I'd love to tell you there is a definitive answer to the question of whether we should be walking in bare feet or not.

As a Registered Canadian Reflexology Therapist, all I can say is "it depends".

Feet were designed to move on all sorts of surfaces, and barefoot walking helps to improve our body awareness, our balance, and knowing where we are in space (proprioception). It increases circulation and helps to strengthen the muscles in our feet, our legs and the rest of our body if we are walking correctly. It can even help our posture.

The way we walk is influenced by our age, our personality and our mood, our strength, past injuries and much more.

There are 26 bones in our feet, over 100 ligaments, and more than 30 joints.

Did you know that people who live in larger cities tend to walk faster than people who live in more rural areas?

We aren’t supposed to get tired from walking, if everything is working correctly. Walking involves all levels of the nervous system and many parts of the musculoskeletal system; our right and left brain hemispheres have to work together. Some muscles, joints, tendons and bones stabilize us while allowing others to move us forward.

And did you know there are 104 sensors in various layers of the soles of our feet sending information about changes in the muscle length, tendon tension, joint movement, pressure, temperature, etc to the brain?

Our brain processes all that information and sends signals back to the muscles, the joints, the tendons and the fascia so our bodies can make adjustments and react to our environment as we are walking.

When we walk on soft surfaces in bare feet, like grass or sand, every part of our feet and body gets a workout - all the muscles, the tendons, the ligaments, the joints, get to move the way they were designed to move.

There is no give or flexibility when we walk on hard surfaces. When we walk on these surfaces in bare feet for extended periods of time, like linoleum or hardwood floors, our feet, legs, hips and low back start to feel it. We may begin to experience backaches, knee pain, sore feet, swollen feet, tendonitis or plantar fasciitis.

While wearing shoes protects our feet and gives us some support, they also constricts the free movement of our feet, placing more tension on the foot as well as other parts of the body. And wearing the same shoes all day every day is even worse, as our feet get stuck in the same position all the time.

Our feet need to be walking on different surfaces, and the best advice I can give is:

if you have the opportunity to walk barefoot on soft surfaces, take it
change your shoes half way through the day, especially if you are on your feet all day
wear shoes that have good support
stretch your feet and lower legs often
walk on different surfaces throughout the day in bare feet, soft and firm
take care of your feet - check the health and length of your nails for example
keep them dry

Ultimately, be kind to your feet!

And of course, one way to do that is to book your Reflexology appointment with me here: https://alisonzeidler-appointments.as.me/ReflexologyAppts

Reach out if you have any questions!

Email: alison@alisonzeidler.com
Clinic Address: 107 Main Street, Downstairs, Whitehorse, YT
Box 2199, Marsh Lake, YT Y0B 1Y2
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Barefoot Walking - Yes or No?