Pull on some shoes, step outside for a walk and burn lots of extra calories. At least, these are the promises of toning shoes, foot ware that promises to tone up your lower body with no extra effort.
The idea behind toning shoes is the principal that if the shoe is unstable, it will force your muscles to work differently in order to keep your balance. This extra work is supposed to firm your muscles and burn up more calories.
The concept is nothing new, believe it or not. Does any one remember Dr. Scholl’s sandals? Theses wooden sandals featured a bump that you had to grip with your toes in order to keep the sandals from falling off while you walked. They could take days or weeks to master but promised more toned calves in the long run.
A recent study by the American Council on Exercise casts a lot of doubt on the claims made by manufacturers of toning shoes. When researchers had volunteers walk on a treadmill while either wearing a pair of toning shoes or wearing traditional running shoes, they found no added benefit of the toning shoes. There was no additional caloric burn, no additional cardio benefit, and no additional muscle activity.
Some medical experts warn that these toning shoes could actually be harmful. The toning shoes are deliberately made to be unstable, and that could cause injury, especially if you have issues with your legs or feet, diabetes, poor circulation or burning or tingling in your legs.
SaferProducts.gov, a website run by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, revealed many filed reports of injuries from pulled muscles to fractures that are believed to have been caused by these shoes.
Not convinced that toning shoes don’t work? If you still want to wear them, you should first consult a medical professional or a certified fitness expert who has experience with muscle strength and conditioning.
What do you think? Have you been wearing toning shoes during your workouts or normal walking activity? Do you notice a positive difference in your level of fitness or toning since you started wearing them?
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