Barefoot training and minimal shoes have gained popularity in the last few years. What’s the deal? One of the advantages of training on the beach is that I go barefoot all the time. Most clients see me without shoes and ask, should I go barefoot? Barefoot, or not to barefoot? That is the question. My typical answer is to go barefoot, especially when training on the beach in the sand. But I think there is merit to spending time barefoot even if you don’t happen to live near the beach. And if it’s not feasible to go barefoot, I highly recommend wearing a more minimal shoe. Here are three reasons why training barefoot will help you:
Grounding Effect
Toes in the sand. Feet on the grass. Can the simple act of walking barefoot reduce inflammation, eliminate stress and help you sleep better? Some new research seems to suggest so. While the study isn’t conclusive by any stretch, and walking barefoot surely isn’t going to fix our health problems overnight, it’s interesting nevertheless. I know I feel better the more time I spend barefoot. At the very least you can give it a shot and see how you feel.
Strong and Mobile Feet Equal Less Injuries
Muscles aren’t very smart. They’re quite dumb actually. And they certainly don’t get confused, as some people like to say. Muscles react to stimulus and if you don’t stimulate a muscle very often you’ll lose the ability to use it well. If you walk around housed up in a protective shoe all day long, those little muscles in your feet will not function properly. This can create all sorts of problems up the body, especially with the knees and hips, even as far up as the shoulder. Spend more time outside of a protective shoe to stimulate those muscles and stay injury free.
Better Feedback From Your Feet Equals More Quality Movement
When you are barefoot or wear a minimal shoe, the foot gives you more feedback. This extra information allows the body to move in a more natural way. The ankle joint is free to move around, leading to better positioning of the knee and hip joints while allowing the correct muscles to activate and move with better efficiency. All this leads to better performance, whether it’s surfing, walking, running, or playing with your kids.
After all this, remember to use caution and move slowly. Don’t do what I did. I read the book Born to Run a number of years ago, got inspired and went for a run barefoot on the beach. About a 1/2 mile into the run I strained my left calf and had to hobble back home. This is a perfect example of why you need to start slowly. My calf muscles weren’t ready for the extra force from running barefoot. Start slowly and build up to regular barefoot training over time, especially if you’re running longer distances.
