No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem: Why Your WOFH Should Include Barefoot Workouts
another perk of not being in the gym -
The ability to do everything barefoot!
Last night, I had a new client apologize for not having sneakers on when we began our workout. I assured her that actually, I love when my clients are open to training barefoot. In fact, one of the biggest changes I’ve made to my own workouts during this past year in quarantine, is being shoeless for almost everything! I thought I would take today to talk to you all a bit about why I’ve loved the concept of barefoot training for a long time, and why I’m implementing it with clients now more than ever.
I’ve always loved being barefoot whenever I can - I don’t wear shoes in the house, I love the feeling of grass or sand under my feet, and I love the connection and rooted feeling I get in a yoga class as opposed to a strength workout out on the gym floor. (Earthing, it’s a vibe!). Early in my career, I often would have clients do their balancing exercises without shoes to help them improve their proprioception. However, my real utilization of barefoot training with clients began when I read Born to Run, a book about the training tactics of the world’s greatest ultra-endurance runners. (Read it even if you’re not a runner, it’s eye-opening and for me, life-changing).
I began applying the science and strategies from the book to my own clients. While I wasn’t training ultra-endurance runners, I was working with a lot of post-surgical patients. Anyone who has had surgery knows that learning to run again once you are cleared can be scary, uncomfortable, and humbling. I decided to employ a barefoot method for my post-op patients in their re-introduction to treadmill running. Just as I expected, they had decreased pain, and a more natural stride than when they tried to run in sneakers. My clients were often surprised by this, as it seems contrary to the popular belief that the cushion and support in our sneakers protects us from shock, impact, and injury. In actuality, what occurred during this part of their training was that by being barefoot, their body intrinsically and intuitively knew how to move with a natural gait that did not cause the shock & impact the sneakers would protect them from in the first place!
Let me explain this a little further. In sneakers, my clients may have been able to get away with a clunkier, less natural stride. Why would someone run like this? Because they had not yet re-developed trust in the fact that the injured body part could handle the stress of running. It is very common for people to develop compensatory gait patterns post-surgery or post-injury, and it often takes quite a while for them to be coached out of these patterns. The compensatory gait patterns aren’t necessarily the result of strength deficits, they often are the result of fear and hesitancy. In this case, your supportive sneaker can serve as a crutch that allows you to use a pattern that feels “safe,” but isn’t necessarily the most natural, or the best for you in the long term.
While the stories in Born to Run focus on ultra-endurance runners, the concept of barefoot training is one that can benefit us all. Yogis and martial artists have known this for centuries! Here are a few ways that I’ve seen barefoot training help my clients.
Proprioception:
Proprioception is your body’s understanding of it’s position in space. You’ve done specific training to improve your proprioception if you’ve worked on any type of single leg balances (single-leg deadlifts, pistol squats, Warrior 3s) or if you’ve done exercises on a trampoline, physioball, IndoBoard, BOSU, DynaDysk, or any other type of wobble or rocker board. One part of controlling our position in space is the ability to adjust our body’s center of gravity in relation to our touchpoint on the ground. Most often, that touchpoint to the ground is our feet. So, it stands to reason that we would want our feet to be able to get as much information from the surface we are on as possible. Footwear basically becomes equivalent to wearing blinders when we think about it in this way. Direct foot-to-ground contact increases the amount of sensory input we get from the ground, allowing us to make micro-adjustments that would be impossible in sneakers, and thereby improves our proprioception in a manner exclusive to barefoot training.
Agility
Most exercises aimed at improving proprioception are designed to help your body improve control of its position in space - which you would then be able to transfer to any other exercise, and life in general! Improved proprioception, or control of your body of it’s position in space, translates to improved agility, and thereby performance.
Muscle Strength & Endurance
The foot-to-ground contact in barefoot training really allows you to work all the intrinsic foot muscles during any standing exercise, which helps over time to improve strength and endurance. Your intrinsic foot muscles are so important, but they aren’t always talked about or addressed in training programs. Let’s start changing this - from now on, I want you to think about your intrinsic foot muscles are the “core” of your foot (and I know how important core strength is to everyone!) Your foot intrinsics are small, but mighty, and greatly contribute to balance as well as to the maintenance of a healthy arch. As you may already know, the presence of a well-maintained arch can decrease your risk of developing plantar fasciitis, shin splints, tendonitis, and bursitis locally in the foot and ankle, and potentially other chronic injuries up the kinetic chain (hip, knee, low back).
In addition to working the foot intrinsics , in exercises such as lunges and planks, you also will have the opportunity to work strength through the full range of motion of your toes much more so than you would have in sneakers. Toe range of motion and strength are important not only in many exercises, but in the overall long-term health of your feet.
A few guidelines if you’re interested in trying barefoot training:
Be cautious when working with weights, you don't want to drop one on your foot! If you aren't used to shoeless workouts, try them out with your bodyweight workouts first.
Barefoot is better than socks! You don't want to have to worry about slipping, so make a conscious choice to either use sneakers or be completely barefoot.
Use a yoga mat for your barefoot workout.
If you’re interested specifically in barefoot running as opposed to barefoot training, be sure to read Born to Run!
Not sure if you're up for a shoeless workout yet? Here are some options that may feel a little safer:
If you wear a shoe that gives you a lot of “cushion” or “support” , start by trying a lightweight shoe that is supportive yet flexible, to work your way towards a shoeless feel. I love the Nike Free shoe series for this, but most brands have a comparable shoe, so go with the brand you feel fits you best!
If you have a history of foot or ankle injuries, plantar fasciitis, “flat feet,” or high arches, and are concerned about whether your feet can handle a barefoot workout, you can start with some exercises that target these areas isolation, to improve your strength and range of motion. These can include slow seated heel and toe raises, ankle alphabet (exactly what it sounds like - draw the alphabet with your foot using only the range of motion of your ankle - no knee movement!), and one of my personal favorites, towel scrunches. You can also ask your rehab or fitness professional to design a custom program for you to address this!
Start by doing your warm-up and cool-down barefoot, then add socks and sneakers for the main workout.
Try a single leg balance with sneakers, then without. See how it feels to take the blinders off and really connect to the ground!
Be sure to let me know if you’ve tried barefoot training in the past, or if you plan to try it after reading this article. I can’t wait to hear your barefoot training story!
