Why walking outside barefoot can make a difference

As a kid I was often running around without shoes on my feet from May until October. I also was a gymnast which required no shoes for at least 16 hours each week, all year long.Till this day I only put on shoes when I absolutely have to. There’s something about being barefoot outside that is invigorating. You can feel the soft grass give beneath your weight, and the mud squish between your toes after a summer rainstorm. 

Now, what if I told you that walking barefoot outside is good for you? Are you skeptical? I was once too. 

Walking barefoot now has a term, it’s called “earthing”. Which essentially, means walking without shoes on grass, dirt, or sand. Anything that is a natural surface and a part of the Earth. The Earth has electrons which are actually beneficial to our bodies when we come in direct contact with them. Studies were done in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health that show how the electrons in the Earth improve our health from circulation to a boosted immunity. 

This is all great, but I decided to focus more on how walking barefoot outside can make us feel. Walking barefoot allows our feet to get feedback for our bodies through touching the ground. Think of it this way. What if you wore winter gloves on your hands all of the time. You touched and experienced everything around you with a layer between you and the world. Just as our hands get to feel dirt, water, grass, and sand, our feet should get to do the same. 

Here are three key reasons why walking barefoot can have a positive impact on your life. 

1. Better posture

Years of wearing shoes actually worsens our posture. When we put on walking shoes we aren’t only wearing a “traditional” shoe, we are wearing a higher heel of about 1-2 inches. This small lift changes the way we stand. It causes us to tilt forward more placing a strain on our hips, knees, and hamstrings. When we take off our toes we are actually reversing the poor posture that we adopted during the day. It’s an endless tug-of-war. The less time you wear shoes the better posture you can assume. 

2.Reflexology benefits

There are nerves on the bottom of our feet that become stimulated when we walk barefoot outside. Our immune system responds to the stimulated nerves, which in turn reduces blood pressure, inflammation and pain within the body, as well as stress and tension. Being barefoot more allows our body to become better equipped at healing itself.

3. Better balance and stronger feet

When we don’t have any shoes on all of the pressure points on our feet are exposed. This allows our brains to process more information while we are walking, giving us a better sense of balance. We learn when to put more pressure on our toes or the balls of our feet, when we are walking across stones or rocks, for instance. Or when to put more pressure on the sides of our feet, like when we are walking across hot sand at the beach in the summer. 

It’s important to mention that of course there is a time and a place for walking around without shoes. But next time the weather permits, give it a chance. Take the time to venture outside, walk around your yard and feel the earth underneath your feet while you wiggle your toes. Spend some time with nature that is more intimate and free than you are used too. You’ll either experience some health benefits or realize the simple joy of wandering without shoes on. Either way there’s something to gain. 

XO

Tava