The barefoot running boom may be over, but that doesn’t mean occasionally kicking off your shoes isn’t a good idea.

While shoes are important for a lot of things — like, say, protecting your feet from sharp objects on the ground — they can also teach your feet to be incredibly lazy. And once they adapt to being lazy, it can be incredibly difficult to bounce back and regain lost function.

Beyond becoming lazy, going barefoot has a long list of health benefits. Here are five reasons why exercising barefoot is beneficial. 

1. Shoes Are Like Jail Cells For Your Feet

Okay, that’s a little harsh. But think about it this way: There are 29 muscles associated with the human foot and ankle, and 19 of them are intrinsic – meaning they operate only within the foot. Their jobs are to stabilize the arch, control your big toe, provide dynamic stability, and regulate your foot’s ability to move as it absorbs forces from the ground and transmits them throughout the rest of your body. 

It’s a huge undertaking, and wearing shoes limits your ability to activate these critical muscles. If your feet are stiff, immobile, or unable to adequately absorb shock, it could potentially cause stress and more significant problems up the kinetic chain and into other joints like your ankles, knees, and hips in the future. 

Without shoes to do the work for you, your intrinsic foot muscles are forced to work harder with every step – leading to a more adaptable and stronger foot overall. 

This post was written exclusively for Victory Performance & Physical Therapy in Culver City, Calif.

Read the full blog post here.