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Why Barefoot is Better

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Walking and running has always had huge health benefits including, but not limited to: cardiovascular health, immune benefits, stress relief, and blood circulation and oxygenation. The list goes on and on!

But have you ever considered the benefits of going barefoot, or what many like to call, earthing? This grounding experience in one sense makes you connect with the earth on a level we can hardly fathom. On the other hand, people have been doing it for millions of year – and there’s a reason why!

Health Benefits

We are electrical beings — our bodies regularly produces positive charges, which can oxidize and harm us if it is excessive. The Earth’s surface is electrically conductive, maintaining a negative charge with its free electron supply continually replenished by the global atmospheric electrical circuit. (via Mercola)

The Journal of Environmental and Public Health found in a number of studies that drawing these electrons from the earth improves our health; many studies showed improved brain activity, less pain in chronic pain patients and positive skin conductivity, moderated heart rate variability, improved glucose regulation, reduced stress and boosted immunity.
Who knew!

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine also found that walking barefoot increases the charge of red blood cells, which reduced blood clots. (via Mind, Body, Green)

Going barefoot also improves your gait, posture, balance and reflexology.

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Getting started going barefoot:

Yes, yes. We know. “Don’t we need cushion to protect us from injuries?” You could step on something sharp, hot, cold, etc. But people have been doing this for millions of years! Over time, your feet will become calloused and become immune to some of these elements. Of course, we aren’t saying go get hypothermia in the snow.

They key? Patience. Take your time! Ease into it. Try going barefoot around the house and allow your feet to get used to the ground beneath you. Steadily move onto asphalt or gravel. In time, you’ll be running barefoot!

In essence what we’re saying is –  if you are not an advocate of the barefoot movement, and you just so happen to lose all your shoes in a disaster, it won’t be the end of the world.

Check out these related articles:

Mother Nature’s Best Home Remedies

Could You Survive The Open Ocean?

Dallas Seavey – The Ultimate Survivalist

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8 Comments

8 Comments

  1. Pingback: Back to Basics: Why Barefoot Is Better | SurvivalistBasics.com

  2. Ted I Lewis

    July 25, 2014 at 10:23 AM

    Having lived most of my adult life in the mountains? I wear elk hide apache knee high mox. Double on sole. Still can feel ground and with them being soaked in bear oil? Are water proff. Even in cold weather. Do wear rawhide grippers in snow and ice. Can move through woods and not make a sound. Can feel the stick that would give me away to the elk I have stalked for two hours! I hunt!! I still hunt the old way. 58 cal. black powder ! Have for over 40 years ! 21 bears, 17 bull elk, several cows (elk), and have lost count of deer. 99% of our meat comes from the mountains.
    But get you a GOOD pair of hand made moxs ! And wear them! Your calf muscles will be a little sore. But that will go away soon. Now, if I wear boots? My legs hurt all over! And my back pain comes back! Hope this helps. If you want to build your own? Look at the books, The Complete Book of Buckskinning. Want to learn how to live on your own? The only book I have ever read that can explain, in detail, how to do just that! Live and survive in the wilds! Live with what GOD gave us! Later, take care. Ted.

  3. Ray

    July 25, 2014 at 10:24 AM

    As a kid, I would have agreed with this article as I ran around barefoot almost all the time. My Mother would certainly have disagreed as she recounted the thorns, cuts, splinters, glass, etc and using bottle after bottle of Mercurochrome. Even the Tarahumara wear tire strips or leather thongs for a reason….it works to keep their feet protected.
    Just watch any of the “survival” shows (and the countless injuries) to see how dangerous being barefoot is. Better yet, try it yourself. Take a long walk in the woods or go run around your block. The bottom line is that you don’t want to worry about an injury taking you out (literally) when you are already in a survival situation. If you have no shoes…okay, that is the situation you are in. If you have an option to wear shoes/boots, etc. then do so.
    Of course it is your choice. Pretend that you have to run away from something very dangerous for as fast and as long as you can…and decide if you would want shoes or would want to go barefoot. My bet is that shoes will get you there safer and faster! Stay safe!

  4. jimbow

    July 25, 2014 at 8:15 PM

    I have been going barefooted (when possible) most of my life, it is kind of tough on the feet when it is in a place with allot of sharp rocks like the Ozarks Mountains. Most of the time it just feels right.

  5. Rick

    July 25, 2014 at 10:59 PM

    I think over the years I’m barefoot more the shoed. Only wear shoes when I have to. Have to have shoes to drive, going in stores, work, keep shoes in car for those times, only serious injuries to feet and legs have been wearing shoes. I’m diabetic, docs. said wear shoes all the time, to protect feet. Now they are willing to rethink that, diabetics start to have foot problems rather quickly, I’m going on 12 years with no problems, feet start to break out in a rash if shoed too long, clear up after a couple of days without shoes.
    I live on a gravel road and have at times when the cross country practice goes by and I’m out, have run a ways with them.
    Been out to get mail at mailbox, 150 feet from house with snow on ground with no problems, stood outside and talked with friends, when they come by, melted thru snow to ground doing that.

  6. Angela

    July 28, 2014 at 2:01 AM

    I never wear shoes unless I absolutely have to. When I have to wear the “things” on my feet I wear my moccasins that I purchased on the reservation. Technically they are shoes but they feel like I am wearing nothing. I have been doing this for years. I do it because I discovered years ago that my feet regulate my body temperature (it’s probably just me..i’m weird) but if my feet are cold I am cold if my feet are warm I am warm. I also discovered that I just don’t like things on my feet.

  7. Jay

    July 28, 2014 at 4:53 PM

    Horrid article. Protecting your feet is of paramount importance. There are tons of parasites and more that can enter through cracks of the foot. Spent many years in the military and in survival school etc and foot care is one of the most important subjects there is. If you want to be safe put something on your feet.

    As far as the information about the foot positioning wearing shoes vs. barefoot etc. I buy that 100%.

  8. Dinu Desculţ

    October 22, 2017 at 3:16 AM

    I don’t like to wear shoes. They’re torture instruments for feet; maybe good for fashion, but not for health.
    I was born to live barefoot. Perhaps it was given to me as a gift from our Nature mother. I like to feel the ground under my bare feet, to feel the warmth of the sun, the hot of summer, the moisture of the rain, the raw of the green grass loaded dew, the sweet dust of streets, the fluffy snow. Going barefoot, I feel more close to our mother, the Nature. This is my way of saying: “My dear Mother Nature, I love you!” 🙂
    “Free Your Feet and Your Mind Will Follow !”

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