7 Reasons Why You Should Go Barefoot

It’s time to embrace small and easy habits into our lifestyle that will improve our quality of life. Going barefoot is included in this list of habits. Walking itself has many benefits to our lives. First of all it can be done at no cost, while breathing fresh air and enjoying creation. In addition walking requires little effort from us, but still strengthens the muscles, helps in reducing weight and improves lung endurance and all this without risk to our joints.

When walking barefoot the list of benefits lengthens.

1. Helps reduce stress and anxiety.

A walk on sand/grass with bare feet helps to relax and reduce stress. The feet receive a massage from the surface that helps to lower blood pressure. The friction of the foot on the ground creates a massage similar to the acupressure method based on Chinese medicine, a method in which pressure is applied to healing points scattered across the body.

2. Improves posture and stability.

Walking barefoot improves posture because it forces the small muscles in the feet to work and strengthens them. In addition the muscles of the legs, tendons and joints in the foot work in a much more harmonious and holistic way. Strengthening the muscles and joints in the legs helps to improve posture and prevent back pain. Furthermore the brain learns to pay attention to the signals sent to it from the foot and the connection between them is strengthened, which contributes to balance and posture.

3. Natural peeling.

Walking on rough surfaces (like sea sand, soil and rocks) causes natural exfoliation of the foot. Dead skin cells will be removed and the skin of the foot will be smoother. An added bonus if you go barefoot in the sea is that the salt water softens the skin.

4. Improving blood circulation.

As I mentioned already, walking barefoot encourages the use of small muscles in the feet to help the body balance and sends signals to the brain. Using these muscles stimulates blood circulation. In addition, the free movement of the foot without shoes allows the bones, joints, tendons and muscles in the foot to move more flexibly, which also improves the flow of blood in the feet.

5. Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Studies have shown that walking barefoot reduces the chances of coagulation in red blood cells and reduces the viscosity of red blood cells, the leading causes of heart disease and vascular disease.

6. Reduces inflammation.

Inflammation is most often caused by free radicals (a molecule with unpaired electrons) but when walking on a natural surface a process called “grounding” occurs. Grounding is basically the attraction of the positive charge of free radicals from our body to the negative charge in the soil.

7. Connection to ground.

In addition to attracting the negative electrons the grounding process creates a connection between our body and Earth, which helps our energy flow and our connection to our body and nature. Direct contact with Earth causes mechanisms from ancient times to be activated in our brains. These mechanisms allow us to connect to the present moment and the environment.

Now is the time to thank our feet that allow us to explore this amazing world and help us move in it with ease and stability. It’s time to treat our bodies with love and respect and with the help of small (and barefoot) steps to improve our quality of life, good luck!