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- Lifestyle Entrepreneur #44
THE LIFESTYLE ENTREPRENEUR
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Going barefoot
In this edition:
Post from the week
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Wellness Tip: Being Barefoot
Hi all - My wellness tip is a bit longer than usual so there won’t be an additional article this week.
I’ve been writing this newsletter for 44 weeks now!!
I haven’t put much work into growing it yet, and won’t until I hit the year mark. But I’d like to ask a favor so I know where to take it and make it better - how do you like it?
Are there topics you’d like to hear more of? A different format based on other newsletters you love?
If anything comes to mind - please just reply and let me know, I’d greatly appreciate the feedback.
Quote
Post
How to have better 1:1s - link
Article/Wellness Tip:
How often do you go barefoot?
This question has been top of mind for me because of two recent habits, and one observation:
Grounding or earthing
Using toe spreaders
Observing my 18 month old learn to walk
The observation first - my 18 month old, Gabriel, who we call Meatball, learned to walk recently.
He has REALLY small feet, and having shoes seemed to help him pickup walking easier. But after a few months I noticed he had shoes on all the time, so I started the discussion that I think he should be barefoot most of the time.
Why do I think that?
I’ve been a proponent of being barefoot for many years, probably ever since I read “Born to Run”, by Christoper McDougall, 10 years ago. Put simply, modern life ruins our bodies and minds, and wearing shoes all day every day is just one of the many factors that leads to this ruin.
Going barefoot as much as possible makes us healthier:
It strengthens our feet, which get neglected from shoes
It improves our balance and coordination, which is critical as we age
It improves our posture and spine health
It improves blood flow
It improves mindfulness and reduces stress - seriously, it does
The above is one of the reasons my second fitness business, Alchemy 365, is mostly a barefoot class format with padded floors.
My workouts are often barefoot - Alchemy, and jiu jitsu.
I also find every opportunity possible to be barefoot when appropriate.
The two habits I’ve started to help in this arena, are grounding and wearing toe spreaders.
Grounding, or Earthing - is the practice of making direct contact with the earth. It’s a pretty simple concept, and it sounds a bit hippyish, but the benefits are real and are now being rooted in science, and it feels REALLY good to do.
I won’t get to into the science too much, but the concept is that the earth and our bodies conduct electricity, and when we’re “grounded” to it directly, energy can flow more freely which reduces inflammation and stress, and generally makes us feel better.
A little hippyish right? I know, it kind of is - but it’s a relatively common sense concept when you think about it. We’re wildlife after all. We all come from the earth - humans have just created artificial barriers from it.
And we’re mostly sick and dying off - so maybe a little more contact with the earth is what we need.
People who live near beaches are lucky, because they go barefoot all the time.
People who live in Minnesota? Not so much. Even if you go to lakes often, you’re likely to keep some kind of footwear on to protect your feet.
So for me it’s a conscious thing to ground - and I’ve found it to be a nice part of my morning ritual.
Every morning, whenever possible, I’ll spend about 10 minutes standing in my backyard a little after sunrise. That way I get my morning sunlight, while grounding, while drinking my coffee obviously.
It might be just me - but when I take my shoes off and step onto the grass - I can FEEL a reduction in tension in my body.
Toe spreaders - I recently got some toe spreaders and have been wearing them when I’m sitting around the house. This is what I got.
These funny little contraptions spread out your toes and stretch them out, with the intention of regaining the natural spread they’re supposed to have, but usually don’t because shoes have crammed them together over the course of our lives.
Even if you’re barefoot as much as possible, you’re probably still going to be in shoes most of the waking day.
Toe spreaders are meant to counterbalance this issue - stretching out your toes, which helps improve balance, mobility, coordination, and posture.
Have I piqued your interest in being barefoot more? I hope so - I’m a big believer in the benefits of getting out of your shoes and spending time on the earth.
It will make you healthier and happier.
Talk to you next week,
Mike
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