4 unexpected benefits of walking around barefoot and how to do it safely
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Shoes off, dogs out — barefoot walking might just be the natural remedy you’ve been missing.While most of us are used to ditching our shoes at the beach, experts say there are unexpected health benefits to doing the same in our daily routines.“I’m a big advocate for going barefoot at home,” Dr.Robert Conenello, a licensed clinical podiatrist, told HuffPost. He explained that the main benefit is strengthening the muscles in our feet, which tend to weaken as we age and wear shoes.
These muscles are crucial for overall mobility, and when they deteriorate, it can lead to limited movement as we get older.“Many of the pathologies that I see in my practice are due to the inability to engage these muscles for normal movements and metabolic efficiency,” Conenello said, noting that even socks can interfere with natural movement.A 2021 study in Nature found that participants wearing minimalist footwear increased their foot strength by an average of 57.4% over six months, while also improving balance and lowering the risk of falls. Walking barefoot can also help restore our natural walking patterns, also known as our gait.“Our feet are actually really strong and resilient and can cope with the demands we place on them, but we don’t use them as nature intended,” Rina Harris, a functional podiatrist based in London, told National Geographic.
“We have 33 joints in our feet, and [our feet] move on three different planes.So they’re meant to mold to the terrain we walk on.” However, Harris noted that most modern shoes are relatively narrow, forcing toes to scrunch together due to limited space.
This restricts the natural spread of our toes when walking, which can alter our gait and potentially lead to deformities like bunions over time.And those cushioned midsoles? They can prevent you from using certain muscle groups and reduce sensory input, making it harder to feel the ground beneath you, which can contribute to poor posture and musculoskeletal issu...