Fat Loss 4 Idiots Secret

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Special Shoes Can Help Your Back Pain And Trim Your Lower Body

By Fiona Saunders

Karl Muller, a Swiss engineer, noticed whilst walking barefoot through a rice field in Korea that his back pain, which he suffered with, was very much better. After a little further research he learned that the Masai tribesmen of Africa do not suffer from back pain. They also display excellent posture.

Muller deduced that walking barefoot on a yielding surface was much better for both your back and joints than walking on a firm surface. He resolved to develop footwear that would replicate the effect of walking on a soft surface such as sand or grass.

What he finally came up with was the Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) range of footwear. It is, according to the company website, so different to standard footwear that it deserves the title of "anti-shoe".

MBT shoes incorporate a specially developed curved sole without a heel, which produces a rolling action when your foot makes contact with the ground. It's just like walking on sand in your bare feet in fact. The use of materials of different densities also contributes to the effect by further lowering jarring and impact shock.

Independent trials have now proven that this is genuinely much better for your back and joints. There are additional proven benefits over and above improved posture. Whilst walking normally wearing MBT shoes for example, the wearer's muscles are active for a longer period of time (in comparison with normal walking wearing conventional shoes). The duration of muscle use is increased by around 16%. Wearers also tend to take shorter steps. Both of these effects maximize the amount of work carried out.

The end result of this is that every step you take wearing MBT shoes is providing you with additional exercise. It's a lower body workout while you walk. So, as well as alleviating back pain and improving posture, MBT shoes also help to tone your legs and trim your buttocks.

You would imagine that would be sufficient wouldn't you? Despite all these benefits some people find MBT shoes a little chunky and not very aesthetically pleasing. MBTs are a little more expensive than conventional shoes (but the benefits may make them great value for money). Fortunately there are now alternative offerings available which utilise the same basic design and are more cosmetically attractive. Both Skechers Shape Ups and Fitflops have similar curved soles which are specially engineered to increase the muscle activity duration and tone your legs and buttocks whilst engaged in normal, everyday walking activity.

Whichever brand of footwear you go for, the opportunity to reduce back pain and trim your lower body at the same time - all whilst doing nothing more energetic than walking normally - seems to be very attractive. - 17274

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