Select The Right Shoes And Exercise Your Lower Body When You Walk
While walking barefoot through a paddy field in Korea, Swiss engineer Karl Muller realised that his back pain, which he suffered with, was quite a bit better. He did some additional research and discovered that the Masai tribesmen of Africa did not suffer from bad backs. They are also well known for their excellent posture.
Putting two and two together, Muller deduced that walking barefoot on soft, yielding ground was significantly better for your back and joints than walking on firm surfaces. He decided to try to come up with a shoe which would mimic the effects of walking in this manner on a soft surface such as sand or grass.
The end result was the Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) shoe. In fact, according to the company website, it is so different to a traditional shoe that it deserves the name of “anti-shoe”.
MBT shoes have a specially engineered curved sole without a heel, which promotes a gentle rolling action when your foot makes contact with the ground. Just like walking barefoot on grass in fact. The use of materials of different densities in different areas also contributes to the effect by further reducing impact shock and jarring.
Scientific studies have confirmed that this is genuinely better for your back and joints. As well as better posture, there are other proven benefits. For example, whilst walking normally in MBT shoes, the wearer’s muscles will be used for longer (when compared to similar walking in traditional footwear). The muscles are in use for around 16% longer. Wearers also tend to “walk properly” and take slightly shorter strides. Both of these effects raise the amount of work done.
The upshot of this is that every single step you take whils wearing MBT shoes is providing you with additional exercise. It’s a lower body workout while you walk. So, as well as reducing back pain and enhancing posture, MBT shoes also help to trim your buttocks and tone up your legs.
You would think that would be enough wouldn’t you? However, despite all of these benefits some people find MBT shoes a little chunky and not very pleasing to the eye. They are also a little pricey (although considering the potential benefits they may well be well worth the money). Fortunately there are now other, more cosmetically appealing, shoes available which utilise the same basic theory. Both Skechers Shape Ups and Fitflops Fitflops have similar curved soles which are specially engineered to increase the muscle activity duration and tone your buttocks and legs whilst engaged in everyday, normal walking activity.
Whichever footwear you opt for, the possibility of reducing back and joint pain whilst simultaneously toning and trimming your lower body – all whilst engaged in nothing more strenuous than normal daily walking – looks very attractive.
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