What is Earthing, and how does It work?
Otherwise known as “Grounding” Earthing is the latest trend in fitness, health, and wellness. It’s a natural phenomenon that occurs when you sink your toes into wet grass, sand or dirt, and gives us all kinds of benefits. The concept came about in the release of Clint Ober’s book, Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever? The premise came about when the author, a veteran to the cable TV industry, discovered that the same method of grounding used in stabilizing wires and telecommunications could also help stabilize the atoms in the human body providing all kinds of benefits. When you allow your bare feet to step onto the earth, your skin absorbs the negative ions in the ground, which stabilizes the atoms in your body!
Benefits of Earthing
Sleep & Pain Management
Have you ever lay awake having trouble sleeping? The growing need for sleep aids and devices has turned the sleep industry into a whopping $100 billion market. Furthermore,
In one sleep study, a group of 60 people with chronic pain and poor sleep were examined. Half of this group slept with an earthing sheet (regular bedding sheets with a conductive material woven through them, and a wire that plugs into the grounding port on the standard electrical outlet) on their bed, while the other half slept with placebo sheets. In the end, those who were given the earthing sheet stated they experienced a decrease in chronic pain, respiratory issues, arthritis, sleep apnea and hypertension, while those who weren’t did not experience any improvements to their symptoms.
Stress
There is a well-known link between cortisol and stress. Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands and is responsible for our “fight or flight” response. While cortisol has many vital functions in the body, if your cortisol levels become too high, you could be faced with a whole mess of health problems including stress, fatigue, weight gain, and other hormonal balances. Earthing gives your body a natural way to keep its cortisol levels in a normal range, because it uses the earth’s subtle electrical charge to keep your body in balance!
Immunity & Inflammation
New studies have also shown that earthing positively affects the inflammatory response and the immune system. A connection was made between inflammation and chronic stress. As you ground yourself and you begin to lower your stress-causing cortisol levels, your body’s inflammation calms.
When atoms in your body are unstable they turn into free radicals and are extremely damaging. As grounding neutralizes these free radicals your healing proceeds at a faster rate, causing your immune system to become more and more healthy!
What Should I Do to Get Started?
- Go outside and take a walk – barefoot. I know it’s a little unconventional but just try it and see how it feels!
- Purchase a set of earthing sheets, recharge your body while you sleep.
- Take an outdoor yoga class – and skip the mat! Soak in the benefits of stretching and earthing at the same time.
- Go camping, and sleep on an earthing mat.
It’s crazy to think about how something as simple as digging your toes in the sand could have so many positive benefits, just 15 minutes is enough time to start feeling the affects.
Take off your shoes and start logging some steps towards your favorite Yes.Fit race.
