Anya’s Reviews on the Benefits of Being Barefoot and Why to Choose Barefoot Shoes

The Wellness Mama Podcast

Episode Highlights With Anya

• How she studied four languages including Russian and Chinese!
• Her personal story with foot health and foot problems that led her to research minimal footwear
• How pregnancy made her foot problems worse and how this led her to research alternatives to overly supportive shoes
• When her foot pain got super severe and started causing other joint pain as well
• The book that opened her eyes to another way to heal her feet
• What foot shaped footwear and barefoot shoes are and why they are important
• How to rehab feet and transition to better footwear
• The benefits of barefoot time when possible
• What to look for in barefoot shoes and all the different types available
• How sitting too much can also create foot issues even if kids aren’t wearing restrictive footwear
• The main things to look for in foot friendly footwear: foot shaped (asymmetric), flat, zero drop, bendable
• Exercises and movements for strengthening and mobilizing feet
• What toe yoga is and how to do it
• Her take on toe spreaders and when they can be beneficial
• Tips for making the transition easier
• Fascia release tools and how they can be helpful
• Her parting advice: You don’t have to be a foot nerd and be only barefoot to benefit from the ideas of this and how to 80/20 it

Resources We Mention

• Anya's Reviews - website
• Anya's Instagram
• Whole Body Barefoot: Transitioning Well to Minimal Footwear by Katy Bowman
• CARS video from Hunter Fitness
• Vivo Barefoot
• Xero Shoes
• Earth Runners
• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.
• Acupressure Rock Mat

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