An expert in energy medicine field and a biology professor at the University of Pittsburgh explains that walking barefoot can provide a feeling of well-being and improve health.
Years of extensive research has shown that connecting to the Earth's natural energy, by walking barefoot on grass, sand, dirt or rock can diminish chronic pain, fatigue and other ailments that plague so many people today. This connection is referred to as Earthing or Grounding.
One reason that running in bare feet could help strengthen your feet and arches is that landing with a mid-foot or forefoot strike can actually engage the muscles in your feet.
Benefits of Earthing
Dr. Jonathan Kaplan, a foot and ankle specialist and surgeon at Hoag Orthopaedic Institute, sheds some light on how Earthing improves the physical health of your feet:
- Better control of your foot position as it lands on the ground.
- Improves balance.
- Improves body awareness in relation to the surroundings. This is one of the reasons it is recommended that toddlers don’t wear shoes when first walking.
- By improving foot mechanics, it also helps in keeping your knees, hips, and the core in proper alignment and movement.
- Prevents your foot and ankle joints from exaggerated movements and range of motion which also allows for proper strength and stability in the muscles and ligaments in your ankle and legs.
- Decreases issues from shoes which don’t fit properly (i.e. bunions, hammer toes).
- Increases leg strength, which helps improve lower back strength.
I think we would be hard-pressed to find a better win-win situation. By walking, we exercise our muscles and cardiovascular system, improve our mental health, reduce stress and support our overall wellness. Simply taking our shoes off seems to multiply those benefits by allowing us to synchronize with the earth’s natural electric charge.
However, you should always be aware of your surroundings and make sure it's safe for you to walk barefoot (i.e. the terrain isn't sharp or has the potential to injure your feet). If you're wondering whether walking barefoot is the right move for you, it's always best to consult your primary doctor before hitting the grass.
Overall, it might be worth it to kick your shoes off once in a while. On an evolutionary level, it all makes complete sense: We evolved close to the earth, and it’s only relatively recently that we have been so keen to remove ourselves from nature.
Moreover, it also states that earthing would help to regulate both the endocrine and the nervous systems. Thus for a healthier mind and body, AYUSH suggests that you take a fixed amount of time to walk barefoot, thus taking in the positive energy from the Mother Earth.
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