Barefoot Running Is Good For Your Brain

Barefoot running, all the rage a few years ago, may boost more than cardio fitness. A new study by researchers at the University of North Florida suggests that it can also boost your memory. Men’s Fitness reports on the research, for which 72 participants between 18 and 44 were recruited to run either barefoot or with running shoes at a comfortable,  pace for roughly 16 minutes on a track. In order to simulate the way barefoot runners aim their feet to avoid sharp objects, the runners were also told to step on targets laid out on the track. After the exercise, barefoot runners saw about a 16 percent increase in working memory performance, measured as their ability to remember instructions, recall directions, and process information. Not so for runners wearing shoes, who saw no increase in working memory.