Go Barefoot At The Gym To Get More Out Of These Exercises

Go Barefoot At The Gym To Get More Out Of These Exercises

Running isn’t the only exercise you can do barefoot. Try these other exercises sans shoes for better balance and stronger feet.

Photo by Pink Sherbet

Going without shoes lets you work the muscles of your feet and potentially take advantage of more natural movement patterns, although runners have been warned to tread carefully to avoid injury from doing too much barefoot work all at once. With gym exercises, starting out small is probably a good idea too.

We also don’t want you running afoul of gym rules, so either do these at home or make sure your gym is OK with bared feet. Men’s Health suggests doing these moves without shoes:

  • Pushups, to give you an extra stretch in your toes and the soles of your feet. (If you love that stretch, also try the toes pose in yoga.)
  • Deadlifts, to bring you a little bit closer to the ground. If you do lots of deadlifts, you might already own low-soled shoes, but if not, kicking off your sneakers is an easy way to achieve the same thing.
  • Lunges, so you can stabilise yourself with your foot muscles rather than relying on the shape of your shoe.

Read more at Men’s Health on the benefits of going barefoot for these and other exercises.

4 Exercises You Should Always Do Barefoot [Men’s Health]


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