Walking barefoot is good for health
FROM OUR VERY FIRST STEPS AS TODDLERS, ALL THE WAY INTO ADULTHOOD, SHOES CAN WEAKEN OUR MUSCLES BY GIVING TOO MUCH SUPPORT. EXPERTS THINK MOST OF US COULD STAND TO GO BAREFOOT MORE OFTEN. THE BENEFITS REACH FAR BEYOND YOUR FEET
Walking barefoot strengthens the muscles in your feet, physiotherapist Ute Repschlaeger says. Noting that back pain and hip mis-alignments, for example, can be related to weakfoot muscles, Repschlaeger says that’s why it makes perfect sense to walk barefoot from time to time.
It also strengthens tendons and ligaments in the legs as well as muscles in the feet, all of which benefit mainly from having to react to the varied stimuli of different surfaces, says Ingo Froboese, headof the Centre for Health Through Sport and Exercise at the German Sport University in Cologne.
Depending on their design, your shoes can offer varying levels of support to the muscles in your feet. If they support the arches of your feet too much, it will only weaken the muscles.
However, if you depend on the shoes to support your feet and therefore wear special insoles, for example, it’s better to avoid barefoot walking, Repschlaeger says. The same goes for people with some kinds of malpositions.
SOFT SURFACES FIRST
Those who are walking barefoot for the first time outside should start on a soft surface like a meadow or beach. Asphalt quickly gets too hot in summer, and a forest floor is full of roots and stones, so both of these surfaces are unsuitable if you’re new to shoe-less jogging. So that the feet get used to the strain, you should start out running barefoot only over short distances. As you continue for longer distances, you may want to give your feet a break by putting on the shoes in between.
You’ll also want to be careful if you’ve recently suffered an injury, says Repschlaeger. After torn ligaments in the foot or knee, for example, targeted muscle development and proprioceptive training exercises for stability and balance on an unstable surface — are advisable before walking barefoot for longer periods.
KIDS SHOULD GO BAREFOOT TOO
The advice doesn’t just go for adults: from our very first steps onwards, shoes can bring disadvantages. In fact, when children are learning to walk, the arch of the foot develops best while walking barefoot, paediatricians say.
At a young age, shoes are only meant to protect children’s feet from cold, humidity and injuries, paediatrician Ulrich Fegeler says. Walking barefoot a lot also fosters flexibility and strength, so parents should let their children walk as much as possible without shoes — especially when the weather allows.
LOWER RISK OF BUNIONS
Those who walk or run barefoot also have a lower risk of getting bunions. That’s because barefoot walking strengthens the foot muscles and promotes the natural position of the foot and toes, treatment experts say. Despite popular belief, high heels are not the main trigger for the so-called halluxvalgus. Some people are just more vulnerable than others. Even a weak connective tissue, joint diseases or shortened tendons and muscles can lead to bunions. Some doctors recommend orthopaedic insoles to prevent the condition. The hallux valgus is especially painful when pressed against the wall of a shoe.