A Strong Spine Begins With Strong Feet

Most people spend nearly an entire lifetime wearing shoes. While this is more practical in modern times, are shoes actually bad for our health? The shoe industry has convinced us that our lives and athletic endeavours are better off while wearing their products, but I believe that we are harming the health of our feet and this has a negative impact on the rest of the body.  To understand the importance of motion in your feet, it's important to remember that when joints, muscles, and bones in your body are under-used, they start to degenerate and atrophy.  This is especially true for joints, which rely on motion to stay healthy, and muscles, which must be challenged to stay strong.  Both feet contain 52 bones in total, making up a quarter of the bones of your entire body.  Adjacent to these bones, are 33 joints and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments, making the feet one of the most complex biomechanical structures in the body.

Another important reason to spend more time barefoot is to stimulate the more than 100,000 nerve endings in each foot.  I believe that this extremely high concentration of nerve receptors serves a greater purpose than simply feeling the ground.  With the recent re-discovery of the importance of Earthing, it has become apparent that we absorb free electrons from the ground, and since our feet touch the ground the most, it only makes sense that the soles of our feet are so densely innervated. Unfortunately, most people imprison their feet in tight-fitting, hard-soled shoes the entire day, which effectively insulates them from the Earth's energy.  In fact, the only time most people spend without shoes is in bed, when their feet are passive and not even touching the ground.

As it has become socially unacceptable in modern society to walk around barefoot, there is one place where you can strengthen your feet, by simply doing as much of your exercise as possible while barefoot.  Many exercise programs require bare feet, such as Pilates, yoga, martial arts, and kettlebell strength training, as engaging the ground with your feet is essential for balance, coordination, and whole-body strength. Bodybuilders have historically appreciated the importance of barefoot training, as part of their quest to build as much muscle as possible.  Once you spend more time barefoot, especially while you exercise, you will also realize the importance.  

For more information:
https://www.fix.com/blog/is-barefoot-training-smart-or-senseless/
http://www.kinectmethod.co.uk/tag/barefoot-lifting/
http://barefootprof.blogspot.co.za/2011/04/foot-anatomy-101-biofeedback.html
http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/10-secrets-perfect-kettlebell-swing/slide/2