How To Do Grounding Or Earthing
"The earth has a natural energy that can rejuvenate and heal us when we connect with it through grounding."
—Robin Rose Bennett
Grounding, also known as earthing, first caught my attention about a decade ago. I saw claims that simply taking your shoes off and walking on the grass, sand, or dirt could have a profound impact on your health.
These claims included improved wound healing, recovery from exercises and injury, and better sleep. My BS meter was at an all-time high but I dove into the research, found it promising, realized there wasn’t a downside, and gave it a shot.
A decade later I own a pair of earthing sandals, a grounding mat, and I shoot for a minimum grounding time of 20 minutes a day.
What Is Grounding Or Earthing?
Grounding or earthing is a technique that involves connecting the body to the Earth's surface to enable the transfer of electrons from the Earth into the body.
To understand how earthing or grounding works, it's important to first understand the role of electrons in the human body so let’s jump back to bio class for a minute. Electrons are negatively charged subatomic particles that exist in all matter, including the human body. They play a crucial role in biochemical reactions, energy production, and the immune response.
When the body becomes exposed to environmental pollutants, toxins, and electromagnetic fields (EMFs), it can create a state of oxidative stress, which occurs when there is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can cause damage to cells, proteins, and DNA. Antioxidants are molecules that can neutralize free radicals and prevent oxidative damage.
The Earth's surface has a negative charge, which means it contains an abundance of electrons that can be transferred to the body through direct contact with the Earth's surface. When the body comes into contact with the Earth, electrons flow from the Earth into the body, neutralizing free radicals and reducing inflammation. In essence, the Earth’s energy is used to provide natural healing.
When the body is disconnected from the Earth's electrical field, it can create a state of electrical imbalance that can lead to chronic inflammation, pain, and a weakened immune system. Earthing and grounding can help to restore the body's natural electrical balance and improve overall health and well-being.
What The Science Says About Grounding
“Being connected to the earth” sounds a bit woo-woo. Does it actually work? Let’s look to the science.
Improved sleep: One study recruited 60 participants with sleep issues and joint or muscle pain. Researchers had them sleep on earthing mats (ground to the earth with a copper wire) or sham mats for one month. In the experimental group that grounded:
74% had improvements in pain (0% for the control group)
78% reported improved general well-being (13% for the control)
82% had less muscle stiffness and pain (0% for the control)
85% improved their time to fall asleep (13% for the control)
93% had improved quality of sleep (13% for the control)
100% woke up feeling rested (13% for the control)
Reduced pain and inflammation: A small 2010 study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that grounding reduced markers of inflammation in the body, including C-reactive protein (CRP).
Improved Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and stress levels. A 2011 double-blind study exposed 27 participants to grounding. The results indicated a doubling in the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (rest, digest, repair) in the grounding group compared to the control group after a 40-minute period. The authors wrote that “grounding produced an improvement in HRV that is beyond simple relaxation.”
Improved sleep, pain, HRV, and hypercoagulable blood. A 2012 review in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health found that the use of grounding may be a “profoundly effective environmental strategy against chronic stress, ANS dysfunction, inflammation, pain, poor sleep, disturbed HRV, hypercoagulable blood, and many common health disorders, including cardiovascular disease.”
Reduced fatigue. A 2019 randomized control trial measured the biomarkers of 16 massage therapists in a double-blind randomized control trial as they were grounded during work and while they slept. They found that “therapists experienced significant increases in physical function and energy and significant decreases in fatigue, depressed mood, tiredness and pain while grounded as compared to not being grounded.”
Improved recovery after exercise. In a 2015 study, a group of 32 healthy individuals was broken up into a grounding group and a sham grounding group. After doing a crazy workout of 200 half-knee bends, there was a significant difference in creatine kinase with higher levels of this inflammatory marker in the sham group. The grounded group also showed higher levels of platelets and neutrophils in the days after the exercise. The study reports that “grounding significantly reduced the loss of CK from the injured muscles indicating reduced muscle damage.”
Improved wound healing. A 2014 article in the Journal of Inflammation Research reported on the link between grounding and improvements in cytokines, white blood cells, and “other molecules involved in the inflammatory response.” The authors went on to say, “Healing is much faster, and the cardinal signs of inflammation are reduced or eliminated. The profiles of various inflammatory markers over time are very different in grounded individuals.”
Grounding has been a popular practice in the Tour de France. a race that always seems to be ahead of the curve with sports science. Many riders will incorporate some sort of grounding into their day and riders who develop gnarly wounds, gashes, and road rashes due to crashes use grounding patches above and below their injury to speed healing.
Lower blood pressure. A 2018 study looked at 10 individuals with high blood pressure who performed grounding for 10 hours a day for a period of months. At the end of this period, all of the participants showed a lower systolic blood pressure which ranged from a decrease of 8.6% to 22.7% with an average of a 14.3% decrease.
The picture below, taken from this 2020 study, provides a visualization of the results of grounding. The thermal images depict a patient with knee pain, taken half an hour apart, before and after Earthing. The left image displays hot colors that represent tissue damage and inflammation in the knee area. The right image, taken after Earthing, shows a significant reduction in inflammation, as indicated by the cooler colors.
So does grounding work? While the evidence is mounting in its favor, none of these studies are optimal. Many lack a large number of participants or randomized control trials. Much more research is needed to determine if grounding or earthing works, but it’s safe to say that there is little to no downside and it’s worth doing an n=1 experiment to find out for yourself.
How To Do Grounding Or Earthing
The beauty of grounding is in its simplicity. There’s no specific grounding technique or grounding protocol. All you need is contact with the earth. This can come in the form of direct contact or through a conductive surface like a grounding mat or specific footwear.
Go barefoot. Walking barefoot outside on natural grounding surfaces like grass, sand, or soil is one of the most effective ways to do grounding. This method allows for direct contact with the earth's surface and allows the body to absorb the earth's natural electrical charge.
Grounding mats. Using grounding mats, sheets, or patches that are plugged into the ground is a convenient way to do grounding indoors. This is a great approach if you can’t consistently get barefoot outside. I stand on an inexpensive and small rectangular one as I do my writing which has a wire that connects to that third hole of a standard 3-prong receptacle in an outlet. You can take it a step further and get larger ones to sleep on.
Earth Runners Sandals
Conductive footwear. Using conductive footwear, such as shoes with copper inserts, is another way to do grounding. These shoes allow for direct contact with the ground which is nice when it’s colder out or less socially appropriate to be barefoot. I will occasionally use these Earth Runner sandals which have a copper wire which connects your feet to the ground.
Surfaces To Avoid For Grounding Or Earthing
In general, natural surfaces like soil, sand, and grass are the best for grounding. Surfaces like concrete are not as conductive but they can still be effective.
The below surfaces, however, are not good conductors of electricity and, therefore, not effective for grounding.
Asphalt
Wood
Vinyl
Plastic
Carpet
Rubber (including shoes)
How Long Should You Ground For?
The minimum effective dose of earthing is around the 20-minute mark. Most experts recommend 20-30 minutes of grounding a day to see the benefits while some people can note changes nearly instantly.
What I Do
My goal is to get a minimum of 20 minutes of grounding a day. In the colder months, I do this by using the grounding mat (mentioned above) which I keep under my feet as I write these articles.
During the warmer months, our family takes full advantage of the yard by spending time outdoors without shoes (and usually socks too). Apart from the other benefits that come with walking barefoot, we consider it a normal practice to remain barefoot both indoors and outdoors when the weather is nice. The occasional leaf blowing of the sidewalk and driveway helps to rid the area of sticks or other hazards.
My grounding station.
Conclusion
In conclusion, grounding, or earthing, is a simple and natural practice that has been shown to have a range of health benefits. By connecting our bodies to the earth's surface, we can absorb the earth's natural electrical charge, which can help to balance our body's electrical system and reduce inflammation. This can lead to improved sleep, reduced stress and anxiety, improved muscle recovery, improved energy, and much more.
There are many ways to practice grounding or earthing, from walking barefoot outside on natural surfaces to using grounding mats or sheets that are plugged into the ground. It is important to choose surfaces that are conductive, such as grass, soil, or sand. Aside from catching a rock when you step on the grass, the risk is low and the upside can be significant so kick off those shoes and get outside.
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