Fitness Shoes

Dreaming of sexy legs that look perfect in tight jeans or shorts? Fitness shoes will help meet your shape-up goals in the best way possible. Through the years, they have earned a reputation for being ‘wonder footwear’. We know you are curious and amazed at the same time. So, let’s explore more about them below.

Fitness shoes go by names such as shaping shoes, toning shoes, and wellness shoes, to name a few. They are easily recognisable through their funky-looking design and awkward bump along the bottom. Aside from giving the wearer perfectly toned butt and calves, this footwear also promises to improve posture and balance. No wonder, a lot of guys and gals choose to invest in a pair for their fitness goals. If you believe that fitness shoes would speed up your shape-up journey, do not purchase before you find out everything about them. Now, the real question is, do they really work? We will know the answer to this question in the succeeding paragraphs. So, sit back, relax, and read on. However, let’s first discover how they work.

How do fitness shoes work?

While fitness footwear is less versatile compared to athletic shoes, it offers enhanced health benefits. These include burning calories, toning muscles, improving posture, and relieving joint and back pain. One of its distinguishing features is an uneven sole that drops your heel lower than the front of your foot while walking. This results in a rocking motion. This forces your stomach, leg, and back muscles to compensate by working harder in order to maintain balance. Since fitness shoes activate those muscles which you do not normally use in walking, they facilitate increased calorie usage. This, in turn, leads to weight loss. Moreover, since your weight is shifted forward, you will less likely to slouch. The shoes’ instability also enhances your balance.

What do studies reveal about fitness shoes?

Though some firms have carried out in-house research on their fitness shoe brands, there is an independent study probing whether fitness shoes really work. This was performed by the American Council on Exercise. They enlisted a female group of treadmill walkers wearing fitness shoes. The researchers measured the muscle activity and metabolic rate of the participants’ quads, calves, abs, back, buttocks, and hamstrings. They also asked the same group to wear a pair of regular sneakers and perform the same activity. Results showed neither a notable increase in muscle use nor metabolism. There was also no improved fitness benefit over the average running shoe. However, fitness shoes were found to offer multiple health advantages that go beyond metabolism and muscle activity.

The fantastic benefits of the best fitness shoes

You have probably frowned after knowing that fitness trainer shoes do not have any notable effect on muscle activity and metabolism. However, before you back out of buying them, it pays to discover their multiple benefits. For instance, since the heel is lower than the toes, fitness footwear can enhance the heel tissues’ flexibility. This, in turn, can help relieve pain from plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendonitis. Specifically, fitness step shoes are seen to reinforce weak muscles in the feet when walking on beach sand. More importantly, they can motivate you to exercise. Well, psychologically, people tend to become more devoted to a certain activity if they have special gear exclusively designed for it. Aside from these benefits, fitness shoes are also designed to address a wide range of foot conditions.

Rocker bottom sole: The key feature of fitness shoes

Have you ever wondered what makes fitness footwear effective in giving people happy feet? That’s none other than the rocker bottom sole, which has been used for years in the treatment of patients with certain foot issues. However, most of the shoes manufactured years ago were not fashionable at all. With the advent of shape-up shoes, the rocker bottom has significantly evolved from meh to wow! It comes with various upsides depending on its location. If placed behind the ball of the foot, it can put less pressure on the big toe. Meanwhile, a rocker point that is thicker in the back of the shoe limits mid-foot and ankle motion. This aids in limiting pressure placed on the heel of your foot. No wonder, toning shoes are widely preferred by many people to reduce pain in the foot while walking.