Weight Loss Shoe Fad

Weight loss sneakers: you have seen them before and perhaps even purchased a pair. Now with Reebok’s recent new EasyTone ad campaign these once popular sneakers are in high demand all over again. But just how healthy and safe are they?

Designed for battling cellulite, toning muscles, improving posture, and weight loss, through their heavily cushioned rocker sole, which forces the wearer to use muscles that would normally remain inactive, the sneakers have become a sensation across the nation. Cleverly advertised commercials aimed at women show a promising path to a healthy lifestyle and a model-like body. But before you run off with your credit card to the nearest shoe outlet store, consider the fact that these shoes may not be for everybody.

According to About.com, though doctors recommend daily 30 to 60 minute walks due to several health benefits, such as lower blood pressure and better heart functionality, they do not necessarily have in mind weight loss sneakers, but rather comfortable walking shoes. Shoes should not cause unnecessary strain and discomfort when walking, especially for the young and elderly whose bones are more fragile and prone to injury. Instead they should offer good heel and ankle support to prevent fractures and complications.

According to USA Today, weight loss sneakers may be supportive but can be the cause of severe muscle strain.

“The shoes limit normal motion in the foot. So you may be under-using some muscles and overusing others,” Marlene Reid, a podiatrist in Naperville, Ill., and spokeswoman for the American Podiatric Medical Association, told USA Today.

In addition to extraneous tension in the muscles, which can cause great discomfort to some, there is also the problem of balance. Weight loss sneakers require those who wear them to have near perfect balance, which for the inexperienced may result in falling.

“Shoes do make a crucial difference in assisting exercise and preventing injury. But the best results come when shoes and orthotic inserts built for your foot are evaluated by an expert,” Dr. Bruce Hensel of NBC4 told NBC.

According to USA Today, originally weight loss sneakers were manufactured as therapeutic footwear for those suffering from arthritis and other medical problems involving one’s feet.

However doctors and fitness trainers alike are not barring these not-so-new shoes, but reminding that everything should be done in moderation.

“Look, all these things have a placebo effect,” Dakota Mitchell, a personal trainer in Woodland Hills, California told NBC. “You pay a hundred bucks for a pair of trendy rocking shoes and you are probably going to be walking more than you would normally. You see results, but it's from exercising more, not from the shoes. Anything that gets you out there doing it, is good.”



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