The Health Benefits Of Going Barefoot Outside

#1

Studies that have been done on this have shown that, when your feet are in direct contact with the ground, they get a large amount of benefits for your body’s health as well as your mind’s. As we all know, there are many nerve endings in your feet that, when they come into contact with the ground, help remove harmful elements from your body like stress and anxiety.

What’s most recommended is doing it directly on the ground, on the grass and in the outdoors, but when you don’t have this possibility, you can also do it in your house on the floor, whether you have wood or cement floors.

#2 Improves the Balance

When our soles of the foot come in contact with the ground, our vestibular system (balance & coordination system) stimulates; thus, our balance is improved and the loop of the neural circuits remapped.

In the older age, we lose our balance and coordination more rapidly due to the inevitable degeneration in the neurons of our brain. So, if you’re walking barefoot on the grass, the potential signals sent from the receptors of the soles empower your neural circuits.

#3 Burn Calories

The energy used to strengthen those muscles has to come from somewhere. You can expect to burn approximately 50% more calories by walking or running on sand than you would on paved ground.

#4 Improve your eye health

Believe it or not, you can help your eyes when you go walking barefoot. As mentioned above, the foot is connected to every part of the body and these include your eyes. When you walk, you will notice you give emphasis on your first, second, and third toes. These are the reflexology points for your eyes, particularly the second and third toes.

#5 Clear Your Mind

It’s hard not to pay attention to every step when you’re walking barefoot. You have to be on the look out for sharp rocks and thorns. Awareness of what’s in front of you in this moment quiets your inner chatter and clears your mind and helps you focus on the here and now.

#6 Improves circulation

Going barefoot not only wakes up long-dormant muscles of the feet and legs, but gets more blood flow to the feet and legs to get them going. This increased blood flow means less aches and pains, less varicose veins, and warmer feet and legs in the winter.

#7 It can help you improve your Sleep

Earthing influences physiologic processes and induces relaxation. It has been observed that People who were exposed to grounding had a better night’s sleep compared with those who did not walk barefoot regularly. Earthing is believed to stabilize circadian rhythms, which explains why many people experience a better night’s sleep

#8 Improves Your Overall Posture

Shoes force our feet into unnatural and restraining positions, so going barefoot forces us to walk and stand the way we would naturally.Once you kick off your shoes, your body will reset back into a natural, comfortable, and more relaxed position — but one that’s also a bit straighter and not as tight.

This will also happen when you walk, and your feet move and balance naturally.

#9 Earthing Can Reduce Stress

In addition to leading to better sleep, earthing may also have the ability to reduce stress — an important health benefit in today’s hectic, exhausting world. The same electrical brain activity that leads to better sleep also helps a person feel less stressed. The improved sleep, relaxation and “time out” with nature that also come along with walking barefoot all help contribute to reduced levels of stress and anxiety.

#10 Eases Back ache

Shoes disturb our sense of equilibrium along with promoting a faulty weight distribution which puts unnecessary strain on our spine which leads to back ache. Walking barefoot helps correct our posture and equilibrium along with promoting an equal weight distribution, which eases the strain off the spine and reduces the back ache in the process.

#11 Improves Nervous System

Walking barefoot stimulates the acupuncture points of the foot and this in turn helps in stimulating the nerves and veins. This improves the nervous system of our body. Pain caused by varicose veins, especially in diabetic patients, can be reduced if they regularly walk barefoot.

#12 Muscle Development

This then further impacts on your muscle development. First and foremost your feet will not be involved at all in the way you walk – they will be insulated inside the shoe on a permanently flat surface and will not be able to grip or adapt to the surface – they become obsolete and the muscles in our feet are wasted as a result.

Then at the same time the fact that your legs are hitting the floor in a strange order means that you end up with too much muscle development in some areas and not enough in others – and that can lead to imbalances that result in knee pain, backache and other problems.

#13 Helps you Grow taller

You will stand taller and with better posture. When you feel the ground, you gain awareness of your body and your posture. You feel all of your muscles firing. You can feel if you’re hunched, if you’re pooching out your belly, or if you’re sagging at the knees. This immediate feedback helps you tighten your core and stand tall. You stand more erect, you eliminate your slouch, your shoulders stop rolling forward, you tuck your pelvis underneath you, and you stand more like a ballet dancer.

It won’t be just you who notices this; those around you, and your chiropractor if you see one, will notice as well. Who said you have to start shrinking with age.

#14 Strengthens the Immune System

Though, you’re away from the various infections due to your intact immune system but it should be strengthened as well to fight with the different microorganisms. Surprisingly, the soles of the foot are supplied with the numerous sensory receptors and nerve endings, which send the positive vibes to our brain for making our immune system more powerful and prepared for attacking on any foreign body. Hence, you should opt for the barefoot walk to raise the level of your immunity.

#15 Develops Better Senses

When you walk barefoot you have to be more alert, aware and present in this moment because you have to watch where you’re walking. It takes walking subconsciously and makes it conscious again which makes you conscious and present which is a valuable gift.

Walking barefoot also stimulates the nerves and pressure points on the bottom of the foot which can help to bring chi energy (life force, prana, different cultures have different names for this) to different areas in the body associated with those pressure points on the bottom of your foot.

#16 Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease

Earthing increases the surface charge of red blood cells. This results in the reduction of clumping in the cells, which therefore decreases blood thickness. Since high viscosity has been directly linked as a risk factor in heart disease, earthing therefore reduces the risk of heart disease significantly.

#17 Decreased blood pressure.

​Studies show that by stimulating the nerve endings on the bottom of the feet, we can decrease blood pressure and the parasympathetic (cortisol) fight or flight response of the body. In other words, we decrease stress and inflammation throughout the entire body.

#18 Lessen the Severity of Menstrual Cramps

Imbalance of the hormones can lead to several mental and physical problems. Premenstrual syndrome in women can cause mood-swings, stomach aches, headaches, gain in weight, constipation, acne and few other symptoms. Walking barefoot can help in decreasing these symptoms.