a time when we are constantly being separated from the earth. Most of us live in heated buildings, drive cars, and walk on asphalt in our new shoes, rarely thinking about the earth that supports us. Even though these technologies serve humanity well, they have begun to create an unhealthy buffer between our environment and ourselves. Therefore, it is very much up to each one of us to reconnect with the earth.In this wonderful guide, the Sandlers help us with the challenges we may encounter when we try to enjoy barefoot walking—from changes in posture and physiological differences to how we regard ourselves in the world. It offers a very thorough understanding of how barefoot walking can become an essential aspect of our natural health and well-being. It also communicates Michael and Jessica’s spirit and joy in simply being alive. Based on personal experience,it presents walking not simply as a perfunctory form of transportation but as a symbol of life itself. I hope this book inspires all of us to touch the earth and connect with our humanity.The Sakyong



8 Barefoot Walking
•
If you’ve never walked for leisure or exercise before, this book will be your guide to taking off your shoes with minimal risk of injury and maximum health and joy.
•
If you’re looking for a new twist on a tired old exercise program, you’ll find immense success with barefoot walking, especially if you want to get of the treadmill of life (and of the treadmill at the gym) and try something refreshingly fun.
•
If you’re already a dedicated walker, this book will show you a much more aware way of getting into the zone and improving your stride, form, and performance.
•
If you’re overcoming an injury—as both of us were—this book will explain how barefoot walking can strengthen your feet and arches in ways you never dreamed possible.
•
If weight loss is your goal, walking is a proven way to shed pounds—and you don’t need any fancy equipment, rigorous diets, or scales to measure results. In fact, you just need to take off your shoes and step out the front door.
•
If you think you’re too old to start something new, we are here to tell you that you can teach your old “dogs” new tricks and why, as you age, you owe it to yourself to go barefoot.
•
For the very young whose parents may be reading this book, we ex-amine how going shoe-less (or nearly shoe-less) in childhood keeps those darling little baby feet fat and strong. And for everyone, no matter your age, shape, or goal, if you’re craving a more spiritual connection to the world, walking sans shoes will give you that as well.It will help you quiet your mind and begin a fantastic journey on the inside.Perhaps instead o “walking barefoot,” this practice should be called “walking yoga” for its mind-body-spirit (or mind-body-earth) connection.Even if you aren’t ready to plunge fully into the barefoot scene, this book can still give you handy tips for exercise, diet, and strengthening your feet, until you’re ready to slip of those shoes.In 2010 we wrote a highly successful book called
Barefoot Running: How toRun Light and Free by Getting in Touch with the Earth.
We toured the UnitedStates and the world, holding clinics and retreats.


Introduction 9
Near you, or (visit our RunBare.com website). At every stop, we were asked about walking barefoot. We know not everyone is a runner—and some never will be. This book is for all non-runners and for runners who are rehabbing from an injury or just need some be-kind-to-your-body cross training and connection with the earth. This book has grown out of our nationwide and international quest to bring the message of going bare— whether you run or walk or just feel the earth be-neath your feet—to millions of people the world over.So kick your shoes of and let the journey of a million steps (in bare feet) begin right now.

YOUR STEP-BY-STEP WALKING GUIDE
Have you ever traveled to a new city and wanted to see the sights? Te best way is to grab a guidebook, usually called a “walking guide.” Think of this book as your walking guide to—ta-da!— walking without shoes. You’ll see familiar terrain with new eyes and new awareness underfoot. You won’t have to tear off your shoes until chapter 7. First we present a brief introduction to walking barefoot and why it’s so darned good for you—even if you are among those who still think it’s a preposterous idea but were just curious enough to pick up this book. These first few chapters discuss why barefoot walking is a safe alternative and even more satisfying than wearing shoes while you walk. Of course, if you’re new to walking for exercise or just new to walking with-out your shoes, you’ll need some of the basics, and that’s in chapter 7 as we help you start by walking on a broad expanse of green grass. Then we’ll stride right into the warm-up exercises in preparation for a real walking tour in chapters 8 and 9.In chapter 10 we’ll learn how to strengthen and condition our feet, revealing the marvel of nature’s perfect design. Moving on up the kinetic chain brings us to chapter 11, in which we’ll review proper technique and guidelines for drills,strengthening exercises, weight training, and cross training, for a total body makeover. Once our muscles are warmed up, in chapter 12 we’ll keep them loose, supple, and injury-free by stretching.


10 Barefoot Walking
Two special populations that are often overlooked in books on walking are children and seniors. Their particular issues with being barefoot are discussed in chapters 14 and 15.Not every sidewalk or road is smooth and easy, so we’ll show you in chapters 16 and 17 how to turn your feet into “all-terrain vehicles” and anticipate the roads less traveled and unpredictable weather conditions. This comprehensive guide would not be complete without a serious discussion of nutrition, in chapter 13. And, unfortunately, injuries come with just about any activity—mostly while wearing shoes—but they don’t have to be surprises, and surely you will need to know how to overcome any injuries or foot problems that sideline you, because you will want to be back out there quickly.Chapter 18 discusses the proven ways to stay healthy.It seems odd to discuss footwear in a book about walking without shoes, but chapter 19 introduces you to minimalist footwear you might want to try—that is,
after you’ve let your feet feel the ground.Once you’ve mastered the basics and discovered the joy in walking and truly feeling the earth beneath your feet, you may remain barefoot for life. In chapter 20, we discuss going beyond barefoot walking, both in terms of activities such as running barefoot and in terms of stewardship of our planet. For when your feet meet the dirt, you’ll never walk with a big footprint again. You’re about to embark on an exciting journey, one that we’ve been on and which continues to amaze us. Countless others have found pure joy, health, and emotional and spiritual well-being by stripping of their shoes and going bare-foot. Now you can too. We’ll be cheering you on, giving you advice, and helping you through the tough times. 

On that note, you can post your questions, and helpful tips, and follow our adventures on our Facebook page, www.facebook .com/RunBare. You can subscribe to our individual pages too, where we each share our own barefoot journeys and photos: www.facebook.com/RunsWithSpirit and www.facebook.com/JessicaLeeSandler. 

You’re about to step into a brave new world, so let’s begin.

Powered Walking In Dr. Guo’s Way

Powered Walking In Dr. Guo’s Way

The US Department of Health found in 1996 that walking helped increase the number of years you live – even if you only began walking in your later year. Walking is a great exercise. Dr. Guo created an effective walking style to quickly increase your energy level, and help you obtain other benefits. Practice it at a brisk for 40 minutes per day. Once you stick with this walking style, several months or years from now, you will truly wonder all benefits are coming to you. 

Why Practice

Walking is the most-recommended exercise. It is a simple way to keep you in shape and maintain good health. Guo’s style is more effective walking – because

1— It increases innate energy power. The sufficient innate energy represents the whole body physical strength is improved. Also the immune system is more capable. This is the medical results as well.

2— It relieves and prevents constipation. The mark of aging is the loose abdominal muscle and more belly fat. It means the intestine are less energy and active. The worse situation is that much more excreta cannot excrete at the first time and leave in the intestine for a long time. This will produce poison and decrease the function performance of the intestine. And it faster the aging of the body. Guo’s style walking helps intestine moving and reach the aim of preventing constipation.

3— It purifies lungs. Lungs control the energy distribution through breath. The activities of inhale and exhale impact on blood circulation. As long as lungs are in the healthy condition, blood circulation will be smooth.

4— It lessens stress. Walking generates the production of endorphins, which are a natural tranquilizer. Also it helps you put more attention on your inner harmony and catching your inspiration.

5— It promotes energy circulation. Opening-up shoulder blade creates smooth pathway for energy flowing from the San Jiao to the Back Jiao. 

Tips on the Walking Technique

Close your mouth, keep lips relaxed. Put your tongue touch upper jaw slightly.

Shoulders, head and eyes

1. Keep your shoulder relaxed.
2. When you spend up your arm swing, lift up shoulders as higher as you can. You can imagine the shoulders are touching the ears.
3. Head should be upright, eyes looking forward.

Arm work

1. Keep your hands relaxed.
2. Swing your arms forward and back and keep them close to your body. Your hands should not cross the midline of your body with one palm face to the navel area (Dan Tian), the other one face to the kidney area (Ming Men).
3. Keep your finger tips point to your body.
4. Keep your elbows at 90 degrees.

Torso

Keep your torso upright. Leaning forward or back will slow down the energy production and circulation. 

Footwork

1. Walk heel to toe and not flatfooted.
2. Contact the ground with your heel.
3. Roll the foot forward over the center of your foot.
4. Push off with your toes. 

Legwork

Walking produce upward energy through the tight to the Lower Jiao area, stimulating the Hui Yin area which is the energy manufacturer for the body. 

Speed

1. A common mistake for beginners is trying to walk fast. Just walk naturally with swinging your arm. During 40 minutes walking, there is no thinking, no concentration, no speed.
2. Several days and weeks walking, you are gaining more energy and walking fast unconsciously. 

 http://www.3396815.cn/en/Powered%20Walking.html

SHOD VS. BAREFOOT WALKING

 WHY DO HUMANS CHANGE THEIR STEP FREQUENCY?

Matthew B. Yandell, Karl E. Zelik
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
email: matthew.yandell@vanderbilt.edu, 
karl.zelik@vanderbilt.edu, 
web: https://my.vanderbilt.edu/batlab/

INTRODUCTION
Humans value economy of locomotion and seem to
adopt a step frequency while shod that minimizes
metabolic cost at a given walking speed [1]. It has
also been observed that humans increase their step
frequency when walking barefoot (as compared to
shod) [2,3]; however, the reason for this increase
has not been explained.

Taken together, these empirical observations indicate
that either: (1) removing the shoes changes gait
dynamics sufficiently such that it shifts the metabolic
minimum step frequency for a given walking
speed, or (2) humans adopt a new step frequency
when walking barefoot that does not minimize metabolic
expenditure.

The goal of this study was to determine which of
these two possibilities better explains the shift in
step frequency when walking barefoot versus shod.
We performed an experiment that compared shod
versus barefoot walking, and estimated metabolic
power as well as the relative effects of shoe-specific
properties (e.g., mass, height) on step frequency. A
secondary goal was to investigate changes in center
of mass (COM) mechanics for shod versus barefoot
gait.

METHODS
We studied 5 subjects (mean ± SD, 23 ± 4.3 years
old, 72.3 ± 16.0 kg, 177.4 ± 11.0 cm height) during
level walking on an instrumented split-belt treadmill
(Bertec). All subjects gave informed written consent
prior to participation. Three footwear variants were
tested: shod (using each subject’s personal athletic
shoes), barefoot, and weight-matched (WM) barefoot
(ankle mass was added to match shoe mass).
Each subject performed acclimation trials at 1.25
m/s to determine their baseline self-selected step
frequency for each footwear variant.

Next, each subject was asked to walk at 1.25 m/s
while matching a metronome frequency for the five
testing conditions in Table 1. A Cosmed K4b2 system
measured metabolic data for six minutes, and
ground reaction force (GRF) data was collected during
the last minute of each trial. Average metabolic
power during the last 2.5 minutes of each trial was
calculated from the equation given by Brockway
[4]. GRF data was low-pass filtered at 25 Hz (Butterworth,
3rd order, zero lag) and used to compute
individual limb COM power [5] for each limb. Statistical
comparisons between conditions were performed
using analysis of variance with Holm-Sidak
step down correction (alpha = 0.05).

Table 1: Conditions for each footwear variant
Footwear Variant
Step Frequency Shod Barefoot Barefoot WM
1.Shod SS X X X
2.Barefoot SS X
3.Barefoot WM SS X

We also estimated the effect of leg length difference
(barefoot vs. shod, due to shoe height) on step frequency
using regression equations reported in literature
[2,6].

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
We found that the barefoot and barefoot WM selfselected
step frequencies were significantly higher
than the shod self-selected frequency (P < 0.01, Table
2). No significant difference in step frequency
was observed between barefoot and barefoot WM
(P = 0.62). Mean shoe mass in this study was 296 g.

We observed from metabolic data that 4 out of 5
subjects exhibited a lower gross metabolic power
when walking barefoot at the shod self-selected step
frequency (~112 steps/min, Table 2) than barefoot
at the barefoot self-selected frequency (~121
steps/min). This difference did not reach statistical
significance, likely due to the low number of subjects.
However, through ongoing testing of additional
subjects we will attempt to distinguish if statistically significant differences exist.

The height of the shoe sole added 20 ± 6 mm (mean
± SD) to each participant’s leg length, as compared
to walking barefoot. Based on the published speedstep
length relationship [2,6], we estimated this 20
mm decrease in leg length when walking barefoot
would result in a 1.9 step/min increase in step frequency.
The predicted increase in step frequency
was substantially smaller than the empirical increase
of 8.4 step/min (Table 2) observed in this study.

Differences were also observed in COM power for
barefoot vs. shod gait, specifically in terms of a reduced
transient immediately following heelstrike
during barefoot walking.

Table 2: Self-selected (SS) step frequency for each
footwear variant/
Subject SS Step Frequency (steps/min)
Variant 1 2 3 4 5 AVG
Shod 112 123 103 112 111 112.2
Barefoot 118 130 118 119 118 120.6
Barefoot
WM 117 130 118 120 117 120.4

There are multiple factors which could contribute to
the increase in step frequency when a person transitions
from shod to barefoot walking. In this study
we sought to determine if properties of the shoe
could account for the altered dynamics.

We found that the addition of shoe mass to barefoot
walking had little to no effect on self-selected step
frequency, and thus did not account for the observed
barefoot vs. shod changes. Similarly, we estimated
that the reduction in leg length when walking barefoot
(due to the loss of shoe height) was only expected
to lead to a small increase in step frequency
(~1-2 steps/min), but this accounted for less than
25% of the observed barefoot vs. shod step frequency
increase, which was >8 steps/min.

Since these intrinsic shoe characteristics failed to
account for the observed change in step frequency,
other factors must be considered. One of these is
shoe length (and its effect on effective foot length),
which will be investigated in ongoing/future trials.
Another factor may be related to the subjective
comfort/discomfort experienced as a result of not
having shoe cushioning when walking barefoot.

Although it is difficult to define comfort, the lack of
cushioning when walking barefoot could have a
marked effect on a user’s subjective preference and
lead to altered behavior.

In summary, we found indications that when walking
barefoot, people may choose a self-selected step
frequency that is metabolically sub-optimal. The
increased step frequency observed for barefoot (as
compared to shod) walking was not well explained
by the mass or height properties of the shoe. We
speculate that cushioning provided by the shoe
and/or subjective user comfort may be significant
factors in the choice of self-selected barefoot walking
frequency, factors which are generally not integrated
into biomechanical walking models or our
theoretical understanding of gait. Shoe characteristics
could potentially be manipulated to encourage
desired locomotor behaviors, such as more favorable
biomechanics or reduced joint loading associated
with long-term injury risk.

REFERENCES
1. Zarrugh MY, et al. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 33, no.
4, pp. 293–306, 1974.
2. Grieve DW, et al. Ergonomics 9, no. 5, pp. 379–
399, 1966.
3. Lythgo N, et al. Gait and Posture 30, no. 4, pp.
502–506, 2009.
4. Brockway JM. Hum. Nutr. Clin. Nutr. 41, no. 6,
pp. 463–471, 1987.
5. Donelan JM, et al. J. Biomech. 35, no. 1, pp. 117–
124, 2002.
6. Kuo AD. J. Biomech. Eng. 123, no. 3, pp. 264-
269, 2001.

EXERCISE 15 : The Walking Breath

Of course, breathing accompanies our every action and is not something confined to our being still. Walking is a great way to relieve stress. But very often, in the stressed state, we take little notice of our breathing. Here is a fun way of taking notice of our breath and then introducing a rhythm to the simple but beneficial activity of walking.

EXERCISE 15

The Walking Breath

The exercise 15 is best practised outdoors, preferably away from traffic, but you could run through it indoors first.

• Get used to walking at a relaxed pace and notice the way you are breathing. Next try walking at different speeds and in different ways. What happens to your breathing?

• Now introduce a breathing rhythm to your favourite way of relaxed walking. Inhale to a count of four. 1, 2, 3, 4. Hold for a count of two, 1, 2. Exhale for a count of six. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Hold for a count of two, 1, 2.  Inhale again for a count of four. 1, 2, 3, 4. And so on. ( Inhale 4- Hold 2- Exhale 6- Hold 2)

• When you feel used to this simple rhythm, inhale to a count of four, hold for a count of two, and exhale to a count of eight. Check that your breathing rhythm and your walking rhythm are in harmony with each other.


The Walking Breath reminds you how you can enjoy the simple pleasure of walking. Once your breathing rhythm and walking rhythm are in harmony you can forget them and become aware of your surroundings, the way the commonplace may now reveal fascinating details that you never really noticed before. Establishing your link with the Breath of Unity in this way opens your awareness to the energies of your surroundings. You are open to feel your surroundings and feel how your body is positively adjusting to the absence of stress. 

The next EXERCISE 16 helps counter the effects of negative news and attitudes on your subtle energy system. Click Here to continue. 

EXCUSE # 18: I'M PREGNANT

(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.