How to deal with leg pain? Barefoot shoes can help!
Do your legs hurt when walking, after standing for too long, or even at night when you’re just laying in bed?
Leg pain is one of the very common problems that a large part of our population will encounter during their lifetime. The causes of this type of pain vary; there is the serious cause of pain (from circulatory or neurological issues, in which case it’s important to consult a doctor), and the more common cause (from muscle overload). Leg pain is also very diverse—some feel pain in the area of the big toe, sole, or heel, while others generally suffer from pain in the knees and down in the calf area. The good news is that in most cases, people experience functional muscle pain caused by bad habits, which means that it can be alleviated.
Leg and foot pain can be caused by a number of factors, such as: standing too long on your feet at work, excessive strain during sports, being overweight, and having flat feet. It’s also caused by wearing shoes that don’t respect the shape of the foot and don’t support the proper functioning of the muscles. Whatever causes your pain, these functional difficulties can lead to weaker muscles and ligaments in the leg area, bad positioning of the ankles, knees, and hips, flat feet or toe deformities.
What’s the solution?
The first step is to choose the right pair of shoes! The correct shoe has a toe wide enough for your toes, it doesn’t have a heel, it’s flexible, and has a thin sole for you to get a better sense of the terrain. This type of shoe gives your feet space for their natural function. And exactly these parameters are met by barefoot shoes, which can thus become the solution to your problems.
Conscious walking in barefoot shoes, by its very nature, awakens muscles in the soles of your feet. This strengthens your foot ligaments and returns your foot back to its natural and intended position. It also repairs the shape of your arches. A strong and flexible spring forward from your toes adds to your movement economy, and saves energy not only for our feet, but for our body in general.
Natural walking in barefoot shoes isn’t just good for your feet, it also engages the whole body. By straightening your body and tightening the muscles in the soles of your feet, you can alleviate or even eliminate pain in areas that may surprise you. Soft footsteps dampen the impact of your footfall, so that the force of it doesn’t reach your knees and hips. Walking in flat shoes is great for your thighs because it will make you straighten your body, which naturally activates your abdominal muscles, pelvic floor, and other areas of your body.
There are so many benefits to be gained from wearing barefoot shoes, so hop to it, and start barefoot walking! ????
