Kick your shoes off!

Air your toes and feel the ground / Photo: Kim Woojeong on Unsplash

Research is increasingly showing us that walking barefoot, also known as grounding, can offer several potential health benefits, including improved balance, reduced pain, and better foot health.  Here's how:

Improved Balance and Proprioception

Walking barefoot enhances your body's awareness of its position in space and improves your ability to maintain balance. 

Strengthened Feet

The muscles and tendons in your feet become stronger as they adapt to different terrains, reducing foot-related injuries and conditions like plantar fasciitis. 

Reduced Pain

Some studies suggest that barefoot walking may reduce pain and inflammation by promoting better circulation and restoring balance in the body. 

Better Foot Mechanics

Going barefoot can improve foot mechanics, which may lead to better mechanics in your hips, knees, and core. 

There's more to walking in the sand than we ever imagined / Photo: Unsplash

If you haven't really walked barefoot since you were a toddler, here are a couple of tips on how to go about it:

Start Slowly

Gradually increase the amount of time and distance you walk barefoot to allow your feet to adapt. 

Choose Safe Surfaces

Opt for soft, even surfaces like grass, sand, or indoor carpeting, and avoid hot, sharp, or contaminated areas. 

Use minimalist or barefoot shoes

When out in public places, but again, start breaking them in slowly by walking in them for 5 min a day - it's a shock for our feet muscles when all of a sudden they have to start working again

Avoid

The last places on earth where you should walk barefoot are public places like pools or gyms. You want to avoid fungal infections like athlete's foot and warts.

Go on Just Do It! (see what I did there?) / Photo: Unsplash