Barefoot Training

Vanessa is a Barefoot Training Specialist® who can safely, effectively and specifically integrate barefoot programming for the benefit of corrective exercise and athletic performance!

For many the term “Barefoot Training” is associated with running and minimal shoes, but just taking your shoes off and being barefoot can have a real positive effect on the health of your body and mind. As the only point of contact between the body and the ground, our feet are instrumental in how our body moves. If our feet are not functioning correctly this will directly affect how the joints and muscles in the rest of our body function.

Just being barefoot isn’t enough though so I incorporate barefoot exercises in all of my Pilates classes and private consultations. These exercises are designed to strengthen and condition the muscles of the feet and lower limbs. I have learnt through my studies into barefoot movement science that the stronger the feet, the stronger the core and that there is a neuromuscular connection between the muscles in the feet and the core muscles and pelvic floor.

We do not live in a world where we can go about our daily lives barefoot. Our feet are not designed for a ‘concrete environment’ therefore we must wear shoes to protect our feet. We have become dependent on footwear and orthotics to support our feet which ironically weakens them and increases the risk of injury. The world of fashion has taken us further and further away from practical footwear, we choose style over substance, squeezing our feet into narrow, rigid and cushioned containment. Please watch the short film below.

It is my belief that not only should we all spend more time barefoot, but we should be correctly exercising our feet to make them stronger and more flexible.

I offer one-to-one consultations where I assess your feet to determine foot type and examine the biomechanics to reveal how your feet function and how that is impacting on the rest of your body. From here I can devise an exercise program specific to your needs.