FLAGSTAFF, AZ (AZFamily) — Walking and hiking can greatly benefit people’s health but some believe doing it barefoot is even better.
With miles and miles of forest and plenty of hiking trails, Flagstaff is a great place to connect with nature.
However, one new trail system connects people to nature in a different way: by allowing them to walk it barefoot.
Leah Williams discovered barefoot parks while living in Europe and she loved it so much she wanted to share it with others.
“I think your world comes alone when you walk it barefoot,” Williams said. “So I thought when we came back to the United States to live again that I would create such a park. So here we are 15 years later.”
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So she opened the Barefoot Trail west of Flagstaff last month.
It’s a mile-long trail made with different materials, such as sand, stone and mud. There is also adventure terrain that includes wooden beams and ropes.
“The middle section is sanded and has a little bit of mixture of the natural soil and sand to make it a little bit softer for those of us who aren’t used to going barefoot,” Williams said.
Healthline reports walking barefoot can strengthen your feet and legs and improve joint mobility and balance.
Mitchel Brown works at the park now but used barefooting to improve his health long before the job.
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“I used to have some of the worst postures that you can imagine and through barefooting and other calisthenics. I really built from the ground up a foundation of health and structure,” Brown said.
Now, Brown shares his passion with others.
“The best part is the kids because the kids come out apprehensive and then they come out on the end part of the trail and you can just see them lit up. They’re running around,” he said.
The organization is a nonprofit and the $10 per person fee goes towards daily park maintenance.
Williams said she wants to open more barefoot trails across the country.
“People saying, ‘Why don’t we have these around the country? Why don’t we have these in other place?’” she said. “We’d like to have maybe 10 parks. I’m not sure, we’ll just see how this goes.”
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