Many varieties of fitness shoes claim to tone various areas of your body, including the buttocks, legs, thighs and abdomen. However, when it comes to the abdomen, these claims are largely unsubstantiated. Those wishing to work out their abs should try and find a shoe that encourages them to perform abdominal toning exercises. A comfortable fitness shoe will help work out your abs by helping you exercise for longer periods of time.
The Basics
Shoes such as the Reebok Easy Tone and Fit Flops claim to help you firm your muscles by using DMX technology. This mean that air flows through the forefoot and the heel pod, creating a natural instability in the shoe. This means your muscles work harder to keep you stable. This has been shown to help firm the leg muscles, but not the abdomen.
Stick With Sneakers
The problem with toning shoes is that they are not recommended for use during exercise because of their inherent instability. Instead, you are supposed to wear them during everyday tasks. However "New York" magazine warns that their effects are largely due to mindfulness and increased walking. Instead, they recommend sticking to regular sneakers and performing a fitness workout. This is especially true for those seeking to tone the abdominal muscles, as most proven effects of toning shoes are limited to the legs and buttock muscles.
Good Shoes for Ab Workouts
A comfortable fitness shoe will help you work out more often. In addition, it will limit your likelihood of injury, keeping you active for longer periods. "Fitness" magazine recommends the Asics Gel-FX for high-impact cardio workouts and the Adidas Echo Plus for walking. If you insist on working out in a "toning" shoe, then stick with the New Balance TrueBalance 850, which the Fiterati website says are more balanced than other toning shoes and can be used for light walking workouts.
Drawbacks
According to Dr. Jeffrey Ross, certain groups of people should not wear toning shoes. If you have a tight heel cord or Achilles tendon, your muscles can experience excessive strain. In addition, he recommends that those who wear toning shoes stretch often when wearing these shoes to prevent muscle strain.
References
- MSNBC: FItness Shoe Firming Butts or Causing Pain?
- "New York" Magazine: Do Those Shoes That Promise to Tone Your Legs and Butt Actually Work?
- "Fitness" Magazine: The 10 Shoes Experts Are Wearing Now
- Business Pundit: Reebok EasyTone Shoes Promise to Tone Your Butt--Fad Alert
- Fiterati: Review--New Balance TrueBalance 850 Toning Shoes
- Reebok: Reebok Women
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