Why is it good to walk barefoot? What are the benefits of walking without shoes?
Surely you still remember your parents or grandparents yelling at you when you were a child to put on your shoes, that if you didn't you were going to catch a cold, you were going to hurt yourself, etc...
In the height of summer, your feet spend most of their time seeing the light of day. At this time there are very few of us who hesitate to take off our shoes so that our feet can breathe (After all, walking barefoot can be very liberating). Have you tried it?
Is it good for your health to walk barefoot?
The feet have many nerve endings and when we walk barefoot we stimulate them. If we do it on natural and safe surfaces such as grass, sand or in our homes, among other benefits, we will notice a great improvement in the circulation of our legs.
Stimulate your foot muscles:
Walking barefoot is beneficial for health since we give our feet a great rest due to the Pressure that is usually caused by footwear and humidity that is generated in the foot.
Taking off our shoes allows us stimulate and work those muscles that are annulled or atrophied.
Helps calm anxiety and stress:
Sometimes the current rhythm of life produces stress, anxiety and nerves. Walking barefoot @ helps unblock contained emotions that then trigger other diseases.
In our feet there are many Nerve endings and it is recommended that our plant has direct contact with the pavement to release stress, thus strengthening the nervous system.
Improves the structure of our body and cognitive development:
Walking without shoes helps to align the joints and improves the anatomical space. In babies and small children, It is recommended that they walk barefoot at home. In this way their development will be complete and they will strengthen their safety while they learn to walk when coming into direct contact with the pavement.
Improves blood circulation:
Walking without shoes improves blood circulation as the muscles are in contact with different surfaces such as grass, earth, sand, parquet, etc... In the feet there is a deep circulatory network that drives blood to the heart.
Reduces back pain and strengthens muscles and ligaments:
Much of the back pains are caused by spending a lot of time on your feet, with high heel shoes the badly shod con.
Walking barefoot on smooth surfaces will relax your foot muscles and help relieve some back pain. This type of surface allows correcting imbalances in movements, strengthening the muscles, bones of the feet and ankles, achieving a greater contribution to the body.
Consequences of walking without shoes...
Walking barefoot can cause foot infections:
Walking barefoot through humid and unclean areas can make us catch some fungus or another and/or bacteria...
The people that have diabetes or who often work with closed shoes are more prone to foot infections. In particular, diabetics have to take special care and prevent foot injuries that can later ulcerate. Diabetes can cause neuropathy by reducing sensation in the feet. These people should be very careful and do it on safe and clean surfaces.
Where is it better to walk barefoot? Recommendations:
In the home, the sand or the grass.
Walking barefoot at home or on some surfaces such as beach sand or grass is very positive for podiatric health. They are safe places to start this practice if you are not used to going barefoot.
The fine sand will give youa foot massage” removing impurities while relaxing them.
Avoid going barefoot in public places. Take care of the health of your feet but do not forget to protect them. in the iSports facilities such as gyms, changing rooms or swimming pools deer flip flops for avoid the spread of fungi, papillomas or any infection It spreads with simple contact.
Who is recommended to go barefoot?
In babies, it is more recommended that they walk barefoot than with slippers. They will better develop the motor neuronal connection, it helps them recognize the terrain, locate themselves better in space and enhance their safety day after day.
Caution with people with diabetes, the disease changes the normal hydration of the skin, which can lead to cracking and infection. They must be very careful and do it on safe and clean surfaces.
In older people, it helps to eliminate muscle tension caused by sitting or lying down for a long time. And remember that before feeling pain or any discomfort, it is always a good time to look and check your feet Request your podiatric study!
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What is minimalist footwear?
The Minimalist footwear is one that tries to interfere as little as possible with the innate movements of the foot, freeing it from artificial supports and respecting its anatomical shape as much as possible to achieve the most natural footprint possible when walking or running, as we would if we were barefoot.
Human beings are bipedal, our feet support the weight of the entire body for hours and are generally the most abused part.
It is important that we are aware of the importance of the feet, not only as a support but also as an essential base to maintain the correct functioning of other joints and avoid problems or injuries derived from a bad step.
Characteristics of minimalist footwear:
Until a few years ago, minimalist footwear did not have specific characteristics that determined it as such.
With this objective, a test was developed to determine the degree of minimalism of a certain footwear and a definition could be specified based on specific parameters.
The characteristics that a shoe must have to be considered within the minimalist category are:
- Flexibility so that there is no interference with the natural movement of the foot and allows free movement.
- Lightness and low weight.
- "Zero Drop", little or no inclination between the toe and the heel, that is, the sole must be almost flat and not very thick, which will also favor greater sensitivity with respect to the ground.
- Absence of damping, control or stability elements.
- Wide toe box, so that it does not exert any pressure on the fingers.
Types of footwear:
Taking into account the concepts specified above, several types of footwear can be differentiated:
- Conventional footwear, which provides the foot with a greater "Drop", more support and also cushioning.
- Intermediate footwear, which due to its characteristics is between conventional footwear and minimalist footwear.
- Minimalist footwear, which respects the anatomy and freedom of movement of a bare foot, as we will see below when learning about its particularities in detail.
- The minimalist sandals, inspired by the style of the Tarahumara tribe, famous for their characteristic rubber sandals and leather straps called "huaraches" that they make themselves.
Origin of minimalist footwear:
The use of footwear began thousands of years ago with the sole functionality of protecting the feet by covering them.
It was a minimalist shoe composed solely of leather or bark and with the only support of tied strings, that is, very different from what we know today as conventional footwear. It was not until the early 19th century that there are signs of the first "sports" shoes, to which rubber was added to make them more durable, and almost 100 years later the first running shoes were created by adding studs to the sole with the intended to provide greater grip on the ground and better traction. As we can see, originally, footwear was not designed with so many gadgets or ornaments, it was just a way to protect the feet.
Why wear minimalist footwear?
The human species has been running races for more than two million years, even to hunt or to survive. And, if our genetics have not changed, why should footwear?
Our feet, as Leonardo da Vinci said, are a piece of engineering and their bones, joints, muscles and nerve endings are prepared for their functions.
Minimalist footwear is lighter than conventional footwear, which is why it saves energy for our body and causes less chafing, since it also avoids any type of friction or pressure on the limb.
This type of footwear strengthens the foot and leg and, as it does not have cushioning or insoles with reinforcements, it is more stable and prevents damage due to sprains, for example.
The cushioning of certain shoes may make them more comfortable, but not necessarily more convenient for the health of our feet.
On the other hand, raising the heel causes the Achilles tendon to shorten, shifting the weight of the body towards the toes and causing poor posture that overloads the pelvis and various areas of the back such as the lower back or the neck.
The feet suffer from numerous ailments today, related to shoes and the solution offered to remedy them is usually insoles.
But these do not correct the root of the problem, since the atrophy of the bones and/or muscles of our feet is due to the use of incorrect footwear.
In addition, conventional footwear is usually narrow at the toe, which causes deformities in the toes that are very frequent and painful. The use of conventional footwear, especially due to its elevation in the soles and heels, affects the plantar fascia and reduces the range of movement of the ankle, which favors the wear of joints, muscles and bones, in addition to altering body posture by walking or running, especially affecting the knees, hips and back.
In conclusion, the benefits of regular use of minimalist footwear are numerous: it strengthens the muscles of the feet and legs, improves balance and reduces general tension. All this thanks to the feeling of freedom generated by walking with this type of footwear and the possibility of feeling more precisely the surfaces that are stepped on.
* If you have found the topic interesting and you have decided to test some of these shoes, in the next one 👉 link you will find a wide range of them so that you are encouraged to try their great benefits!