How Toning Shoes Are Different From Normal Sneakers
How Toning Shoes Are Different From Normal Sneakers
Americans are finally getting serious about their weight loss goals, and it's a good thing, too! The country has never been fatter. Two-thirds of her citizens are overweight, and more than a quarter are officially obese. A once fit and active nation now carries the dubious distinction of being named the fattest country on earth. In response to this ignominious achievement, Americans are investing their hard-earned dollars in new diet and weight loss products. One of the most popular new pieces of exercise equipment is the toning shoe.
Origins
The first toning shoes were not designed for the dieter. Named rocker sole shoes for their curved shape, they were created as a specialty product for people who suffered from back, joint and foot pain. The idea was simple: the shoes took pressure off afflicted areas and put the strain on stronger, less susceptible muscle groups, like the hamstrings and the gluts. Rocker sole shoes remained a little-known orthopedic product until someone discovered that they may help dieters burn more calories. Shortly thereafter, athletic shoemakers started marketing them as toning shoes.
Do they really work?
Most of the major athletic shoe makers now offer their own version of the original rocker sole shoe. Of course, the basic concept remains the same. All models have an unstable, curved sole that is designed to make walking more challenging. Most advocates liken the experience of walking in toning shoes to exercising on a balance board or walking on a sandy beach. Though the shoes force wearers to work harder, they also take pressure off the joints and feet, which often allows wearers to work out for longer periods. Overused joints and sore feet suddenly receive relief.
It also doesn't hurt that toning shoes are said to target problem areas, namely the thighs, the butt and the abdominals. Americans spend billions of dollars each year attempting to banish fat from these muscle groups. Are toning shoes the answer to our weight woes? It depends on who you ask.
We know rocker sole shoes really do take pressure off the joints and the feet, which helps millions of people get through their workouts. They remain a popular specialty shoe for folks with back, joint and foot pain. But when it comes to weight loss, calories are the only question.
Toning shoes have gained a reputation for targeting certain muscles. But sore muscles do not necessarily result in weight loss. Human beings lose weight because they burn calories and they lose it from all over their bodies. There is no such thing as targeted weight loss. A person can spend all day doing sit-ups and crunches, but he may never develop a washboard stomach.
Most experts agree that cardiovascular exercises are the key to losing weight and keeping it off. Activities like walking, running and swimming burn tons of calories and are relatively easy on the body, unlike weight training, which often requires recovery time.
Toning shoes were designed for walking, and we now know that they make walking harder. Every step a wearer takes requires more effort and thusly burns more calories. Just how many more calories toning shoes help us burn is not yet clear. But wearers often complain of sore muscles after their workouts, which is often a good sign that an exercise is working. Experts say this soreness is the result of increased muscle activation. In other words, toning shoes make your muscles work harder, which will invariably make them stronger.
In fact, many of the top toning shoe makers do not claim that their products help people burn more calories or lose weight. They simply say that their shoes increase muscle activity and make said muscles stronger. Whether or not the wearer is able to shed pounds is another story. What's our take?
Though they have been around for over two decades now, their effectiveness has only been tested a handful of times. Some studies find that toning shoes function as they claim, while others suggest that they are more or less the same as ordinary walking shoes. We will cast our lot with the true experts.
According to several leading podiatrists, toning or rocker sole shoes can help strengthen certain muscle groups. They are also extremely easy on the joints and on the feet, which lets people work out longer. Doctors do caution, however, that new wearers should not overdo it. Toning shoes put additional stress on the hamstrings, gluts, and abdominal muscles. Most new users are not accustomed to this shift and their muscles are sore for several days after workouts.
If used correctly, toning shoes can reduce the stress on joints, improve posture and gait, and stimulate neglected muscle groups. There is even some evidence to suggest that they may help wearer burn more calories and lose weight. Try a pair today.
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