Like therapy - that's why walking barefoot feels so good

Effect like therapy - that's why walking barefoot is so good

We squeeze our feet into socks and shoes for days. It damages the whole body. Experts therefore advise going barefoot as often as possible – even outdoors.

In Jakobsbad, not far from Appenzell, we take off our shoes and socks and stuff them in our backpacks. The barefoot hiking trail first leads over a lush, dewy meadow with a springy subsoil - a blessing for our pale feet. We soon follow the course of a brook, where the softened earth squirts out between our toes with every step. Later, on a wooden bridge, we place each foot carefully, it might have protruding nails...

Hiking barefoot feels unusual. But it's healthy. Experts recommend getting rid of shoes as often as possible. Not only on the hiking trail, but also at home.

The German barefoot expert Carsten Stark writes in his book "Füsse gut, alles gut" that many physical complaints have their origin in a lack of vitality of the feet. Even ailments that superficially have nothing to do with the feet, such as headaches, jaw and organic problems. "The foot has a major influence on what happens in the rest of the body," says Moritz Rose, who runs the Rose Physio practice in Zurich with its own foot concept.

Patients usually come to him because they think they have a broken knee or hip joint. But then the physiotherapist sees feet that are not standing properly and roll over, weak, immobile or stiff feet.

Many people, says Moritz Rose, pay little attention to their feet. Moritz Rose often recognizes an untrained foot with limited functions just by looking at the sole of the foot. If there is no callus at all on the ball of the big toe, this is a sign that the foot only rolls over the outer edge when walking because the big toe is too weak.

Even the evasive movements that people make give the physiotherapist information about the weaknesses of a foot. “If someone bends over and ties their shoes with their legs stretched out, the ankle is probably blocked.”

You can also check how vital your own feet are: Can you keep your balance on a folded towel with your eyes closed?

When standing, do both feet point straight ahead, or is one foot more angled than the other?

Are your toes flat on the ground, or are some pointing up in the air?

If the toes are clenched, the foot loses its arch structure, which is so important for cushioning.

The following test is done while sitting: What is the angle between the foot and the leg when you pull your toes towards your nose with your legs straight? 90 degrees should be possible.

Women's shoes that are too small

Foot problems often result from being squeezed into shoes too often. Women's shoes in particular are usually too small and, if they have high heels, are torture for the forefoot anyway.

Flip-flops are also not suitable for long walks. In them, the foot shuffles more on the ground than it rolls off, and the cramped «holding on» of the slippers promotes the development of so-called claw toes.

But even the most modern, expensive running shoes can cause problems.

"The foot is only optimally active when walking barefoot," says the foot specialist. With a natural gait, which many have forgotten, the foot “quietly” touches down on the heel. Then he rolls over the outer edge of the foot and the balls of his feet. Finally, the big toe pushes the foot off the ground with force. The knees should always remain soft and loose.

The position of the head is also important, otherwise the spine is not upright. "You can imagine illuminating the ground five meters in front of you with a headlamp," says Moritz Rose.

The marked route of the Appenzeller Barfussweg leads through a lovely, slightly hilly landscape. We walk along pastures, over freshly mowed, stubbly meadows - that tickles! - and over rooty trails. At a construction site we have to overcome a short stretch of gravel and then a bit on a newly asphalted road that has been heated by the sun. Ouch!

"The foot gives the brain constant information about the nature of the ground," says physiotherapist Moritz Rose. All of our movements are built on this information.

The body is traversed from foot to head by connected chains of muscles. When stepping down, the heel sends an impulse to the calf, leg and back muscles, which intuitively tense to optimally cushion the step.

"Blind" feet in solid shoes

"Whether crooked, slippery or uneven: Posture and body tension always adapt to the ground." With shoes that are too well cushioned, this chain reaction is interrupted. As a result, we just slog along without rolling properly, and because we don't have the information about the impact, we ram our heels into the ground too hard.

With thick platform or hiking shoe soles, we even run the risk of twisting our ankles due to the lateral leverage. The German barefoot expert Carsten Stark writes in his book: "In solid shoes, the feet are blind because they are denied almost all sensorimotor functions."

The effects of unfavorable shoes accumulate over time. The fallen arches, splayfoot and flat feet, hammer toes and deformed big toes that Moritz Rose sees every day have developed over the years. The same applies to pain in the lumbar spine, soles of the feet or Achilles tendon, which is typical for runners who wear sports shoes that are too soft. In these cases, the expert often advises going barefoot more.

Last but not least, walking barefoot is good for our cardiovascular system. The heart pumps the entire volume of blood through the body once per minute. This would not be possible without the so-called vein pump, which also transports the blood against the force of gravity back to the heart.

Carsten Stark explains: "Due to the activity of the toes and the soles of the feet, the veins are automatically compressed by the leg muscles with every step and empty upwards. Backflow is prevented by the venous valves.» The more vital and trained the foot is, the better this sophisticated interaction, which is so important for our heart health, works.

Carsten Stark mentions numerous other advantages of walking barefoot: The improved muscle activity also compresses and decongests the lymphatic vessels and stimulates and strengthens the spinal muscles in the deep muscle level.

The ankles, according to Stark, move better and therefore ensure an increased excretion of metabolic waste products that can contribute to arthritis or arthrosis.

The uric acid levels drop because the kidneys are better able to dispose of the lactate.

And finally, it should also stimulate the metabolism - apparently when you go barefoot hiking you have to "go into the bushes" more often.

Recommended also for seniors

So there are many reasons to go barefoot. But the body needs time to get used to it. "If the foot structures are not properly prepared, a fatigue fracture can sometimes occur," warns Moritz Rose. If you have hardly ever walked barefoot, the best thing to do is to leave your finches at home for a few minutes and later your socks as well.

Then you might play barefoot with children on the lawn or walk carefully across a sand or pebble beach. Physiotherapist Moritz Rose only recommends slopes and uneven terrain once you have gained a certain level of confidence. Finnenbahnen or special barefoot vita parcours are suitable as practice areas for longer barefoot stretches. Stand-up paddling is also good: "Constant balancing on the water sensitizes and strengthens the fine foot muscles."

According to Moritz Rose, people with a diagnosed splayfoot or so-called hammer toes should be particularly careful: "It's worth getting the advice of a medical specialist in advance."

Other than that, there are hardly any reasons why you shouldn't go barefoot - at any age. "For seniors, it's balance exercise and fall prevention at the same time," says Moritz Rose. And even for very small children, the motto is: take off your shoes as often as possible. "It's good for foot development."

At the Gontenbad train station, it becomes clear that the five-kilometer barefoot hike was a bit ambitious for us beginners. Especially the last few minutes on a gravel path provided our inexperienced feet with more than enough "sensory input" for today. We are glad to be able to get back into the protective sneakers. But the warm, pleasantly tingling feeling in the soles of our feet accompanies us on the entire train journey home.

This article is the abridged version of an article that appeared in «Schweizer Familie».

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