It is not unusual to see people doing yoga or pilates with bare feet. But it was not so common to be practiced in the fitness industry and Spanish gyms until recently. Now balance exercises, natural crawling movements or the classic squats, lunges, push-ups, deadlifts and even lifting weights… are also done without shoes! Yes, in recent years barefoot training or ‘barefoot training’ (its name in English) has gained momentum, because training with feet free of shoes can have great benefits, its defenders say. But are our feet prepared for this type of training? How should we condition them?
María Navarro says that a year ago she signed up for this trend on the recommendation of her coach. “Since I was little I have had flat feet and for many years I have worn insoles and anatomical shoes. And before I started training barefoot I had very painful plantar fasciitis, it was one more symptom of how weakened my feet were, I had stopped working with them and the muscles in that area had lost strength,” she details. “So I signed up for KMT Studio and although at first I felt strange training like this, over time I have gotten used to it and above all I notice the benefits,” explains Navarro.
However, it should be noted that “not the entire population can do all types of exercises barefoot, nor are all types of shoes suitable for all people and all sports,” warns David Rodríguez-Sanz, professor at the Faculty of Nursing, Physiotherapy. and Podiatry from the Complutense University of Madrid.
“The most important thing is to remember that with footwear we can benefit from the balance it offers for the forefoot joints or from different characteristics such as the height of the drop or the support of the buttress as a protective element for the foot, ankle, knee, hip and column. And barefoot exercise, if administered correctly and in the right people, can have neuromuscular and joint benefits with local repercussions both at the level of the foot and globally that can help our physical well-being, as well as the prevention of injuries,” Rodríguez clarifies. -Sanz.
For what has been said above, it is not about taking off your shoes and starting to train barefoot without prior evaluation by a podiatrist, a physiotherapist or a doctor. “In general, those people who have feet without biomechanical alterations, high-quality muscle condition, as well as fitness and health can opt for this type of training,” says Rodríguez-Sanz, who is also director of the Expert master’s degree in Postural Control, Stability. of Core and Foot Strength (Barefoot Training) from the Complutense University.
But as always, it is necessary to individualize. “Because, for example, it may not work or progress as quickly in those people with foot or ankle problems, such as plantar fasciitis, arthritis, sprains or spurs. It can also be more difficult and painful for people who are overweight or obese. Likewise, those who have been wearing cushioned shoes for a long time may have difficulties adapting to the direct impact of the ground, hence the importance of studying each specific case and finding the key to gradually introduce this tool at the specific times to be considered,” he maintains. Carlos Bustos, personal trainer and CEO of KMT Studio, a center that focuses on training without shoes.
María Navarro explains that she suffered pain when she was tired or standing for too long. “Now that I do strength training without shoes twice a week and although at first when I lifted weights or even when I was doing a squat the sole of my foot hurt, after a year of exercises I have noticed much less of that discomfort,” he says. “In the first few days you feel strange,” Navarro continues, “but as time goes by the foot adapts and feels very good,” she concludes.
If a person is not used to exercising without shoes and suddenly dedicates a large volume of training to moving ‘barefoot’, it is possible that they will notice a certain overload, especially in the muscles that are usually shortened by the use of footwear, such as the soleus, gastrocnemius or tibialis, says Bustos. “But this only occurs in the first weeks or months of the change towards training barefoot or with minimalist footwear,” the specialist clarifies.
And barefoot training, or at least with socks as a starter, is a highly effective and healthy alternative to improve our postural health, motor sensitivity, sense of balance and activation of our middle zone (core) when applying levers of force,” says the KMT Studio trainer, who details more benefits:
Every action has its advantage and disadvantage and barefoot training is no exception, recognizes Carlos Bustos. “Firstly, it increases the possibility of suffering injuries or trauma to our feet, since being without shoes they are left unprotected. It can also cause the appearance of certain blisters, greater dryness in the feet if you do not treat it, or for example certain cuts or scratches resulting from training situations that may occur. Nothing serious compared to the multiple benefits they generate,” points out the personal trainer.
On the other hand, according to Bustos, when you decide to do barefoot workouts, you are more likely to experience overpronation or excessive inward inclination of the ankle, which can lead to long-term discomfort. And if you’re not used to performing high-intensity exercises without shoes, maintaining foot stability can also be challenging. Hence the importance of always having the help of a professional.
First of all, it is worth clarifying that “there is no good or bad exercise, the key is to perform it according to the person who performs it, since from this subject it can be indicated or contraindicated,” emphasizes David Rodríguez. The expert also remembers that to obtain the positive effects and not be harmed, the ideal is to have the supervision of a professional, especially if you have some type of pathology, since this will be the one who will assess what exercise to do, how, and how often. …etc.
The KMT Studio personal trainer talks about those exercises that require a good base of support and balance as the most suitable for practicing without shoes, since they help strengthen the muscles of the feet and legs, therefore, improving stability and reducing the risk of injury. Bustos points out some examples of exercises that can be part of a barefoot training routine:
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According to Carlos Bustos, lifting weights without shoes or with the foot as free as possible (socks) does not have to damage our feet “as long as the work is introduced progressively. “This way we will avoid postural imbalances and therefore modifications of our levers, overloading our knees and hips.”
