22/02/2021
Earthing (AKA grounding) refers to contact with the Earth’s surface electrons by walking barefoot outside or sitting, working, or sleeping indoors. When bare feet touch the earth they come in contact with negative ions, researchers arguing they have a healing anti-inflammatory effect on the body. Emerging scientific research supports the concept that the Earth’s electrons induce multiple physiological changes of clinical significance- reduced pain, better sleep, a shift from sympathetic to parasympathetic tone in the autonomic nervous system (ANS), and an anti-clotting effect. The research, along with many anecdotal reports, is presented in a new book entitled Earthing. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3265077/)
So- IS IT OKAY TO WALK BAREFOOT?
Yes- more than okay.
BEING BAREFOOT HELPS DEVELOP THE FINE MOTOR MUSCLES IN THE FEET
Walking barefoot can help develop/ maintain an appropriate range of motion in the foot and ankle joints and is a great way to strengthen and maintain full function of your feet. Strong feet and leg muscles can also help support the back to reduce back pain in both children and older adults.
WALKING BAREFOOT CAN HELP IMPROVE KINESTHETIC AWARENESS
Going barefoot can help improve kinesthetic awareness- the knowledge of where our body is in space and how we move (also known as muscle memory)…Kinesthetic awareness, proprioception, and the other sensory systems of the body all work together to help us move properly from the inside and from the outside of the body.
IT CAN ALSO HELP IMPROVE PROPRIOCEPTION…
Proprioception is the sense of the relative position of body parts in relation to the other parts of the body and provides us with information about our joint and muscle sensations.
….AND HELP THE BRAIN AND THE SENSORY SYSTEMS OF THE FEET AND BODY DEVELOP/ BE MAINTAINED PROPERLY.
Feeling the earth beneath your feet allows development of the somatosensory, proprioceptive, and vestibular sensory systems in ways that are not possible with shoes on. All three of these systems in the body are benefited by walking barefoot outside and all work together to improve the overall health of body and mind.
Key message? GET YOUR FEET OUT- AND GET GROUNDED 🙂
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