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Katy Bowman – Whole Body Barefoot: Transitioning Well to Minimal FootwearQuote:Barefoot enthusiasts say ditching your shoes is essential for optimal whole-body function. Doctors say minimalist shoes cause injury. Who’s right? What if they both are?In Whole Body Barefoot, biomechanist Katy Bowman explains how both sides are right and wrong by broadening the perspective of over-simplified “shoes are good” or “shoes are bad” arguments. Using evolutionary-based and biomechanics arguments, Bowman demonstrates that shoes, in a modern context, have purpose, but that the trade-off for protection can be reduced whole-body health if we don’t pick the right shoes for our body and skill-level.Any body can transition to a less invasive shoe through thoughtful progressions of corrective exercise, movement patterns, and shoe selection. To avoid injury and maximize physical benefit, it is essential to make the transition with care.Whole Body Barefoot covers:• While barefoot is natural, the surfaces we frequent most are not.• Your foot (legs, hips, etc.) have adapted to footwear, affecting more of your parts than you realize.• Swapping your shoes can expose your body to new loads and ranges of motion you might not be ready for.• Training the small, weight-bearing parts of your body requires a smart progression.With clear, science-based explanations, Bowman gets to the root of how shoes affect more than just feet, why we can’t throw our old shoes out the window, and describes in detail the steps necessary to transition to more natural footwear safely and effectively.With over twenty exercises (for more than just the feet!), Whole Body Barefoot is a must-have for anyone hoping to improve their gait, strengthen their feet, and optimize their health through whole-body alignment.Open for everyoneNumber of pages: 100Year of publication: 2015Url:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0989653986/ref=dbs_a_def_r…Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (101 reviews)Amazon 5 star review wrote:Whether you’re interested in the paleo barefoot shtick or not, this book is a must read just because it explains how to walk properly, and why we’re probably not doing it right. Most of us do not walk on our feet properly, as a side effect of modern lifestyles where we wear constricting shoes all day and spend too much time sitting. This is a short book, but it gets right to the point and there isn’t any fluff. The first half is theory, and the second half is a list of exercises you can do at home to improve your posture and foot health. Katy explains in layman’s terms what’s wrong with our lazy foot muscles, why it’s wrong, and how to fix it with strengthening exercises. I have been standing and walking the way Katy describes for about a month and my arches are starting to lift after being flat footed my whole life.Amazon 5 star review wrote:THIS BOOK has fixed a LIFELONG problem I have had. Let’s just say that my nickname is Duck.Now with un-ducking and that led into a long list of “fixes” in my body alignment, I now can controlpain from plantar faciitus, and the bursitis in my knees. In addition the lower back pain I have feltfor several years now is undercontrol. Get yerself aligned with with venerable woman!Amazon 5 star review wrote:This book opened my eyes to body alignment and how we live/walk/cloth ourselves can have very real repercussions on our overall health. As a runner who was injured through incorrect running form, I’m now working with a physio to learn how to stand/walk/run correctly and gaining strength in my hips and lower back. Having already read this book, it’s made it easier on my PT in understanding what I need to do to get my body in proper shape. I think our feet and our shoes are one key in body alignment. I’ve also read up on some Egoscue and Foundation training as well. While they all take very different approaches to body alignment, I think they also work well together in overall body alignment and strength. You can’t stand/walk properly without proper body alignment (Egoscue) and you can’t stay aligned without proper muscle strength and movement (Foundation). I’m sure there’s more out there, but this is what I”ve discovered thus far. This book is a great read, though, and I’m glad I read it first. You can read the theory part in a few hours and the rest of the book is exercises.May you find the LIFE and LOVE,Aeon