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By Jason Greenspan
Barefoot training has become quite popular the last couple of years and for good reason.
Being barefoot is a natural way of being for us. Most of us learned how to walk barefoot and spent lots of time as a child barefoot. We have grown accustomed to shoes but it is a very liberating feeling to be without shoes. And once we get used to it, we naturally love the feeling of being unconfined and shoe-less. More importantly, training barefoot is something we can do to improve the health of our feet as well as our whole body.
Training barefoot — especially when over the age of 50 — has a lot of benefits. Fitness enthusiasts over the age of 50 tend to have low back, knee and hip issues. One of the reasons for this could be that the foot and ankle need more stability and flexibility. Everything starts at the foot/ankle and travels up throughout the body. The only time when you shouldn’t exercise barefoot is if you suffer from a disease or condition that puts you at an increased risk for a fall or if you’re lifting heavy dumbbells or some other form of resistance that if dropped, could cause an injury to your feet.
At Silver Stars Fitness, most of our clients train barefoot or at least in socks, when working on balance, performing various mobility drills and when using resistance bands to increase strength.
So WHY should you train barefoot? Below are just a couple of benefits to barefoot training:
- Training barefoot strengthens the stabilizing muscles in your foot and ankles. Shoes give us too much support and in turn make the foot and ankle lazy.
- Our feet are our base of support, or our real foundation. Knee and back pain often stems from poor foot and ankle mechanics. Artificial support from shoes can place unnatural pressure on the spine, knees and neck. Going barefoot allows you to feel the ground and have a better sense of awareness.
- Going barefoot gives you stronger arches. Wearing shoes will artificially raise your arches and remove the responsibility from the arch muscles to do their job.
- Going barefoot increases mobility and flexibility of the foot. If stability and mobility of the feet deteriorate, this affects and changes the ankle, knee and hip positions and makes you more prone to injury.
So if you want to build a strong foundation, get the most of your workout sessions and decrease the risk of injury, consider training barefoot.
Silver Stars Fitness is dedicated to men and women over the age of 50 who want to increase their fitness level and overall quality of life.
We offer small group classes, personal training, yoga, pilates, Tai Chi, massage therapy and stretching. We also offer an in-home service for those that want the convenience of a trainer coming to their home or for people that can’t make it to our studio. Check out our new STRETCHING CLASS ON MONDAYS AT 5:45 PM.
For more guidance on training barefoot or any other Silver Stars program, contact us at:
Email: info@silverstarsfit.com or call for a consultation @ 646-573-9724.
Silver Stars Fitness
850 7th Ave (West 54/55th Street)
www.silverstarsfit.com
Get 10% off all services until Dec. 31, 2016.
Jason Greenspan is the founder and CEO of Silver Stars Fitness and is an award- winning published author of Fitness For Real Life- The 8 Keys to A Strong, Powerful & Youthful Body. He has over twenty years experience designing fitness programs for men & women over age of 50 and is certified as an older adult fitness specialist by the American Council on Exercise and the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
