BEING BAREFOOT INCREASES CHILDREN’S BALANCING SKILLS

Berlin, July 11: Children and adolescents who spend most of their time barefoot tend to develop motor skills differently and are better at jumping and balancing, scientists say.

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Pediatrics, is the first study to assess the relevance of growing up shod vs barefoot on jumping, balancing and sprinting motor performance during different stages of childhood and adolescence.

The study shows habitually barefoot that children are noticeably better at jumping and balancing compared to habitually shod children, particularly from 6- 10 years of age.

The research highlights the importance of barefoot exercise for motor development as children grow and mature.

“Walking barefoot is widely thought to be more natural, and the use of footwear has long been discussed as an influencing factor on foot health and movement pattern development," said Astrid Zech, a professor at University of Jena in Germany.