The condition of your feet can impact your body in many different ways. Learn more about the benefits of walking barefoot!
Shoes are also very unnatural. Compressing the toes into pointed shoes, for example, can create problems with your gait, balance, muscles, and knees.
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Wearing the wrong footwear
Because you spend the majority of your day in shoes, it’s crucial to wear very comfortable shoes. Wearing the wrong footwear can increase your risk of developing foot and ankle conditions and injuries:
- Knee pain
- Low back pain
- Reduced range of motion
- Increased temperature of the feet
- Knee adduction
- A stiff Achilles tendon
- Reduced circulation
- Shortened calf length
- Corns
- Bunions (learn more about How to Fix Bunions in 3 Steps)
- Plantar fasciitis
Start looking for shoes that have less of a heel and are closer to the ground. They should also provide more space for your toes to help increase your stability.
What shoes are bad for you?
- High heels. Three- to four-inch heels change the alignment of your body, which puts extra stress on your legs, hips and back.
- Pointed-toe shoes, particularly high heels, that scrunch your toes together. These can aggravate an existing bunion, which is a hard lump on the joint of your big toe.
- Flip flops. Flat flip flops provide no support. Lack of proper foot support is a leading cause of plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis. Plantar fasciitis is caused by the excessive pull of the plantar fascia, an arch-supporting ligament, causing pain and inflammation at the heel.
- Ballet flats. Ballet flats are equally as bad for your feet as flip flops because they, too, provide little support.
Benefits of walking barefoot
A fantastic therapeutic exercise for your feet is walking barefoot on grass and sand. At first, your feet will feel tired, but they will get stronger over time.
Benefits of walking barefoot:
- A chance for your toes to spread
- More communication between your feet and the ground
- A decreased load on your joints
- An increased range of motion
- Increased stability and balance
Depending on the area I usually let my kids walk barefoot simply because it’s something I did when I was a child.
The only problem is walking barefoot is getting a cut when I was a kid I walked through the field with no shoes on and a nail or a piece of glass split my foot wide open
To be honest, walking barefooted on the grass in the morning is just so relaxing. The other benefits are just a bonus!