96: Josh Holland: Your Shoes Are Destroying Your Body (And Other Biohacking Truths)
Your Shoes Are Destroying Your Body (And Other Biohacking Truths)
You're not optimizing your health because you're starting in the wrong place. Josh Holland breaks down barefoot training, grounding, biohacking on a budget, and why comfort is your enemy.
You're not optimizing your health because you're starting in the wrong place. And no, not because you need more supplements or fancier gadgets, but because you're ignoring the foundation that everything else builds on: your feet and connection to the earth.
This week, Tara sat down with Josh Holland, biohacker, elite trainer, and global ambassador for Technogym, to talk about why barefoot training isn't just a trend, what grounding actually does for inflammation, and how to biohack without breaking the bank. They dive deep into methylene blue, why comfort is your enemy, the real basics of longevity, and how to tell if you're ready to run or just setting yourself up for injury.
If you're tired of chasing expensive wellness trends and want to get back to what actually works, this episode is for you.
Why Your Feet Are the Foundation of Everything (And You're Screwing Them Up)
Let's start with something most people never think about: your feet.
You've spent your entire life cramming them into restrictive shoes, narrow toe boxes, elevated heels, cushioned soles that do all the work for you. And while those shoes might feel comfortable, they're systematically weakening your feet and throwing off your entire body's biomechanics.
Josh explains that your feet are designed to be strong, mobile, and adaptable. They have 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments that are supposed to work together to stabilize your body and absorb impact. But when you wear conventional shoes, you're essentially putting your feet in a cast. Those muscles atrophy, your arches collapse, and your toes get squeezed together.
The result? Poor balance, weak ankles, knee pain, hip issues, and even back problems. Your feet are the foundation of your entire kinetic chain, and if that foundation is compromised, everything above it suffers.
The solution isn't to throw out all your shoes tomorrow and go full barefoot. But it does mean starting to think about your footwear differently and gradually transitioning to more minimalist options that let your feet actually function the way they're meant to.
How to Ease Into Barefoot Training Without Destroying Your Calves
Okay, so you're sold on the barefoot thing. Now what?
Here's where most people mess up: they go too hard, too fast. They buy a pair of barefoot shoes, run five miles, and wake up the next day with calves that feel like they've been beaten with a baseball bat.
Josh's advice? Start slow. Like, really slow.
Begin by just wearing barefoot shoes around the house. Walk on different surfaces, carpet, hardwood, grass, gravel, and let your feet start to wake up and adapt. Practice standing on one foot to build stability. Do some basic foot strengthening exercises like toe spreads, calf raises, and picking up objects with your toes.
Once you're comfortable walking, you can start incorporating short runs or workouts in barefoot shoes. Keep it to 10-15 minutes at first, and pay attention to your form. Barefoot running forces you to land on your forefoot or midfoot instead of heel-striking, which is actually a more natural and efficient running pattern, but it takes time for your calves, Achilles, and feet to adapt to the new stress.
The key is patience. Your feet have been in conventional shoes for years, maybe decades. They're not going to magically transform overnight. Give yourself months, not weeks, to transition.
The Real Transition Strategy for Barefoot Running
If you want to transition to barefoot running specifically, Josh breaks it down into a progressive strategy that won't wreck you.
Phase 1: Walking and mobility work. Spend a few weeks just walking in barefoot shoes and doing foot strengthening exercises. Get comfortable with the feel and build that foundational strength.
Phase 2: Short, easy runs. Start with 5-10 minute runs at an easy pace, focusing on form. Think light, quick steps. High cadence, low impact. Land softly and let your feet do the work.
Phase 3: Gradual mileage increase. Once short runs feel comfortable, slowly increase your distance, but no more than 10% per week. Listen to your body. If your calves or feet are screaming, back off.
Phase 4: Mix conventional and barefoot. You don't have to go full barefoot for every run. Many people find success alternating between barefoot shoes for shorter, technique-focused runs and more cushioned shoes for longer distances while they're still building strength.
The biggest mistake? Jumping straight to a long run in barefoot shoes because you're excited about the concept. That's a one-way ticket to injury city.
What Is Biohacking? (Spoiler: You're Already Doing It)
Let's talk biohacking, because this term gets thrown around a lot, and most people have no idea what it actually means.
At its core, biohacking is just optimizing your biology. It's making small, intentional changes to your lifestyle, diet, environment, and habits to improve your health, performance, and longevity. And guess what? You're probably already doing some version of it.
Taking a morning walk to get sunlight in your eyes? That's biohacking. Eating protein at breakfast to stabilize your blood sugar? Biohacking. Wearing blue light glasses at night to protect your circadian rhythm? Also biohacking.
The problem is that the term has been co-opted by the wellness industry and made to seem like you need expensive gadgets, exotic supplements, and cryotherapy chambers to "biohack" effectively. And while some of those tools can be helpful, they're not necessary.
Josh's approach is refreshingly simple: focus on the basics first. Sleep, sunlight, movement, real food, stress management, and community. These are the fundamentals that have the biggest impact on your health. Once you've nailed those, then you can experiment with more advanced interventions like methylene blue, cold plunges, or continuous glucose monitors.
But if you're skipping morning sunlight and sleeping five hours a night, no amount of fancy supplements is going to fix that.
Blue Light Glasses and Why Your Screens Are Sabotaging Your Sleep
Here's something most people don't think about: the light coming from your screens is actively messing with your sleep.
Your body uses light as a signal to regulate your circadian rhythm. In the morning, bright light (especially blue wavelengths) tells your brain it's time to wake up and start producing cortisol. At night, the absence of light signals your brain to produce melatonin and prepare for sleep.
But when you're staring at your phone, laptop, or TV late into the night, you're flooding your eyes with blue light. Your brain thinks it's still daytime, melatonin production gets suppressed, and your sleep quality tanks.
Josh recommends blue light blocking glasses as an easy, affordable biohack, especially if you're someone who has to be on screens in the evening. The idea is to filter out the blue wavelengths after sunset so your body can naturally wind down.
But here's the thing: blue light glasses aren't a free pass to scroll TikTok until midnight. They're a harm reduction strategy, not a solution. The best approach is still to limit screen time in the evening, dim your lights, and create an environment that supports natural sleep.
What Grounding Actually Is and Why Inflammation Is Killing You
Grounding (also called earthing) is another biohack that sounds woo-woo but actually has some solid science behind it.
The concept is simple: your body carries a positive electrical charge from all the electromagnetic fields you're exposed to daily (WiFi, phones, electronics, etc.). The earth has a negative charge. When you make direct contact with the ground, by walking barefoot on grass, dirt, or sand, electrons from the earth neutralize the positive charge in your body, reducing inflammation.
And inflammation? It's at the root of pretty much every chronic disease: heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, cancer, Alzheimer's. Anything you can do to reduce chronic inflammation is a win.
Josh recommends spending at least 15-20 minutes a day with your bare feet on the earth. Walk on grass in the morning. Stand in your yard while drinking coffee. Sit on the beach. It doesn't have to be complicated.
Can't get outside regularly? Grounding mats are an option, but nothing beats the real thing. And honestly, just getting outside more, even in shoes, is a step in the right direction. Fresh air, sunlight, and being in nature all have their own benefits beyond grounding.
Calisthenics vs. the Gym: Why Bodyweight Training Wins
Here's a hot take: you don't need a gym membership to get strong.
Josh is a huge proponent of calisthenics, bodyweight training, as the foundation for strength and movement quality. Push-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges, planks, dips, and all the variations of these movements will build real, functional strength that translates to everyday life.
Why? Because calisthenics forces you to move your body through space with control. You're not just moving a weight, you're stabilizing your entire body, engaging your core, and developing coordination and body awareness at the same time.
That's not to say weights are bad. They're a great tool, especially if you want to build maximal strength or muscle mass. But if you're just starting out, or if you've been lifting for years and feel disconnected from your body, going back to basics with bodyweight movements can be incredibly valuable.
And let's be real: calisthenics is also way more accessible. No gym? No problem. All you need is your body and maybe a pull-up bar. You can train anywhere, anytime, with zero excuses.
The One Thing Beginners Should Focus On First
If you're new to training, or if you've been spinning your wheels and not making progress, Josh's advice is simple: focus on consistency over everything else.
Not the perfect program. Not the optimal macros. Not the latest supplement stack. Just show up consistently and move your body.
Pick something you actually enjoy, whether that's lifting, running, swimming, calisthenics, yoga, whatever, and do it three to four times a week. Build the habit first. Once you've established consistency, then you can start optimizing the details.
Because here's the truth: the best program is the one you'll actually stick with. And the worst program is the one that's so complicated, restrictive, or miserable that you quit after two weeks.
Start simple. Stay consistent. Progress will follow.
Post-Meal Walks: The Easiest Biohack You're Not Doing
Want an absurdly simple habit that can improve your blood sugar, digestion, sleep, and stress levels? Take a walk after meals.
Seriously. Just 10-15 minutes of easy walking after eating helps shuttle glucose into your muscles, blunts blood sugar spikes, and improves insulin sensitivity. It also aids digestion, reduces bloating, and can help prevent that post-meal energy crash.
Plus, it's a built-in way to get more movement throughout your day without having to carve out extra gym time. Eat breakfast? Walk. Eat lunch? Walk. Eat dinner? Walk.
This is one of those habits that's so simple it almost feels like it can't work—but it absolutely does. And unlike most biohacks, it's free, requires no equipment, and has zero downsides.
If you do nothing else from this episode, start walking after meals. Your blood sugar, your gut, and your stress levels will thank you.
Key Takeaways
Here's what you need to remember from this episode:
Your shoes are weakening your feet, start transitioning to more minimalist footwear gradually
Barefoot training builds strength and improves biomechanics, but you have to ease into it
Biohacking doesn't have to be expensive, focus on the basics first (sleep, sunlight, movement, food)
Blue light from screens is wrecking your sleep, use blue light glasses or limit screen time at night
Grounding (direct contact with the earth) reduces inflammation and supports health
Calisthenics builds functional strength and can be done anywhere
Consistency beats perfection, just show up and move
Post-meal walks are an easy, effective biohack everyone should do
Ready to Build a Foundation That Lasts?
If you're ready to stop chasing trends and start building real, sustainable health, check out Broads 1:1 coaching. Choose your level and let's do this together.
What's one biohack you're going to try this week? Tag us on Instagram @broads.podcast and let us know.
For more no-BS fitness and wellness content, follow @taralaferrara and check out the full Broads podcast library for 90+ episodes.
