Benefits Of Being Barefoot, Especially Outside, and Even While Working Out

There are many benefits to being barefoot, especially outside, and even while working out that may sway you to make it part of your life.

I know it’s not feasible to be barefoot all of the time, and maybe you even have foot issues that require shoes, but know that it’s never too late to start spending time without wearing “feet prisons”(ha!) and connect more with the Earth & your body. Let’s briefly go over the benefits of walking around outside barefoot (known as grounding or earthing) and barefoot training… and then you decide for yourself if this is something you need to explore more!

There are now scientific findings about the effects of grounding (earthing) on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, which has led to many people reporting a reduction in pain and improved overall sense of well-being. You can READ MORE ABOUT the findings from multi-disciplinary research that has revealed that electrically conductive contact of the human body with the surface of the Earth (grounding or earthing) produces intriguing effects on physiology and health, as found in the NCBI/NIH/JIR online publications. Our modern society does limit our activity of direct contact with the Earth with our feet on a day to day basis, but I encourage my clients to make grounding a health habit for 10-15 mins on days when possible. Combine grounding (especially in the grass of your own yard/surroundings) with safe/limited direct sun exposure to convert the cholesterol in your skin to Vitamin D, and that’s even better! It’s said that the electrons from the Earth are absorbed into the body through the feet, plus you get exposure to your environment’s microbes which will enhance your gut’s microbiome, therefore giving you the immune boost.

Now, as my coaching name would suggest… BAREFOOT Fit Jess… I align with being barefoot (literally & metaphorically), and I get asked a lot about working out barefoot. I actually have always worked out barefoot ever since I started consistently training a decade ago, and as a Fitness Studio owner, I encourage my members to go barefoot during the workouts as well. Obviously, it’s an option, and if you’re used to working out with shoes on… definitely take it slowly to free your feet as to avoid injury, but you’ll reap several benefits from it if you make the switch.

Barefoot Training can lead to better balance, strength, and agility, because you not just strengthen your foot muscles, but when your body is directly exposed to the ground there’s more biofeedback that occurs & more quickly. Your body and your brain are more in sync. There’s also findings that posture is improved when we go barefoot more often. The main benefits to working out barefoot are increased proprioception, or one’s sense of self as you move; increased ability to produce force; and increased muscle recruitment. It’s hard to find the shoes that are the right fit for your feet AND the purpose you need them, and it actually creates a more unstable surface for you. Although, I know the shoe industry has profited off the idea that we NEED shoes to function properly (it’s just not true).

So, in short, there are numerous benefits to being barefoot, especially outside, and even while working out… start small and GET BAREFOOT!

Resources:

Oschman, James L.; Chevalier, Gaétan; Brown, Richard. March 24, 2015. The effects of grounding (earthing) on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4378297/