Ten Good Reasons For Going Barefoot If You Can
Do you make a habit of going barefoot when you can? It can be very liberating but it can also be very good for you!
Earthing or grounding (as it is known) means that your bare feet draw electrons from the earth. Different studies have found many benefits from these electrons including:
- Changing the electrical activity in the brain to lessen pain
- Improving skin conductivity
- Moderating heart rate variability
- Improving glucose regulation
- Reducing stress and
- Boosting immunity.
Earthing or grounding is the simple act of walking without shoes
Making the effort to spend more time barefoot in nature helps us to re-connect with a more natural way of living.
Here are those top ten reasons:
1. Reduce pain and inflammation
In one research study, twelve people slept on conductive mattress pads, that mimicked the effects of sleeping directly on the earth, for eight continuous weeks.
Before the study, all the participants complained of pain, stress and insomnia. But after the test period, scientists discovered a noticeable reduction in the patients' cortisol levels with all of them reporting that their pain, stress and insomnia had either been greatly reduced or had disappeared entirely.
2. Improve your sleep patterns by stabilizing circadian rhythms
The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine has reported that people who had been exposed to grounding had a better night’s sleep compared with those who did not walk barefoot regularly.
3. Strengthen the immune system
That same Journal of Environmental and Public Health reported that researchers found that walking barefoot could actually decrease white blood cell count while increasing red blood cell count, meaning a positive immune response.
4. Reduce the risk of heart disease
A further study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that earthing increases the surface charge of red blood cells, leading to a reduction of clumping in the cells and a decrease in blood thickness. Because high viscosity has been directly linked as a risk factor in heart disease, earthing can therefore help to reduce risk of heart disease.
5. Regulate the nervous system to reduce anxiety and stress
Being outdoors invariably improves our well being by helping to regulate emotions and balance the nervous system. The additional advantage of earthing (when the body comes in contact with the soil directly) further decreases anxiety and stress.
6. Lessen the severity of menstrual cramping
We have already written how grounding reduces pain so it follows that walking barefoot can ease menstrual cramps too. Going outdoors and letting your bare feet connect with the earth will help those monthly painful episodes.
7. Help to loosen up tense muscles
Earthing has been found to prevent delayed onset muscle soreness from occurring after engaging in physical exercise. The same benefits can be applied to other situations that cause tense muscles. Working at your desk all day is one example.
8. Reduce or eliminate headaches and migraines
In some cases, migraines have been linked to prolonged exposure to radiation. Earthing will ground the body and reduce free radicals, helping to alleviate headaches and migraines.
9. Earthing boosts energy levels
What could be more natural - and any and every time you immerse yourself in the natural world, you pick up on the higher frequencies emitted from nature and increase your own energy levels.
10. Going barefoot in the ocean to treat psoriasis symptoms
For decades, people have claimed that visiting the Dead Sea in Israel is a powerful remedy for psoriasis. The sun and water (which is ten times saltier than the ocean) is widely believed to be a healing combination. And scientific evidence suggests this form of climatotherapy works with eighty to ninety percent of those with psoriasis finding it improved after visiting the Dead Sea.
But of course although many never have the opportunity of going to the Dead Sea, they may be able to get to the regular ocean. Paddling or swimming in the ocean, taking seawater baths or applying seawater to the affected area of the psoriasis daily can also be very helpful in the treatment and management of psoriasis symptoms.
What could be more natural than walking barefoot?
I kick off my shoes and go barefoot at every opportunity. On our allotment, we have grass paths between the vegetable beds for that very reason. I can walk and work barefoot both on the grass path and, when weeding and planting, on the earth itself.
With the benefits of grounding beneath my feet, the sunlight on my skin and the opportunity for plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit, what could be more natural?
SOURCES:
PLoS One. 2019 Apr 25;14(4):e0216156. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216156. eCollection 2019.PMID: 31022281 Free PMC article.
Written by Jane Chitty
Jane writes for Healing Natural Oils, a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as a range of beauty products. Apart from writing about those various conditions, she also covers general health, environmental and other subjects of interest. She has lived in Kenya as well as Cape Town, South Africa and spent time in San Diego, USA. She now lives in Somerset, England with regular visits from her far-flung children and grandchildren. She is a keen gardener and enjoys growing fresh fruit and vegetables with her husband on their joint allotment. As a result, there is something available to use in the kitchen virtually all year round. Her regular posts can be found on our blog.