Training barefoot: Is it safe? Are there advantages? – GOOD SHAPE

On Tik Tok, #barefoottraining became a hit, adding over a million views to date. For those who don’t know, this trend consists of lifting weights without wearing sneakers or footrests, that is, completely barefoot.

Given the success on social networks, barefoot training has been gaining more and more followers. Many even believe that the practice helps to lift more weight, benefit balance and strengthen the feet.

Developed by Assistant Professor of Biomechanics Kevin Valenzuela of California State University Long Beach, a recent study on the use of tennis shoes on deadlift exercise performance found that these effects are unproven.

It’s safe?

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the personal trainer Caio Signoretti and the physiotherapist Dr. Walkyria Fernandes warn that it is necessary to be careful when putting into practice barefoot training, since it can cause serious injuries.

According to Caio, while performing movements such as barbell squats, deadlifts or sumo squats, one of the most common mistakes is related to the forces exerted from the bottom up, that is, starting with the feet.

With barefoot training, this is an error that can lead to even more serious problems.

“Often that’s what influences everything else. When you do a squat, for example, the person tends to throw their feet in, raising the outer side of that limb. This influences the entire bone structure, such as the knee, hip and spine, and may harm the health of these members”, says the personal trainer.

“In fact, this whole trend of squatting barefoot is nothing more than improving your perception of the contact of the feet with the ground, which is a big nonsense, since this can be improved just by walking barefoot at home. To squat, it is more recommended to use appropriate footwear, which still avoids the risk of accidents and injuries”, adds Caio Signoretti.

Physical therapist Dr. Walkyria Fernandes, who specializes in orthopedics and sports traumatology, emphasizes that it is essential to pay attention if the individual chooses to perform physical exercises barefoot.

“Those who have always done tennis exercises and start to do barefoot training need to be very careful, the adaptation has to be gradual so that they don’t get hurt, as the foot starts to act as a shock absorber for the whole body”, he begins.

“Walking or jogging barefoot on the sand can actually be very interesting for working the muscles, the plantar fascia and the proprioception of the joint, which is when the region becomes more dynamically stable; ideal for injury prevention or rehabilitation,” she adds.

What to wear for bodybuilding workouts?

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When it comes to bodybuilding, Caio says that the most appropriate sneakers for the occasion are those with flat, firm and rubber soles, as they give the feet more stability for strength training.

Walkyria informs that shoes with cushioning prevent the foot muscles from being strengthened during bodybuilding.

“When people wear shoes with shock absorbers, it’s as if the foot doesn’t have to exert any effort. And the muscles in the feet need to be worked on. A shoe with a very large shock absorber on the back of the foot changes the person’s center of gravity, and this can cause imbalance, making the body have to adapt to the new normal”, concludes Walkyria.