Working out barefoot?

kill3rtofu

i used to when i had a home gym until i dropped a dumbbell on my foot !

kr1stadee

In taekwondo, I'm bare foot. During home workouts, I'm bare foot. If I walk on the treadmill at home or go for a walk outside, I have shoes on.
I don't go to a gym.

Boogage

I work out barefoot as I think my feet get more of a workout too. I broke my foot last Christmas and it wasn't until I ditched the shoes last summer that I started to have less pain because of the previous break.

LishLash79

MzzFaith

For some reason I love to, but was told that you suppose to wear @ supportive tennis shoe. Some about falling, & etc etc.

mom2kpr

This was really interesting for me. I always thought I was the odd one working our barefoot. I workout in my carpeted basement - things like Ripped in 30, Body Revolution (starting this week) - & I always go barefoot. My arches actually hurt worse when I wear shoes. I have tried several different styles & nothing seems to work, so I keep going back to bare feet.

Blacklance36

I wouldn't do that at the gym, not everyone is as clean as I am and there are a lot of germs that live on gym floors and in the locker room. I don't have a phobia but I don't want athletes foot either.

NatalieG525

I spend the majority of my time barefoot. Hate shoes and socks! So yeah, I workout barefoot

RaeLB

I would love to! but I think shoes are a requirement at my gym.

tigersword

The only thing I would do barefoot is yoga.

I'm not going to walk around in the gym barefoot or in socks. For one it's not exactly safe (hello weight falling on my toe!) and two that's just icky.

I did Insanity barefoot a few times and then I did some of it in my Vibram 5-finger shoes and I screwed up my foot.

To be fair, unless you're wearing steel toed boots, shoes won't do much for you if you drop a weight on your toe. Maybe contain the bleeding...

TR0berts

I got scolded at my gym a week or so ago for deadlifting in just my socks. The woman that worked there said that if I dropped the weight on my foot, it would break it.

My response? I looked at her and told her that unless I was wearing steel-toes, it wasn't going to matter what I was wearing on my feet if I dropped 355 lbs on my foot.


edit: HA! Dragonwolf and tigersword just posted this, basically.

TR0berts

The only thing I would do barefoot is yoga.

I'm not going to walk around in the gym barefoot or in socks. For one it's not exactly safe (hello weight falling on my toe!) and two that's just icky.

I did Insanity barefoot a few times and then I did some of it in my Vibram 5-finger shoes and I screwed up my foot.

To be fair, unless you're wearing steel toed boots, shoes won't do much for you if you drop a weight on your toe. Maybe contain the bleeding...

And make it more difficult for the paramedic/nurse/doctor to get to the broken foot.

jenn26point2

I HATE being barefoot, but prefer running/working out as close to barefoot as possible so I use these:



They give me grip and stability while I'm lifting and help me focus and monitor WHERE my feet are when I'm running/bouncing around more, which has always been a big problem for me.

For those of you with issues of pain in the arches from being barefoot for long periods. That's muscle pain and knots, just like anything else. Roll a golf ball under your arches for a few minutes a couple times a day to work on the knots. Your feet will get stronger over time.

I do all my workouts (lifting and running alike) in vibrams. And these are super freaking cute!! I agree with the arch pain.

I used to get arch pain and my doctor actually told me to roll with a golf ball (or one of those actual arch roller things you can buy from a specialty running store) and then suggested I find a way to go barefoot more often (not a lot right away, but increasing it slowly over time) b/c when in shoes, the arch supports prevent your arches from doing their job (shock absorption) and then get weak - and this is why people get PF issues. She said the arches are a muscle that need to be worked out as well as the rest of them. Since taking her advice, no more PF.

I have also run in just my socks while at the gym. My gym is ok with it as long as I realize I can slip and get hurt and blah blah blah.

celtbell3

I prefer no shoes for most workouts

gsmithnp

Shoes when on the elliptical, and of course for anything outdoors or involving jumping/impact. Otherwise, barefoot it is--no socks even. I work out at home and have cushioned mats on the floor. So far I've not had any trouble with slipping or with foot/ankle pain (and I used to twist my ankles just walking on a flat surface). I really do think my feet and ankles are stronger. I currently have a broken pinky toe (a kitchen stepstool attacked me) and there is no way I could lift with shoes on--I can barely walk with shoes on. I was able to do my full workout on Saturday without any trouble at all.

QueenBishOTUniverse

I HATE being barefoot, but prefer running/working out as close to barefoot as possible so I use these:



They give me grip and stability while I'm lifting and help me focus and monitor WHERE my feet are when I'm running/bouncing around more, which has always been a big problem for me.

For those of you with issues of pain in the arches from being barefoot for long periods. That's muscle pain and knots, just like anything else. Roll a golf ball under your arches for a few minutes a couple times a day to work on the knots. Your feet will get stronger over time.

I do all my workouts (lifting and running alike) in vibrams. And these are super freaking cute!! I agree with the arch pain.

I used to get arch pain and my doctor actually told me to roll with a golf ball (or one of those actual arch roller things you can buy from a specialty running store) and then suggested I find a way to go barefoot more often (not a lot right away, but increasing it slowly over time) b/c when in shoes, the arch supports prevent your arches from doing their job (shock absorption) and then get weak - and this is why people get PF issues. She said the arches are a muscle that need to be worked out as well as the rest of them. Since taking her advice, no more PF.

I have also run in just my socks while at the gym. My gym is ok with it as long as I realize I can slip and get hurt and blah blah blah.

I injured my hip quite badly about a year ago while trying to get back in to running. Figured out it was because of the serious jaring my hip was taking from my aweful heel thunking running gate. Switched in to these over the summer and haven't looked back. Funny I never made the connection before though, EVERY animal out there that is adapted for serious running, does it on the ball of their foot or all the way up on their toes. These things don't LET you heel thunk so you have no choice but to correct your gate.

Dragonwolf

For some reason I love to, but was told that you suppose to wear @ supportive tennis shoe. Some about falling, & etc etc.

You were told a load of malarky. Wearing "supportive" shoes is akin to keeping the training wheels on your bike or keeping a cast on your limbs even when they're not broken. The shoes are specifically designed to immobilize the fine muscles in your feet, ultimately weakening them.

Yes, after decades of wearing "supportive" shoes, you do run the risk of falling if you suddenly start doing everything barefoot. It's the same as doing anything when first taking a cast off. You can't expect to go directly back to squatting 1.5x your bodyweight the day you get your cast off from a broken leg. You have to rebuild the muscles first. The same goes for your feet and ankles - you have to rebuild the muscles back up by starting slowly - walk around the house, then walk other places, then walk for exercise, then build up to running or whatever other cardio activity you're doing on your feet.

iplayoutside19

When I lifted at home I did so barefoot. Had a few close calls with dropping weights, but never had one connect.

Now that I go to a public weight room I wear my 20 year old wrestling shoes...which are essentially high topped socks with flat pads on the bottom. I won't drop $80 on something that is essentially a foot condom.

rybo

Barefoot, socks or vibrams. Even my running is in vibrams or other minimalist shoes.

Walter__

I do squats and deadlifts in flat shoes. Specifically the knockoff Converse I got from Walmart for like $8. I think the're called Faded Glory. Works very well.