I attended a class at REI last night about the benefits of walking barefoot. The speaker was Michael Sandler, best-selling co-author of Barefoot Running and Barefoot Walking. Sandler was in a terrible roller skating accident (never thought I'd say that) and was told he would never walk again. As you may have guessed, he was able to become an intense athlete again through his lack of shoes. Sandler now swears by Vitamin G and D, the G standing for grounding and the D standing for dirt. "Our feet were made to mold to the Earth," Sandler said.
He believes that "being grounded" reduces inflammation, a cause of some major health problems, such as MS and cancer. He has been featured in Men's Health, Shape, Running Times and Women's Day, talking on the benefits of being barefoot, or "awarefoot." Sandler says that when one is barefoot they are more vigilant of their surroundings, using all of their senses. This, according to Sandler and some highly-respected doctors, makes children smarter and extends the lives of seniors.
"Gentle is the new strong," according to Sandler. In his talk he pitched his idea and showed the audience how to walk how humans were meant to. He compared the human foot to an arched bridge, saying we only strengthen one side of the bridge, the heel, and instead need to focus on walking and landing on our toes. All shoes fit "exactly 0% of people," Sandler said. Shoes put a barrier between our foot and the Earth beneath us, which Sandler says is detrimental to our health and society.
For those of you who carry 30 pound packs on your back, Sandler has some suggestions. Don't start barefoot, as the added weight of your pack will surely cause you pain. He recommends a gradual transition to barefoot walking. He and his wife, Jessica Lee, co-author of Barefoot Walking, have made the transition and backpack sans footwear.
Sandler's story was more than interesting. In most ways, I agree with his ideas. I mean the pre-historic humans didn't wear shoes, right? In a modern lifestyle, however, I am not sure if being barefoot all the time is feasible. Either way, I will be spreading my toes in the soft grass more often after hearing Sandler speak.
"Life is movement, movement is life." - Michael Sandler
namaste
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