Sensory zone
VICKY KIERNANDER guillemotright.cap JOURNALIST guillemotright.cap SPA BUSINESS
Barefoot paths are growing
in popularity. We explore
the dif_f erent types, their
feet f_i r s t
health benef_i ts and what they
could add to a spa operation
t’s surprising what pleasure can be derived from so simple tice, encouraging his charges to take long
I
an activity as removing your socks and shoes. Anyone who walks barefoot across f_i elds and wood-
has exposed their bare feet to the warmth of a sandy beach lands as they subscribed to his particular
on holiday or stepped unshod onto cool, springy grass will system of hydrotherapy – Kneipp therapy
be able to attest to the delicious feeling of exhilaration as they free – to ease their complaints. In his book, My
their feet from the conf_i nes of footwear and reconnect with nature. Water Cure, published in one.fittedeight.fittedeight.fittedsix.fitted, Kneipp
T_h e benef_i ts of walking barefoot have long been recognised in said: “Walking barefoot on a wet meadow
Asia, where ref_l exology paths are widely available and used daily is unsurpassed in its calming ef_f ect.”
to enhance health and wellbeing. In Europe, the Bavarian priest Kneipp’s practices attracted widespread
Sebastian Kneipp was one of the earliest proponents of the prac- attention during his lifetime and continue
to hold favour today, particularly in
Germany, where barefoot walking
remains a popular activity. In the UK,
the f_i rst barefoot trail launched in Wales
in March two.fittedzero.fittedzero.fittednine.fitted at the family attraction
Greenwood Forest Park. So, just what are
the health benef_i ts involved?
BAREFOOT BENEFITS
Advocates of barefoot walking say there
are many reasons why we should regularly
kick of_f our shoes and connect with nature.
Dr Elizabeth Marazita, a US-based
ref_l exologist who provides consultancy
and design services to spas in Europe and
North America, says barefoot walking
encourages natural gait and movement
of the body. “T_h e way our foot reacts
with the ground determines how the rest
of our body is positioned. Shoes change
our natural posture, therefore, possibly altering the structure and
function of the body’s natural systems.”
She cites research by Fuzong Li in the Journal of the American
Geriatrics Society in two.fittedzero.fittedzero.fittedfive.fitted, which found that walking on ref_l exol-
ogy paths can lower blood pressure and improve balance. T_h ose
who regularly walk a ref_l exology path barefoot can also experi-
ence some of the benef_i ts associated with traditional ref_l exology
treatments, she says. T_h ese include, but are not limited to, reduced
anxiety, stress management, increased bladder control, reduced
pain from surgery and relief from constipation and depression.
Marazita co-founded Paths of Health with her husband Michael
Spano, a licensed acupuncturist and a professor of Chinese
medicine. Together they work with a range of clients to design
and install tailored ref_l exology paths and provide training as well
Y
N as instructional videos to ensure optimum use of the paths. In
A
M
R
Washington, US, they worked closely with architects to install a
E
,
G
ref_l exology path at Spa Agio and also
K
R
A
Barefoot walking with the King County Parks System to
P
N encourages the natural create three of the very f_i rst ref_l exol-
E
N
I
E gait and movement of
ogy paths in public parks in the US.
S
:
L
our bodies, can lower Marazita says there are dif_f erences
O
T
O
blood pressure and between ref_l exology paths and natural
H
P improve balance barefoot trails. “Ref_l exology paths are
5452 Read Spa Business online spabusiness.comm // digital SpSPa BuA BUSINESS 4 2009SineSS 4 2009
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