Gone are the days when walking barefoot was considered a kooky counter-culture trend. It has now become a scientifically proven way to enjoy several health benefits, such as improved sleep, reduced inflammation, and increased volume of antioxidants. The practice is also known as "earthing" and it involves walking barefoot on grass, soil, or sand. You have to be on a natural surface, which means walking on that sidewalk doesn't count. We'll discuss the benefits of walking barefoot on almost all tolerable surfaces as well as providing tips on how to maximize the benefits.
What Are the Benefits of Walking Barefoot?
Benefits of walking barefoot are quite impressive and inspire people to include this practice in their routine lives. Here’s a bit more about some interesting benefits of barefooting:
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Walking barefoot is a simple way to strengthen the stabilizing muscles of the ankle and feet. It will improve your overall balance and help you perform better as a sportsman.
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Walking barefoot will help prevent stability problems that affect the knee, ankle, and hip positions. Stronger feet are more likely to slow down the feet deterioration and make you less prone to injuries.
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The practice will gradually improve your proprioception that is your unconscious perception of space and movement within the space around you. This will help you connect to your environment, which in turn will improve your movement and balance.
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Going barefoot is a great way to strengthen your ankles, which helps prevent back and knee pain that often arises due to improper foot mechanisms.
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Barefoot walking will help improve your muscle alignment and strengthens your neuromuscular pathways of the leg. This in turn will improve the muscle firing sequence and you will move with more control.
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Barefoot walking engages your arch muscles and even strengthens your arches that will prevent several orthopedic problems.
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Going barefoot will improve the overall mobility and flexibility of your feet. This also gives you a wider range of motion.
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Wearing wrong shoes is usually the root cause of many foot problems – it may lead to issues like corns, bunions, hammertoes, athlete's foot, fallen arches, and ingrown toenails. Research has shown that barefoot walking will keep these foot problems at bay and even prevent calluses.
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Barefoot walking improves your Chi (Qi) and gives your entire body the strength it needs to perform day-to-day tasks. Your feet build a connection between your body and the ground, so walking barefoot will help release energy and improve energy flow throughout your body.
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Going barefoot is one perfect way to wake up your long-dormant muscles of the legs and contribute to overall health. Doing this will improve blood flow to your feet, and increased blood flow will translate into less pains and aches, warmer feet and legs, and less varicose veins. Other benefits include reduced chronic pain, improved sleep, improved energy, reduced stress and accelerated recovery from athletic activity. It also helps lessen menstrual and hormonal symptoms.
