Walking Barefoot – Why It Is Good For You

By Author: stephaniecutter
Total Articles: 108
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Modern lifestyles; our so called civilized living, has created a huge disconnect between the ordinary person and nature. We live in homes that ‘protect’ us from heat and cold; we work in offices that are equipped not to let us know whether it is night or day. We are so out of touch with the elements that we scarcely realize what the weather is like outside, surviving from day to day in our own artificial little cocoons.

Though footwear came into being to protect our feet from cuts, abrasions and so on, as well as to protect them from scorching heat or chilling cold, we have come to regard footwear as a virtue in itself. It has become associated with fashion, status and so on; with the kind of footwear you choose to wear communicating much about what and who you are. We are cautioned by footwear manufacturers against the dangers of going barefoot, and various establishments will bar entry to those who dare to go barefoot.

The problems with shoes

No matter what the shoe manufacturers will tell you, footwear has also given rise to various problems – it alters our natural gait, limits the mobility and ...
... flexibility of our feet, and may even cause structural problems such as inward curled toes and flat feet.

We also know that the vanity of high heeled shoes not only means that women spend significant portions of a day in great discomfort and also the possibility of a shortened calf muscle as a result of high heeled shoes.

As for the infections that can emerge from tight and sweaty footwear… well that is a whole other set of problems (foot massage techniques).

It has to be understood that many the so called ‘dangers’ of going barefoot such as cuts, abrasions and so on occur because our feet have never been allowed to develop the kind of tough skin that will protect us from all of this. Consider how primordial societies who eschew footwear seem to manage just fine without shoes of any kind even when living close together with the elements.

Benefits of going shoeless

There is growing evidence to suggest that going barefoot, and reestablishing our connection with the earth, so to speak, may actually have several positive health implications for us –

• Walking barefoot relaxes feet and helps them overcome the tiredness that comes from being imprisoned in shoes all day long.

• It can help to resolve some cases of flat feet and even straighten toes in some cases.

• Barefoot walking, particularly in the grass or on the bare earth helps one renew their life force or what Chinese healers refer to as Qi.

• There have been studies to suggest that walking barefoot could improve conditions such as osteoarthritis since shoes can increase ankle and knee stress.

• There is also one view that walking barefoot in grass can have a beneficial impact on the eyes because of the gentle pressure patterns that the grass creates on the soles of the feet. Or it could just be that the soothing environs of the outdoors and the visual delight of the color green is good for our eyes.

Author Bio:

Stephanie writes on alternative medicine, alternative health, natural remedies, alternative therapies, ayurveda, massage therapy, acupuncture, hypnosis, yoga, holistic medicine and other alternative treatments.