Every parent want their child to grow up smart. According to studies, there is a trick to make your baby smart and help develop his or her brain. This made parents question their way of raising their baby and wonder if they have been doing it wrong all this time. Even before the baby learns how to walk, they already have walking shoes prepared when the time comes. As soon as their little angel starts to take few baby steps, these baby shoes are on!
This may seem logical but according to studies, walking barefoot is beneficial for the child’s development. This can offer them plenty of benefits. The early years of a child’s life, this is when their sensory system is in full development. This is also when it allows the brain to adapt to learn and grow and our five senses; touch, vision, hearing, smell, and taste, allow this to happen.
Among the five senses, the sense of touch is less popular compared to the others. According to a vitalistic chiropractor named Dr. Kacie Flegal, the two sensory systems which are the proprioceptive system and the vestibular system, are very important. When we are walking barefoot, it will help improve the development of these systems and it will also boost our brain functions.
Proprioception is the ability to understand the motion and also the positioning of the human body. The receptors in your joints, your muscles, and also your other tissues are working together to send signals to your brain while the Vestibular system is responsible for maintaining the balance and coordination. This vestibular system determines the person’s center of gravity.
The Effects Of Wearing Shoes
According to experts, it is not a good idea to let your kids walk with their shoes all the time. Walking will provide sensory input to the proprioceptive system and the vestibular system and to the brain. Our feet have very strong neurological connections and it has many sensory cells. Walking with shoes can prevent the process of sending the tactile feedback to our body because the sensors are not stimulated.
Many parents think that when their kids are not wearing their shoes, they can get easily injured but in reality, walking barefoot from time to time can improve their balance and coordination, as well as their spatial orientation skills. When the feet is appropriately stimulated, this will result in a higher development of their brain cells, thus this will make them smarter.
Babies are not the only ones who will benefit from walking without shoes. This can also be a good idea for adults. Like what happens to the babies when walking barefoot, the proprioceptive system and the vestibular system will also be stimulated and new neural connections can still develop. This means that if you are currently suffering from orientation and balance issues, try walking around the house without shoes and this might help you with that.
If you have ever tried walking barefoot on a grassy park, you know how good it feels. This can be a great activity that you can share with your children. Visit the park or spend some time on your backyard and encourage them to walk on their feet. Explore and be free as the ground beneath your feet tickles your senses! Let your new neural connections develop because it is never too late no matter how young or old you are.
