Spring is here and it won’t be long until flip flop season is upon us. Soon our feet will be unleashed from the restraints of winter boots and trainers. Embracing barefoot, some of the time, is hugely beneficial, not only for feet but for other parts of the body too. 65% of Connect Fitness classes are Barre classes, which are taken barefoot (or in nonslip socks). If you’re a Yogi or Pilates enthusiast, you’ll already be a member of the barefoot workout brigade. So, what are the benefits, and should we all be doing a bit more barefoot training?
Our feet are complex structures, each foot has 33 joints, 26 bones and over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments that work harmoniously to bear weight and allow movement of the body as a whole. Movement patterns generally start from the ground up, making our feet the critical point of contact between us and the ground below. This often neglected body part is unwittingly holding everything in place.
Feet provide a solid base for the whole body; any instabilities can affect gait (how you walk). If one small part is off kilter, you’ll compensate elsewhere – cue ankle, knee, hip issues! Strong feet will undoubtedly promote strong ankles, knees, hips, back and spine. The human body is a complicated kinetic chain which relies heavily on the foundations set below.
It may come as no surprise that feet affect balance and posture too. Having the ability to spread your toes wide and press down through all four corners of your feet will increase contact with the floor helping adopt an upright position with more control. The more rigid your feet, the more difficult it is to form a stable base. Working on foot mobility will improve balance and posture preventing falls and reducing back pain associated with poor posture.
Exercising barefoot will also elevate a workout to aid strength gains. Nerves and receptors in the feet send neurological signals through the body, reminding muscles to fire up. This enhances mind-body connection to increase muscle activation, which over time leads to improved strength, particularly in the lower body and core.
Barefoot is most beneficial in low impact exercise such as Barre, Yoga, Pilates & weight bearing resistance training. It’s best avoided for high impact or heavy weightlifting movements. If barefoot isn’t appropriate for the type of exercise you do, why not warm up or stretch barefoot to add foot awareness into your sessions. Or try rolling a tennis or massage ball under the sole of your foot each evening to improve mobility, your own personal foot massage! Start showing your feet some love and your whole body will feel the benefits.