Want to boost your mood, reduce inflammation or beat DOMS? The answer could be closer than you think, says Eve Boggenpoel.
Until recently, I thought being grounded meant being sensible, emotionally balanced and focused in the present. I thought it involved releasing tension in my upper body so my weight sank into my legs and feet, making me feel more stable and secure in yoga postures (and, indeed, in life). All this has multiple benefits, of course, but it turns out it’s only half the picture.
‘Traditionally, being grounded meant being in a state where the body, mind and spiritual aspects of the self are all connected,’ says Step Sinatra, co-author of Get Grounded, Get Well (Hampton Roads, $16.36). ‘But there’s also a scientific element… being grounded is attuning to and absorbing the Earth’s natural electromagnetic energy through your skin.’
Before you turn the page, thinking this is all a bit flaky, let’s look at the science. Whether or not we realise it, we’re continually surrounded by electrically charged particles and environments. The earth’s surface is negatively charged – created in part by lightning strikes that hit the ground at a rate of one every six seconds. And certain locations are filled with negative ions (negatively charged atoms or molecules). We, too, are electrical beings. Our body contains and depends on positively charged elements such as sodium, potassium and magnesium (hence the name electrolytes), as well as negatively charged chloride, for hydration, and phosphate, which is a major constituent of intracellular fluid.
So how does this all relate to grounding? ‘Grounding (or earthing) is about reconnecting with the planet’s electrical charge to balance the excess of positive ions in our bodies,’ explains Galahad Clark, co-founder and CEO of natural shoe brand, Vivobarefoot (vivobarefoot.com). ‘We inhale negative ions in environments such as the ocean, mountains, forests and waterfalls. Once they reach our bloodstream, negative ions are believed to produce biochemical reactions that increase levels of the mood chemical serotonin, helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress and boost energy.’ Touching the earth can also help balance excess positive charge in the body, associated with fatigue, irritation, depression and other problems. ‘When we make direct skin contact with the Earth’s surface – by standing barefoot on grass or sand, for example, or swimming in a lake or ocean – we receive its natural current or flow of electrons [negatively charged particles],’ adds Sinatra. And the benefits certainly make it worthwhile.
Backed by science
‘Over a decade of scientific research validates the benefits of grounding, including decreased pain and improved sleep,’ says Clark. ‘It regulates cortisol, your body’s main stress hormone (better regulation means you recover from stress quickly, instead of feeling anxious long after the stressful event), neutralises free radicals (highly reactive molecules that damage cells), and shifts the body from the stressed fight-or-flight mode to the restorative rest-and-digest mode.’
Being grounded also has anti-inflammatory effects, with the Journal of Inflammation Research reporting that grounding reduces or even prevents signs of inflammation following injury, such as heat, redness, swelling, pain and loss of function.
From a fitness point of view, research by Step Sinatra’s father, Dr Stephen Sinatra, in BioMed showed grounding improves blood flow – meaning greater oxygen delivery to working muscles when you exercise – and studies have even tested the effects of being grounded vs ungrounded in relation to delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). The most recent, conducted by researchers at the University of Salzburg, showed that being grounded while sleeping produces faster recovery and/or fewer markers of muscle damage and inflammation.
The latest investigations, however, have focused on emotional wellbeing. One early, animal-based study, published last year in the journal Biomedicines, found that earthing mats (cotton sheets with electrical plates joined to the earth connection of an electrical outlet) reduced anxious and helpless behaviour. The researchers are still investigating why this happens, but one theory is that it regulates hormones secreted by the pituitary gland. ‘Overall, connecting the whole body to the earth can free electrons and diurnal electrical rhythms to enter the body, setting the biological clocks for hormones that regulate stress responses,’ they conclude.
Barefoot in the park
So how can you experience the benefits of being grounded? Walking barefoot in nature or heading to forest or ocean environments where negative ions abound will instantly ground you, but when this isn’t an option, technology can help. Grounding footwear using electrically conductive materials helps rebalance negative and positive charge in your body. ‘Similar technology is used on work shoes where you need to be grounded for safety purposes, such as for electricians. We reverse engineered this into a performance shoe,’ explains Alex Ward, co-founder of Bahé (bahe.co), which made the world’s first grounded running shoes. ‘Because of the industrial use case, our shoes need to be as conductive as human skin. This is tested by placing metal balls in the shoe and a metal plate below, then measuring the resistance (and hence conductivity) through the shoe.’ With grounding technology applied to other devices, such as silver thread in bedsheets or yoga mats, there’s no shortage of ways to rebalance your body and enjoy all the benefits it brings. Happy grounding!
Five ways to get grounded now
There are more ways to release positive ions than walking barefoot on the grass. We asked Step Sinatra, founder of grounded.com, for his top tips on rebalancing your system:
Stand or swim in the sea
Walk along the shoreline. Go surfing… Because it is saturated with minerals and salt, sea water is very conductive of free electrons. Water itself conducts energy, too, so wading in freshwater bodies like lakes, rivers, ponds and creeks will also ground you.
Take a bath
As long as the piping, which connects to the Earth, is a metal such as copper or steel, the water will ground you, as metal piping is conductive. You can even ground while washing dishes or washing your hands at the sink. Often, you can also ground by dipping in pools, hot tubs and hot springs.
Garden, touch a plant, hug a tree!
If the plant is rooted in the ground (not potted), it will conduct Earth energy. You can also be grounded by holding hands with someone who is grounded, or even by stroking a pet. Find an area with thin fur and touch the animal while it’s sitting or standing on grass.
Wear grounding footwear
Unlike rubber-soled footwear, which insulates you from Earth’s natural electron flow, grounding shoes (see box, page 121) are made specifically to allow the Earth’s energy to pass from the ground into your feet via conductive elements in the soles.
Plug in an earthing device
To ground yourself indoors, there is a range of devices such as mattress covers, and mats that conduct the Earth’s electrons into your body. Simply plug them into the ground port of your electrical outlet (or use outside with a grounding rod). See grounded.com
Vivobarefoot Pilgrim boot
From the pioneers of barefoot technology, here three conductive layers under your feet – a rubber outsole for stability and initial contact, thin silver webbing for optimal conductive contact and a leather strobel [sock] layer stitched with silver thread – create a pathway for electrons to flow between your body and the Earth’s surface. For grounding benefits, use on natural surfaces such as soil, grass, sand and stone. £180, vivobarefoot.com
Bahé Recharge
The world’s first grounded running shoe, Recharge uses conductive materials between the ground and the in-sock which touches the foot, so when standing on natural or otherwise grounded surfaces you will become grounded. Weighing in at 280g (size 6) and with a heel-to-toe drop of 8mm, these runners are supportive and have a water-resistant finish. We found they had the feel of a barefoot shoe, with a great level of cushioning. £149, bahe.co
Rowland Earthing
Get eight hours of grounding throughout the night and enjoy deeper restorative sleep with this organic cotton fitted grounding bedsheet. Pure silver woven into the cotton gives it a natural bedsheet feel, while multimeter tests confirm a strong Earth connection is achieved, even when it’s fitted beneath a normal cotton bedsheet and you are wearing an additional layer of clothes/pyjamas. Organic Cotton Fitted Sheet from £120, rowlandearthing.co.uk
