The Power Of Going Barefoot

How often do you go barefoot? Our ancestors rarely wore shoes. In many parts of the world today, people do not wear shoes at all.  We have come to associate being barefoot with poverty or counter-culture. But there’s some surprising new thinking about the value of going barefoot over constantly wearing shoes.

Introducing some barefoot time to your day can strengthen your feet, improve conditions like plantar fasciitis and, in my experience, reduce pain in the neck, back, and knee.

Of course, for feet that have spent most of their lifetime wrapped in protective shoes, barefoot walking can be quite an adjustment.  The barefoot- or minimalist-style athletic shoes that reduce the amount of rubber between your foot and the ground brings some of the benefits of real barefoot walking, such as reduced joint pain and stronger feet.

Wearing shoes also disconnects us from the earth’s natural grounding current. It’s an extremely low electrical current that grounds the electrical charge of all things and beings connected to it.  But wearing shoes with non-conductive soles has cut us off from this natural grounding current.

Being disconnected from the earth’s natural grounding current and associated stream of free electrons is one cause of the free radicals in our bodies.  Free radicals are unstable molecules that cause accelerated cell aging. They have a positive electrical charge that is neutralized by the low but constant negative electrical charge of the earth. This counteracts the free radicals’ negative impacts on our health.  Contact with the earth’s electrical grounding may also help maintain an optimum pH level within our bodies.  And by reducing the free radicals, it appears that oxidative stress is reduced and healing is improved.

So, go for walks several times a day. Walk with a friend, when possible. And slip off your shoes for part of the walk so your feet can move, too.

How do you stay active?