Time to take those shoes off! If you’ve been training at BFP lately, then you have definitely heard that before. Going barefoot while working out is nothing new. In fact, you may see some of your fellow gym friends or people you follow on social media going barefoot while working out or just ditching the shoes all together. Now I am not saying that going barefoot is the “end all-be all,” but there are some benefits to taking off your shoes and spending more time being barefoot!

Here are some benefits to incorporating a barefoot approach!

• Going barefoot can help strengthen the muscles of the foot and ankle. Shoes give a lot of stability and support, but can also make the foot and ankle complex weak. A stronger foot and ankle could lead to less injuries as well!

• Going barefoot can help improve flexibility and mobility of the foot and ankle. All those tendons, ligaments and muscles of the foot and ankle need to be put through movements that challenge the full range of motion. Being stuck in a shoe takes that away.

• Going barefoot can help improve your proprioception which will lead to improvement in balance and overall movement. Who doesn’t want to move better? Being barefoot helps us to feel and connect to the ground. The feedback you get from the ground is not the same as if you were wearing a pair of shoes. Going barefoot can help strengthen your arches. I know a lot of people wear shoes or orthotics that offer support, but consistent barefoot training can help improve the muscles of the arches. Possibly, to the point that you may be able to ditch the orthotics.

• Going barefoot, not only in training, but in life can improve the overall health of your feet! Think of all the problems shoes can cause. Bunions, ingrown toenails, corns, calluses, hammer toes, arch issues and athlete’s foot. Going barefoot more often will liberate your feet!

Now when doing a workout barefoot, there is a SMART approach. If you’ve never done a workout barefoot, then you are gonna want to ease into it. Start out with a section of the workout to do barefoot, possibly during your warm-up. Remember, just like everything else, your feet may have the initial aches and pains. As your foot gets accustomed to walking, training and being barefoot the symptoms should disappear. The muscles, tendons and joints of the foot, ankle and leg will get stronger, but give it time to strengthen.

Be open minded, mix it up, and enjoy the connection to the ground! Good luck!

Coach Silas