E-Book - AS - 2022 - Step by Step To Healthy Walking - 3

Step
by step
to Healthy Walking
Dear readers,
I’m so happy that you have decided to open this ebook. It means you care
about your body and want to walk healthy and naturally. Just reading this first
page means you’re taking the first step towards making a big change in your
life.
In this ebook, I’ve summarized the fantastic benefits that a healthy walk will
bring you. I’ll show you the most common mistakes and some simple
exercises you can try on your own to help you move more naturally and
comfortably. With a bit of practice, you’ll soon switch the “walking” program in
your brain into a new, healthy, and more joyful mode.
Lukáš Klimpera
Physiotherapist and Founder
of Ahinsa shoes
Table of Contents
Get ready! These are the benefits of healthy walking ......................................................... 4
Body Alignment: Adjust your movement programs.............................................................. 7
Do you stand actively? ........................................................................................................................ 10
Bounce: Where does your stride start? ..................................................................................... 16
Movement: Can your feet support it?........................................................................................ 25
Footstep: Allow your feet to read the terrain ....................................................................... 32
Tests and Exercises: How do I know I’m walking correctly? ........................................ 35
Go barefoot safely ................................................................................................................................ 39
Tips to help you walk healthily....................................................................................................... 41
Frequently asked questions............................................................................................................ 45
Bonus ........................................................................................................................................................... 48
Put on Ahinsa shoes, put on freedom........................................................................................ 51
SOS: First aid for healthy walking ................................................................................................ 59
The whole book, in one sentence................................................................................................ 60
Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................. 61
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Get ready! These are the

benefits of healthy
walking
First things first: Why should you be interested in healthy walking at all?
What’s in it for you?
1. You’ll provide relief for your joints. When you walk properly, the
surfaces of your joints have optimal contact, and your joints don’t
wear down as much.
2. Your muscles are ready to react at any time during natural walking.
They have ideal tension — neither too high nor too low.
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3. Your body will naturally straighten up and loosen. You can get rid of
chronic issues that seem unrelated to walking, such as back pain,
headaches, joint pain, fatigue, and more.
4. You will finally use the total capacity of your lungs. Get more oxygen
to your brain and heart and stabilize your torso.
5. You’ll activate your pelvic floor and deep stabilization system to
improve your balance and coordination.
6. You’ll maximize your performance. When you walk correctly, your
body (musculoskeletal system) is aligned and activated for complete
power transfer through centered joints.
7. You’ll stimulate acupressure points on the soles of your feet with
every step you take.
8. Studies show the brain gets up to 80% of its information for
maintaining balance from the soles of your feet. Healthy barefoot
walking stimulates the brain centers that process information for
stability.
The top benefit: Healthy walking makes you happy and improves your
psychological well-being. Don’t believe us? Try the exercises I’ve created, and you’ll
see the results for yourself.
It’s never too late to start walking the healthy way. Take the first step
towards a major change in your life.

Exercise: Learn how body alignment
influences your mood
Sit completely still and passively. Let your head and shoulders hang down.
Close your eyes and focus on being aware of how you feel inside.
Be conscious of the entire inner space of your torso. Now, try to lift and
expand it as much as possible from the inside. Slowly, gradually, gently, and
ideally with the help of each breath you take.
How do you feel now that this inner space has straightened and expanded?
This upright and stretched out position is your natural state, and healthy
walking will naturally guide you to it. When you walk the right way, you can
feel great every moment of your life.
Passive sitting Active sitting
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BODY ALIGNMENT:
Adjust your movement

programs
What do you think determines your body’s alignment? It’s not your joints,
bones, or muscles — it’s your brain. Your brain is responsible for regulating
the tension in your muscles, affecting your overall posture. This is based on
your current internal and external situation and the movement programs
(patterns) it has stored.
Your personal movement programs were created during your childhood, but
they aren’t fixed. You can change and optimize them so that your body
functions as naturally, healthily, and happily as possible.

Here’s the good news: You can improve your walking, running, and the way you sit.
You just need to work on making your movement programs better.
Being aware is the key to change. The more the brain can sense and feel a
part of the body, the better it can control it. That’s why I recommend that all
exercises and steps towards change be done as consciously, slowly, and
sensitively as possible. The more you unlock awareness, the better and
faster you’ll be able to establish a new movement program.
Careful, when I say “unlock awareness,” I don’t mean forced and strenuous
concentration.
It’s important to consider how you enjoy movement and how it makes you
feel when establishing new movement programs. That’s the main thing to
remember — movement should make you happy.
Emotional activation of the limbic system in the brain at the

neurophysiological level can help to create and set new programs. Put more
simply: what we experience with emotion, we remember better.

Exercise: How important is becoming
aware?
Try raising your pinky finger. Lower it and then circle it slowly around. No
problem, right?
Now, try to do the same with your little toe. That’s not so easy, is it? Why is
that? Because we don’t feel or use our little toes. For most of the
population, the little toe has been cramped inside a stiff shoe for their entire
lives, so it can’t move, and they can’t use it. The brain stops feeling the little
toe, and when the brain isn’t aware of a body part, it stops using it.
It’s a vicious cycle! Fortunately, you can break it — all you have to do is make
the brain aware of your little toe, and you’ll be able to wiggle it around just
like the little finger on your hand.
Does your brain sense your toes? Let’s teach it to become aware together.

Do you stand actively?
They say: “You need good shoes and a good mattress.” This is so true! All our
lives, we keep our feet in contact with the ground, whether we’re standing,
sitting, or even lying down. Healthy standing is an essential foundation.
But often, this foundation is not in harmony with the way our bodies
function. We stand incorrectly: passively, hunched over and suspended in
our bodies.
Even if it doesn’t look like it, standing this way is more demanding and taxing on the
body than standing actively.
Active and naturally standing is when our feet support and carry us, and
from them, this ”carrying” spreads to the rest of the body. It activates the
kinetic muscle chains that run through your whole body, centering and
stabilizing it. Standing correctly also helps to adjust and activate your pelvic

floor, deep abdominal muscles, and your breath. It improves the function of
your internal organs and creates an ideal base for positioning your shoulders
and head. As a result, your body naturally optimizes joint alignment and
muscle tension.
And as we tested in our first exercise at the start: when you set up your
torso and body correctly, you’ll start to feel better immediately.
Active standing Active standing

Passive standing Passive standing
Active standing should not be forced. Make sure you don’t clench your toes,
and you’re not curling them under your feet. You should distribute your
weight evenly across the entire sole of the foot.
Forced standing

Exercise: Practicing carrying support
Stand freely on both of your feet. Be aware of your body’s weight and how it
is distributed across your feet.
Now, activate your feet so they respond to this weight. This reaction should
spread through the whole body, centering and stabilizing it.
Check that your toes are pressing against the ground. The "carrying" starts
from your toes, but don't force it. There shouldn't be too much tension or
passiveness, and the response should flow through your entire body, all the
way to your head. You should automatically straighten up and start breathing
better.
This exercise will also optimize the position of your arms. They will relax, and
the shoulder (pectoral) girdle settles evenly on your chest without being
positioned forwards or backward.
The soles of your feet should have the same amount of weight on them. The
body gradually adjusts based on the response from your feet, specifically
from your toes.
A foot with carrying support

Passive feet A forced foot response
You may feel the arches of your hands adjust during this exercise as well.
That’s completely normal and a natural result of muscle contraction.

They don’t say “stand on your own feet” for nothing. Standing on them
consciously and actively is a miraculous exercise that brings instant results.
Try this one exercise as a social experiment of sorts.
Stand passively and pay attention to how people react. How do they interact
with you? How do you feel? Now, try standing actively. Allow your body to
straight up, expand, and “carry” itself. How do those around you react to you
now? How do you feel about yourself?
An active posture brings with it a natural sense of confidence and grounding.

You act and feel more self-confident – and your surroundings immediately
respond.

Bounce: Where does
your stride start?
Have you ever thought about where your stride starts? Which part of your
body and what muscles initiate walking? Try to focus on this for a moment.
Did you manage to recognize where your walk starts? Well done!
If you didn’t figure it out, don’t worry. Find a quiet place where you won’t be
disturbed and try to stand up freely. Close your eyes and feel your whole body as it
stands. Then, slowly prepare to take a step and concentrate on where the first
activity comes from in your body that initiates forward movement.
Do you feel that your stride comes from your foot and that you bounce off
your toes? Great, that’s how it’s supposed to be.

Which muscles initiate your stride?
Most of us start our stride in reverse, from our hip joints, the pelvis, or even
our lower back. In other words, we tend to throw our feet forward and land
on them hard. This type of movement isn’t natural or healthy for us.

Throwing the feet forward
So, how did we learn this unnatural gait? From a young age, we’ve been
putting on traditional footwear. Classic shoes are like splints on our feet,
taking away space and not allowing the foot to function naturally. As a result,
the brain has to create an alternative movement program, and that’s how we
start walking unnaturally. It stores this new pattern, and we start walking
unnaturally, even barefoot. And when we walk this way barefoot, we can
injure ourselves — for instance, coming down too hard on our heels with
each step.
That’s why it’s important to switch to barefoot walking gradually and naturally.
What does unnatural walking do to the musculoskeletal system? Your body

is a perfectly built and balanced system. But imagine if you start using it in a
completely different way than nature intended. Your body partially adapts,
but it can’t be as efficient and can’t endure as much. This causes wear and
tear on your joints and arthritic problems. Your muscles no longer work as a

perfectly connected chain, so they become overloaded. This not only
reduces performance and stability but can lead to spinal problems.
Unnatural walking can also change your breathing patterns, cause tension to
build up in your body, and reduce the natural space your internal organs
need.
Fortunately, you can unlearn an unnatural bounce in your step. Focus on

how the soles of your feet connect with the ground and try to reverse your
stride. Right when you would typically throw your foot forward from the
pelvis or hip area, try to push off your toes instead and allow that force to
propel you forward.
Your feet don’t have to fall far in front of your body. It’s sufficient to carefully and
gently place it down in front of or directly under your body. Your stride might be
shorter, but it will be healthy and correct.
Try to reverse the mechanism of your movement and bounce off your toes.

Exercise: Practice the correct bounce
Stand relaxed and step slightly forward with one foot. Distribute your weight
evenly on the sole of the back foot. Feel the contact with the ground so that
your foot isn’t passive and you’re not simply “balanced” on it. You should
have a sense of fundamental tension in that foot so that you feel that it’s
carrying you.
Feel the contact of your toes with the ground. Then, push forward slightly
from your toes. Just bounce gently without completing the whole step or
lifting the back foot into the air. You will allow the force of the bounce
coming from your toes to move your torso forward. Then, you’ll return to the
starting position gently.
Be careful that the force comes from your toes. Often, we tend to move
forward with our upper body, but the torso should remain loose and stable
without leading the forward motion.
Be careful that the movement truly comes from your toes.

Try this exercise several times. As soon as you feel confident with it, try
pushing up with more intensity. Bounce harmoniously and smoothly, not
choppily or with a jerking motion.
Repeat the exercise on the other foot. This will activate your feet and teach
you how to bounce off your toes naturally.

Exercise: Wake up your toes
Try standing on your tiptoes using your toes. Make sure that you are not
lifting yourself with your calf muscles and that your toes are not coming off
the ground as you raise your body up.
How do you do it? Keep your toes in contact with the ground, focusing on
gaining full contact. Now, stand on your tiptoes, lifting from your toes. Your
calf muscles can help you, but the motion should come from your toes and
be evenly distributed.
This principle is the key to a safe and effective bounce. And you’ll use it for
healthy walking — only your toes will work to move you forward, instead of
up like we’re doing in this exercise.
Your toes have unbelievable strength. Teach them how to use it.
Through exercise, you’re learning a new, natural movement program. But if

you put your foot back into a stiff and narrow shoe, you’ll reset back to your
original program. That’s why you might exercise for an hour per day and still
not see or feel the results you want. Remember to choose shoes that will
help you walk healthily.

Exercise: Gain control of your lumbar
region
When you push off your foot, make sure that the force of the bounce flows
into your body and moves you forward with as little loss of power as
possible. Often, even with a proper bounce, we lift our hips or have such an
unstable lower back (lumbar region) that we end up swinging our pelvis and
losing some of the natural momentum.
If you keep the pelvis and lower back stable, the force will transfer fully to
your torso, and you won’t lose any power. In addition, you’ll improve the
function of your deep abdominal muscles, pelvic floor, and breathing — all of
which can help you straighten up.
Practically, your pelvis should float forward horizontally without any

significant rocking movements relative to the rest of your torso.
Let’s learn how to do it.
Place your hands on your pelvic bones and watch what your pelvis does as
you walk. Does it sway?
Try to stabilize it consciously. Slow down and soften your stride. Hold and
brace your stomach with one hand and your back with your other hand. Feel
the energy transfer from your feet to the stabilized torso. Try this movement
in front of a mirror: your upper body should remain stable and straight as
you walk.
Once you have established this movement pattern in slow motion, you can
increase your walking speed.

. Follow the movement of your pelvis. Does it sway?
Brace your stomach and back.

Movement: Can your feet
support it?
When you walk, it’s critical that the foot you are standing on is not passive
and doesn't collapse under the weight and dynamics of walking.
“Carrying” activates the kinetic muscle chains that run through your entire
body, centering and stabilizing it. It also helps align and activate the pelvic
floor, deep abdominal muscles, and breath, optimize internal organ function,
and form the base for correct shoulder and head alignment. And, as you’ve
already discovered for yourself, this body posture will improve your mood.
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This foot actively carries your body. A collapsed foot — it shouldn’t look
like this.
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Exercise: Teach your feet how to carry you
From two feet, gradually stand on one foot and then your other foot. Feel
free to hold onto a chair or the wall if you are unsure of your balance.
Look closely at your entire foot. Has it changed position? Return to the
starting position on both your feet if you notice the ankle turn in, the knee
sink down, the pelvis tilt, your back arch, or the hip joint rotate inwards.
Once again, stand on one foot, but consciously make sure that your position
doesn’t change.
Proceed slowly, gently, and carefully. As soon as your position starts to

change, stop and start again. Making a change in your movement program is
about quality, not quantity.

Have you managed to stand for an extended period on each of your feet? Do
you feel that your torso is relaxed and stable? Excellent! Put this principle
into action.
Step forward with one foot. Your back foot will bounce and take a full step
forward. What does the standing foot do? Is it active and carrying you? Make
sure that it’s not buckling under the weight and energy of your moving body.
Practicing a step carried by an active foot.

Correct execution - The foot Incorrect execution - The foot
supports. collapses.

Ready for the next step? Add a balancing aid to the exercise. The more
unsteady the base, the harder your brain and body have to work to stabilize
you — helping to thoroughly establish new movement programs
Using a balancing aid creates conditions that quickly establish new

movement programs.
You’re doing great! Let’s take it one step further. Place one foot on a stair,
push yourself up with the sole of your foot, and try to complete a step (i.e.,
place your second foot on the stair).
Pay attention to the top foot to see if it is stable throughout the movement
or if it falls or collapses down. Make sure the pelvis and lower back remain
stable or if they swing as you move up the stairs.
Sounds easy? Believe me, most of today’s population has trouble with this
exercise. But how can we ever be healthy if we can’t even manage to go up
the stairs the right way?

Pay attention to the stability of the top foot and Incorrect execution.
your pelvis.
Did you walk up the stairs? Try going back down them using the same
principle.

Footstep: Allow your feet
to read the terrain
Now, we move on to the last, most beautiful, and most important part of the
movement: the sole’s contact with the ground. It should be gentle and
delicate. The foot should be placed on the sole — stepping smoothly onto it,
not landing hard on it. Ideally, you should step on the entire foot. However,
this will always depend on the slope of the terrain and the speed of your
stride.
Important note: Barefoot walking beginners often walk only on their tiptoes, but this
stride is neither physiologically correct nor healthy.

We often strike hard on our heels. Try to change this: Step gently on the
entire foot and be careful not to slip into walking on your tiptoes.
The foot needs to be aware of the terrain beneath it. Based on this
information, it can respond with the appropriate contact of the sole and
thus, create the perfect base for the next bounce. That’s why a correct
footstep is essential.
The soles of your feet are a second pair of eyes, constantly observing the
ground as you walk.
When you take a step, and the ball of your foot makes contact with the
ground, release it forward smoothly. You’ll gradually push off all of your toes,
not just the big toe. The release should actively come from the foot, so make
sure your foot is carrying you, and you’re not just passively rolling on it.
Your foot does not have to step far in front of your body. It can fall just under your
body or slightly in front of it..

Be careful not to throw your foot forward, as we described in earlier
chapters. The movement needs to come from your toes — throwing your
foot forward using another part of the body can cause many issues in other
areas, including the following:
• The pelvis
• Your hip joints
• Your lower spine (lumbar spine)
• The deep abdominal muscles
• Your pelvic floor
• Your knee joints
This isn’t surprising when we use our bodies differently from what nature
intended.
Clara Lewitová describes correct contact with the ball of your foot beautifully in this
video.

TESTS AND EXERCISES:
How do I know I’m

walking correctly?
It’s easy to recognize a healthy stride…

1. You enjoy it.
It’s more than just a good feeling, but an actual neurophysiological response
to healthy walking. When our stride is natural, the torso straightens, centers
itself, and reduces a great deal of tension. The body spontaneously exhales
and optimizes the function of internal organs, resulting in a feeling of
freedom, lightness, and happiness.
A healthy stride brings real happiness.
2. Your footsteps are silent.

Plug your ears and walk barefoot on a hard surface. What do you hear? If
your breathing and footsteps are quiet, then you’re doing it right. But if you
hear hard footfalls, something isn’t working the way it should.
Try softening your stride, slow down and go through the exercises from the
previous chapters again. Try to make your step quiet and gentle. You can
start very slowly, deliberately, and gradually: Place the ball of your foot
forward, position yourself on it, release your foot, push off your toes, and

delicately place the sole of your second foot down. If you want to make sure
your pelvis stays stable, put in earplugs and use your hands to control the
stability of your pelvis.
Walk forward with your ears plugged. What do you hear?
3. Your pelvis and torso are stable.

Check the stability of your torso and pelvis using the exercise from the
previous chapter.

4. You will have even patterns of wear on
the soles of your shoes after a few months
of healthy walking
After a few months of walking barefoot, you should have even patterns of
wear on the soles of your shoes — i.e. the heel, outer edges, and all of your
toes. If this is the case, you’re most likely walking correctly. The wear will not
be significant with a healthy stride, but it should be as even as possible.

STILL NOT SURE?
Go barefoot safely
It’s better to switch to barefoot walking slowly and sensibly. That’s why we
created Ahinsa shoes Comfort Line just for you, the beginner lover of
barefoot walking. I designed them based on my experience as a
physiotherapist. They are lightweight, flexible, and provide generous space
for your toes, which you already know how to use after reading this ebook.
Compared to regular barefoot shoes, our Comfort shoes have a unique

insole (liner) that cushions impacts while allowing you to push off your toes.
You’ll be sure of a healthy bounce in shoes that protect you against harsh
impacts.
Switch to a free stride safely. Try on a pair of Comfort Ahinsa shoes.

Comfort Ahinsa shoes set your feet free.

Tips to help you walk
healthily

Tip 1
Practice on the Ahinsa shoes® wooden half

roller
Our half roller was designed to strengthen your feet and entire body. Plus, it
can help your brain establish new movement programs. Give it a try.

Tip 2
Try activating your feet with these three

exercises:
1. „Kneading“
This is a very pleasant technique to activate the foot, strengthen its
connection to your brain, and adjust tension.
Stimulate your skin with long, relaxed strokes using the palms of your hands.
Allow yourself to be “guided” by your feet. If you feel that the resting tension
of your foot is too low under your hand, stimulate the area intensely with
your palm to activate it. You should feel the tension adjust after some time.
If the tension feels too high or rigid, stimulate the area lightly and slowly to
reduce it. Again, you should feel a reaction and adjustment after a while.
This is not a massage, but a neurophysiological communication between your skin,

brain, and muscle tension.

2. „Keen senses“
lose your eyes and ask someone close to you to touch your foot with a
random number of fingers. Guess the number of fingers they use. Have them
try different intensities and distances between fingers.
This exercise can show you how your brain senses different parts of your
body.
3. Engage your foot

Pick up different objects with your foot, try writing with it, or crumple up
paper. The internet is full of similar exercises.

Frequently asked
questions
Can I walk barefoot on hard surfaces? Will I
hurt myself?
The problem isn’t the surface. It’s the way you walk. As long as your stride is
healthy, you won't have any issues. You'll have enough bounce, transfer your
weight, and step correctly.
The less natural the surface, the more demanding it is on your

musculoskeletal system and the more it trains your feet. A hard and
unnatural surface can be great exercise and a fantastic way to activate
barefoot walking benefits when the brain coordinates everything well.

Can children walk barefoot? Is it healthy for
them?
Barefoot walking is perfectly natural for children. We strongly discourage
accelerating motor development in healthy children. Don’t prematurely have
your children sit, make them stand up, or use learning walkers or shoes that
“grips” their feet.
When the shoe grips a foot, the brain can’t learn how to control or stabilize it
correctly; as soon as they take their shoes off, the system will stop
functioning — or it will work partially and unnaturally. As a result, your child
will carry an incorrect movement pattern into their adult life..
How do I switch to barefoot shoes?

Above all, smoothly and safely. Everyone’s transition to barefoot walking is
different since we all feel and control our bodies differently. If you practice
yoga or tai-chi, you’ll have an advantage since both of these Eastern systems
are great for building conscious use of the body.
If you simply throw your old shoes away in your enthusiasm and
immediately start walking in your bare feet or barefoot shoes, you can injure
yourself. Your feet may gain strength quickly, but that’s not enough — you
need to change your movement programs. That's why it's best to start
gradually using the recommendations and exercises we've shared with you
here in this ebook.
The Ahinsa shoes Comfort Line are the ideal shoes for you to start barefoot
walking. They will give your feet room to move naturally while protecting
them from sharp impacts. Once you’ve learned how to walk naturally, you
can just remove the insoles to transform them into real barefoot shoes.

How do I run barefoot?
We’ll tell you in our next ebook. Keep in touch with us, and you’ll be one of
the first to know when it’s available.

Bonus
How do you sit down and stand up
healthily?
This ebook is primarily about walking. However, we sit down and stand up so
many times in a day that it’s important to also pay attention to how we do it.
Try standing up and sitting down a few times. Observe which muscles and
body parts you use just like you did when walking. You can even record
yourself on video, preferably the whole body from the front while you’re in
your underwear. This is the best way to assess your movement.
The result is typically the same as when we walk: most of the population
does it wrong. The movement comes unnaturally from the knees, which
abruptly come together and help lift your body. Often, even the torso helps
us to stand up.

Now, let’s stand up on our feet using our feet. Pay attention to the contact of
your feet with the floor, place your feet underneath you where you feel the
most comfortable, and press them down lightly and evenly. After a moment,
transfer this activity to your toes and try to use your toes to stand up.
Allow your toes and their strength to bring you to a standing position. The
torso should remain stable and relaxed. All the momentum should come
from your feet.
The center of your knee joints should stay aligned to the centerline of your
feet — the knees should not come together at all. The movement should be
smooth and coordinated without any jolts or bumps.
Can you feel a huge difference? This way is a million times gentler and
healthier. It helps activate your feet, pelvic floor, and deep abdominal
muscles. Plus, it’s also great for your lower back and breathing.
It shouldn’t look like this when you stand up.

Healthy movement protects your joints and benefits your whole body.
Now, in the same way, try sitting down: Keep yourself from sitting down
from your toes. Instead, the movement should come from the entire
connected chain of your foot so that it’s stabilized and coordinated.
If you incorporate this movement into your daily life, you’ll extend the life of
your joints by several years.
It’s not just your shoes

It’s not just your shoes that cause you to move unnaturally. Any item of
clothing that alters your natural movement is harmful, including tight skirts,
baggy trousers, bulky diapers for children, or too many layers of warm
clothing.
Try leaving your child naked for a while and observe how they move around.
Then, dress them back up the way they are used to and see if their
movement changes. If so, this typically means that the item of clothing is
not suitable for motor development, and I recommend changing it
immediately. The same goes for us, even as adults.

Put on Ahinsa shoes, put
on freedom
Now that you know what healthy walking brings, it’s time to put on shoes
that will help you do it.
I designed Ahinsa shoes in collaboration with doctors and fellow

physiotherapists. For that reason, they respect the natural shape of your feet
and give you the freedom to walk naturally.
Before you put them on for the first time, I’d like to tell you a few important
things about them.

Ahinsa shoes were designed and
recommended by doctors and
physiotherapists.
Studies by Masaryk University in Brno confirm that you use your feet as
naturally in Ahinsa shoes as you do when you walk barefoot. A foot in Ahinsa
shoes leaves almost the same imprint as a bare foot.
A bare foot Ahinsa shoes A normal shoe

They provide enough space to center your
toes.
In the previous chapters, you’ve witnessed the power your toes have. When
you wear Ahinsa shoes, you’ll be able to use them to their maximum
potential. Our shoes provide the space your toes need to be centered — this
is a necessary foundation for your feet and whole body to function correctly.
We’ve even made sure to consider those of you who may have wider or
narrower feet than most of the population. You’ll find extra wide and extra
narrow models in our collections.
Your toes move freely in Ahinsa shoes. Your feet need enough space to
function healthily.

Industry experts recommend Ahinsa shoes.
Ahinsa shoes regularly receive the highest scores in independent tests
conducted by the American company Correct toes. German retailers
specializing in barefoot footwear have also named our shoes the “best
barefoot shoes ever.”
Our shoes are handcrafted and sustainable.

Every pair is made by hand, one shoe at a time, in our workshops located in
Czech Republic and Croatia. We give every piece the attention it deserves to
ensure that our shoes will last for many years.
Every shoe is handcrafted with care. That’s why Ahinsa shoes will last for
years to come.

We only use ethical and eco-friendly
materials.
We carefully select vegan materials produced in the European Union. No
animal suffered to create our shoes, and thanks to our high-tech materials,
quality hasn’t suffered either. All of our materials are highly breathable,
durable, and meet the strictest independent health certifications.
With us, you can put on shoes with a clear conscience that you can wear for
years.
We test out all of our materials first. This ensures we only use the most
durable, breathable, and comfortable materials.

You’ll feel the terrain with our outsoles.
Our thin and flexible outsole made from the German compound Lifoprene®
has proven itself. It helps you “grip the terrain” and feel every step. It also
resists wear and tear and keeps you from slipping.
Our outsole supports you while allowing you to have contact with the ground.
We thought of both beginners and

experienced barefoot walkers.
That’s why we created two lines. The Barefoot line is ideal for lovers of
natural barefoot walking, while the Comfort line is suitable for those who are
just starting out.
Comfort Ahinsa shoes have a unique insole (liner) that we created in

collaboration with a biomechanical institute. It allows your feet to function
and feel freely while also keeping them safe. The insole protects you from
harsh impacts until you learn how to place your heel on the ground carefully.

After that, you can simply remove them to transform your shoes into true
barefoot shoes.
The Comfort insole protects you from harsh impacts while allowing your toes
to bounce naturally.

The best barefoot shoes – guaranteed.
Have you worn barefoot shoes that beat Ahinsa shoes in performance and
specifications? We’d love to hear about them. Let us know, and we’ll give
you your Ahinsa shoes at half the price. Please see this page for more
details.
And what should these shoes do better? They should beat us in:
• Price
• Lighter weight
• Flexibility
• Space for centered toes
• Barefoot beginner options
• Quality materials: certified, breathable, waterproof, wear-resistant,
ethical, and moisture-wicking
• Ethical manufacturing and materials
Sound like a lot of specifications? It is. But our shoes fulfill all of them.

SOS: First aid for healthy
walking
Did you have a problem with this ebook? Or, are you still struggling with
healthy walking?
If something hurts, I recommend contacting your doctor or a physiotherapist

immediately. They are the people best qualified to evaluate you personally.
If you’re still having problems, I’m more than happy to advise you personally.
You can write to me at feedback@ahinsashoes.com and describe your issue
as precisely as possible. Photos and videos help me to understand potential
problems better. I apologize in advance if I’m slow to reply, but I always try
to respond as quickly as possible

The whole book, in one
sentence
“Feel your feet when you walk.”
If you take away nothing else, this is my main recommendation for anyone
who didn’t have time to read the entire book.
When you pay attention to how your feet feel, you won’t strike the ground as
hard, and you’ll be safe. When your brain is able to sense your feet, sooner
or later, it will start using them correctly. You’ll begin to have full contact
with the ground and bounce off of them.
There’s only one thing you need: shoes that don’t slow you down or bind
your feet.

Acknowledgments
First, I’d like to thank my family, my yoga master Paramhans Swami
Maheshwarananda, physiotherapist Clara Lewitová, and all the wonderful and
amazing people surrounding me. In the context of this ebook, especially Jana
Dolejšová, Jakub Čižmař, and Bára Nováková, who pushed me to create it and
helped me to do it.
Thanks also to you, my readers, my patients, and all of you who wear Ahinsa
shoes. I really appreciate your interest in healthy walking and the time you’ve
spent reading this ebook. I hope that you have successfully learned how to
move naturally and that this movement is bringing you happiness!
Lukáš Klimpera
Physiotherapist
Safety warning
This ebook has one flaw: I can’t meet all my readers in person to assess your
health status. As a result, some of my recommendations in this ebook may
not apply to you. Please consult with your doctor or physiotherapists before
following them — nothing can replace a physical examination.
Copyright protection
The author of this ebook is physiotherapist Lukáš Klimpera.
I wrote this book to help you work towards a healthy stride, so don’t be
afraid to share it with your friends and loved ones. The content of this ebook
may not be altered, copied, or used for any purpose other than personal use
without written permission from the author and also Ahinsa shoes. Thank
you for your understanding.

Shoes designed by physiotherapists. Handmade. Ethical.
And so comfortable!
Just a step towards healthy walking
www.ahinsashoes.com

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Step

Body Alignment: Adjust your movement programs.............................................................. 7

Do you stand actively? ........................................................................................................................ 10

Bounce: Where does your stride start? ..................................................................................... 16

Movement: Can your feet support it?........................................................................................ 25

Footstep: Allow your feet to read the terrain ....................................................................... 32

Tests and Exercises: How do I know I’m walking correctly? ........................................ 35

Go barefoot safely ................................................................................................................................ 39

Tips to help you walk healthily....................................................................................................... 41

Frequently asked questions............................................................................................................ 45

Put on Ahinsa shoes, put on freedom........................................................................................ 51

SOS: First aid for healthy walking ................................................................................................ 59

The whole book, in one sentence................................................................................................ 60

Get ready! These are the

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Passive sitting Active sitting

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Adjust your movement

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Emotional activation of the limbic system in the brain at the

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Active standing Active standing

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A foot with carrying support

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An active posture brings with it a natural sense of confidence and grounding.

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What does unnatural walking do to the musculoskeletal system? Your body

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Fortunately, you can unlearn an unnatural bounce in your step. Focus on

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Be careful that the movement truly comes from your toes.

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Through exercise, you’re learning a new, natural movement program. But if

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Practically, your pelvis should float forward horizontally without any

Let’s learn how to do it.

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Brace your stomach and back.

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Proceed slowly, gently, and carefully. As soon as your position starts to

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Practicing a step carried by an active foot.

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Using a balancing aid creates conditions that quickly establish new

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How do I know I’m

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