Walking barefoot on grass – also known as ‘grounding’ or ‘earthing’ – is quite the wonder remedy, whatever your age. Did you know that at birth children’s feet contain no bones at all, purely cartilage? Well, I didn’t until I started researching the benefits to kids of being barefoot! As children grow, this cartilage ossifies to become the 28 bones that exist in our feet as adults – a process that isn’t complete until our late teens. So the freer a child’s feet can be, the more naturally they can develop.
‘Grounding’ has also been shown to reduce inflammation, support healthy sleep and relieve stress, as connecting with the Earth through our feet calms, resets and rebalances. With our feet unbound, we get all the sensory joy walking over of uneven, varying natural surfaces – grass, soil, pebbles, rocks, logs, sand – which isn’t just loads of fun but has been proven to improve our balance, the strength of our feet and our coordination. And the earlier in life we can experiences this, the better!
So, this week, find a clean little patch, kick off your shoes and get wriggling those toes!