Choosing The Right Footwear And Get A Stress Free Workout
Swiss engineer Karl Muller was walking barefoot through a paddy field in Korea when he realised that his backache was much better. Curious, he did some further research and learned that the Masai tribesmen of Africa do not seem to suffer from backache. They are also renowned for their excellent posture.
Muller concluded that walking barefoot on soft, yielding ground was significantly better for your back and joints than walking on hard 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. According to the company website, it is so different to conventional footwear that it merits the name of “anti-shoe”.
MBT shoes have no heel – they incorporate a specially designed curved sole. When your foot makes contact with the ground, a gentle rolling actions is the result. It’s like walking on sand in fact. The sole is constructed using materials of differing densities which further aids in reducing jarring and shocks.
Scientific testing has demonstrated that this is better for both joints and back. There are also other additional benefits. For example, wearing MBT shoes means that the wearer uses their muscles for about 16% longer (compared to when walking in conventional footwear). There is also a tendency to reduce the stride length slightly. Both of these effects mean that a little extra work is carried out.
The significance of this is that every step you take wearing your MBT shoes is giving you a little more exercise. It’s a lower body workout, without visiting the gym. MBT shoes can help you to tone and trim your legs and buttocks as well as reducing back pain and encouraging better posture.
You would think that those benefits would be all the motivation required. However, some people do find MBTS a bit chunky and, dare I say it, a little ugly (beauty is in the eye of the beholder). However, there are now other, more cosmetically appealing, alternatives to choose from if you wish. Skechers Shape Ups and Fitflops both incorporate similar curved soles which will tone and trim your lower body whilst engaged in normal walking activities.
Regardless of what footwear you choose, the potential to reduce back and joint pain whilst simultaneously toning and trimming your lower body – and without requiring a visit to the gym – seems very attractive.
Learn more about MBT Shoes and Skechers Shape Ups
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