It might seem hard to believe, but taking your shoes off and standing, walking or running barefoot could have profound health benefits, including more effective self-healing, reduction in pain and inflammation, better sleep and more energy.
This connection of bare feet to the Earth is known as grounding, and the concept itself is quite simple. By joining the soles of your feet to the Earth’s negative surface charge, you can connect with this natural energy, which helps stabilise the electrical charges that run through our bodies. Think of it like plugging into the electrons within the Earth’s surface and harnessing that energy to help stabilise the body.
No Need to Wear Shoes
For us in the modern world, ditching our shoes, which we have always been conditioned to wear whenever leaving the house, and walking, or even running, barefoot, might seem quite strange and awkward.
But take a moment to ponder that humans wearing shoes is actually a modern concept, with the first running shoes only being invented in the 1970s. As humans, we survived for millions of years without wearing shoes.
The fact is, our feet were designed to do their job without the aid of shoes. The main benefit of shoes is that they protect our feet from injury when we step on sharp objects. Yet, the benefits of walking barefoot could outweigh those of wearing shoes.
Benefits of Walking and Running Barefoot
For example, it is claimed that there is a lower risk of injuries, such as sprained ankles, when walking or running barefoot. This is due to the change in how we walk or run when wearing shoes compared to when we’re not. The way shoes cushion impact also changes how the foot moves and the speed of our steps. Many running shoes have been found to cause runners to strike the ground with the heel first, increasing the risk of injury.
Runners who go barefoot land on their forefoot or flat foot, which reduces the collision force that often causes repetitive injury. Therefore, running barefoot actually protects the feet and legs from impact-related injuries. Does all this sound impossible? Well, think of marathon runners in Africa who run long distances without shoes and without pain or injury.
So, running barefoot not only means you will be less likely to suffer injury, but you will also get the benefits from grounding. Wearing shoes with insulating soles means that you are disconnected from the Earth’s powerful electrical rhythms and free electrons that bring with it health benefits. Going shoe-free taps you into the free electrons from the ground so that every part of the body can recalibrate with the electrical environment of all the tissues and cells in the body. Taking off your shoes and allowing your skin to touch the ground can aid in tissue repair and ease muscle pain. Grounding can also lower your risk for cardiovascular disease and other problems, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis.
Precautions before Starting Barefoot Running
Before you start running barefoot, there are a few things to be aware of before you go throwing out your running shoes.
It is likely that you are in the habit of running with shoes, but running in the same style barefoot can put too much weight on the heels, potentially leading to injury. Your gait will be naturally different when you go barefoot, because your feet are conditioned to move in a particular way while wearing shoes, and this needs to be adjusted.
It is recommended to start by walking barefoot for short distances and then gradually progress to running longer distances over time. As you start to walk and run barefoot more frequently, your feet, ankles, knees and hips will naturally change position in response to the terrain. It is also recommended that you start by running on softer surfaces before moving onto harder ones so that the skin on your feet’s soles will harden.
Grounding is not just a gimmick – it is backed by sound scientific reasoning – so give barefoot walking, running or even just standing a go and notice the difference in your health and overall well-being.
