I get a lot of comments on my videos why I let my children run around our property barefoot. I answer it in the Question and Answer video #2. But then people also wanted a video about the benefits of going barefoot. So I did that, but it may be hard to remember all the benefits!
So here is an easy to read list of a lot of bare feet benefits, benefits for babies, and benefits of being barefoot in the snow.
Bare Feet Benefits
- Strengthens feet muscles, which then strengthens leg muscles, hips, and lower back
- Better arches
- Improves balance= less falls and injuries
- Improves proprioception which also = less falls and injuries
- Regulates circadian rhythms, which in turn helps you sleep better, fosters good digestion, and regulates hormones and body temperature
- Reduces stress and promotes relaxation (think stepping into the sand at the beach!)
- Reduces the formation of disease-causing free radical oxygen molecules.
- Increases circulation, which reduces inflammation and swelling in your feet and ankles
- Stimulates reflexology points which also improves circulation, promotes healing, and relieves pain.
- Improves posture by promoting proper alignment form the ground up. Being barefoot reduces strains on back and hips. Good posture reduces ricks of chronic knee, hip and back pain, especially sciatica and arthritis.
- Facilitates grounding, where electrons in the ground are absorbed through the skin and helps speed wound healing, promotes better sleep and a host of other positive benefits!
Bare Feet Babies
Let babies and children be barefoot as often as possible and as long as possible in their childhood. Shoes hinder their natural ability to learn to walk. It also hinders their cerebral development.
Being barefoot as babies is especially important for developing arches, muscles and ligaments in their tiny feet and ankles.
Walking and running around bare foot helps children develop their proprioception sense. This is a sense that helps children know where they are in space, so they will have better balance, fall less, and are less likely to injure themselves climbing on a playground, say.
Bare feet also promotes better posture so that their spine develops correctly.
Benefits of Bare Feet in the Cold or Snow
- Improves lymphatic and immune system. Exposing feet to a range of temperatures gives the immune system a little workout, making it more robust in the long run, much like immunizations. Also, when feet feel the cold snow, the body increases blood flow to the extremities so that the body stays warm. This pushes oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.
- Strengthens feet muscles. All different terrain, including snow or ice, engages underutilized feet muscles and strengthens them. This lowers your risk of injuries.
- Enhanced sensory function. Feet have the most nerves of any other part of our body. These thousands of nerve endings on your soles are stimulated when touching the snow. This heightens other senses as well, including proprioception which gives you better balance, posture, and less injuries.
- Toughened soles. Less likely to get cut.
- Increased happiness, energy and reduced anxiety. Cold exposure triggers endorphins resulting in a “runner’s high” which helps you feel happier, more energetic, and less anxious.
- Stress reduction. Being outside in general is calming no matter the temperature. But the sensation in particular calms the nervous system and lowers cortisol levels and reduces stress.
- Increased mindfulness and personal growth. Walking barefoot in the snow or ice requires careful attention and being present in the moment. It also challenges one’s comfort zone, contributing to personal growth.
- Facilitates weight loss. Walking in the snow produces more brown adipose fat that uses white fat to generate heat in the feet. This also increases metabolic efficiency.
These kids have definitely been playing outside barefoot today!