Walking barefoot is not a commitment, it is not about claiming something. It's more about doing me good.
Aside from the beach in the summer, few of us walk barefoot on a regular basis. Socially unacceptable, walking barefoot both outside and at home is often seen as a hippie habit. And yet, letting your feet breathe and let them come into contact with the ground would have many benefits, for children and adults alike.
The main drawback (and the biggest argument against this practice) is that you risk getting hurt by stepping on a sharp object. It's true, but our feet have the means to compensate for this risk: the more we walk barefoot, the more resistant the skin becomes.
WE HAVE 200,000 NERVE TERMINATIONS
Children and adults who often walk barefoot have a better perception of their environment and more easily spot a sharp object to avoid. Feet have over 200,000 nerve endings, which makes them incredibly sensitive for precisely this purpose.
Babies particularly benefit from walking barefoot because it allows them to have a better feeling and awareness of the ground, they are more connected to their environment.
Going barefoot helps to strengthen their feet and legs while improving their proprioception, which is the unconscious perception of movement and orientation in space, resulting from stimuli located in your own body.
A BETTER BALANCE
No matter the physical shape, no one is safe from a fall! It is enough to have the shoe that stumbles on a pebble out of nowhere to stumble and fall.. walking barefoot would promote better balance and better coordination.
A German study published in the journal Frontiers in Pediatrics has thus highlighted a relationship between the motor skills of children (balance, jumping, speed) and the regular (or not) wearing of shoes. Collected from 819 children divided into several age groups and with different habits, the results show that subjects who are regularly barefoot are much better at the long jump exercise and the balance test.
Walking barefoot on uneven ground activates perception and stimulates the entire surface of the soles of the feet as well as the top of the arch of the foot, the highly innervated and most sensitive (for most people) part of the whole body.
In general, barefoot walking improves blood and lymphatic circulation. It also helps to reduce stress and improve sleep. It also allows an awareness of the environment, of the difference between walking on concrete and asphalt, on sand or grass.
VITAL ENERGY, FROM OUR BARE FEET TO THE HEAD
Our body works thanks to many systems: nervous, blood, digestive, lymphatic... But there is one well known for thousands of years by Asian medicine, admittedly a little shunned here: the energy system.
WE HAVE ELECTRICITY IN THE LEGS, DID YOU KNOW?
Barefoot, we are in fact connected to the very earth: our body “is mass” between heaven and earth. The entry and circulation of this vital energy are thus greatly facilitated. We do have electricity in our legs: walking barefoot would recharge the body. Studies have shown that this would prevent the oxidation of proteins; cellular communication would be greatly improved.
One of the main attractions of the barefoot movement is "grounding", that is, putting our skin in direct contact with the ground. This contact without intermediary is presented as a radical advance in the field of health. A study published in the National Library of Medicine found that grounding led to better sleep and pain relief because the earth's surface contains free electrons that are directly transferred to the human body.
WALKING BAREFOOT: RECONNECTING WITH THE SENSES
« The foot is our means of transport. It is the basis of our support on earth. We need this fixed point to be mobile, it's quite paradoxical. Without a fixed point, we are not coordinated, we float without having directions » explains Gil Amsallem, author of the book Walking barefoot, natural reflexology (Hachette Practical Editions). Beyond supporting us, the foot has other advantages, especially when it comes to walking barefoot. " We maintain, activate and improve all neuroelectric connections so that the body can function harmoniously. When we are barefoot, we capture more of the energies of the Earth”. The expert specifies, however, that this connection is not possible when we walk on varnished tiles, parquet, carpet or even synthetic wood. The energy emission is then blocked, which is not the case in contact with mineral elements such as stone or unvarnished tiles.
" When we are tired, depressed, the earth allows us to free and regenerate. You recharge your batteries when you walk barefoot.
BUILD MUSCLE BY WALKING BAREFOOT
Walking barefoot has another advantage: we build more muscle. " The foot is made up of many small bones articulated by muscles. The more we walk barefoot, the more we develop the articular system, and the more we make the foot intelligent and reactive. This allows us to be more stable. Muscles are there to control us. There are some on the front of the foot, on the back, below, on the sides. When they are efficient and balanced, we are sure to avoid disasters. and find your nose on the ground!
LET YOUR FOOT BREATHE
Walking barefoot at home can get bad press. It looks dirty. The foot is a part of the body that does not always have a good reputation. In other cultures such as Africa or the East, walking barefoot at home is well regarded. In Asia, shoes must be removed to keep outside elements out. When you return from work or an outing, try to adopt this reflex. It's so much more comfortable. You will feel soothed not to feel anything around your foot. Your feet will be able to breathe and so will you! There is something very physical.
Our foot is locked 80% of the time in our shoes. Walking barefoot releases important areas from an energy point of view, we have every interest in getting started and this from childhood. We run after our children to get them to put on their slippers, but let them walk and run barefoot at home! It is fundamental for them. There is a psychomotor development that takes place, and in addition, this ensures a better balance.