A Lower Body Workout And Less Back Pain – Just By Wearing Different Shoes?

Whilst walking barefoot through a Korean rice field, Swiss engineer Karl Muller noticed that his back pain – which was a perennial problem for him – was very much reduced. Curious, he performed a little research and found that the Masai tribesmen of Africa are famous for their excellent posture and do not suffer from back pain.

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 develop a shoe which would reproduce the effect of walking on a soft surface such as sand or grass.

What he finally came up with was the Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) range of footwear. It is, according to the company website, so different to standard footwear that it deserves the title of “anti-shoe”.

The secret of MBT footwear is the specially designed curved sole which has no heel. This promotes a gentle rolling action when your foot hits the ground. It’s like walking over lush grass in your bare feet. Different materials, of different densities, are used in different areas of the sole and this helps to minimize jarring and reduce impact shock.

Independent trials have now proven that this is genuinely much better for your back and joints. There are additional proven benefits over and above improved posture. Whilst walking normally wearing MBT shoes for example, the wearer’s muscles are active for a longer period of time (in comparison with normal walking wearing conventional shoes). The duration of muscle use is increased by around 16%. Wearers also tend to take shorter steps. Both of these effects maximize the amount of work carried out.

The result of this is that each step you take wearing MBT shoes will provide you with additional exercise. It’s like a lower body workout when you walk around. So, as well as improving posture and lowering back pain, MBT shoes can help to firm up your buttocks and tone your legs.

You would think that would be sufficient wouldn’t you? However, in spite of all these benefits, some people find that MBT shoes are a little chunky and not that pleasing to the eye. MBT shoes are also a little more expensive than standard shoes (although the benefits may make them good value for money). Happily, there are now other alternatives available which work on the same basic principle but which are more aesthetically pleasing. Both Skechers Shape Ups and Fitflops have similar curved soles which are specifically designed to increase the length of time that muscles are active and to tone both legs and buttocks whilst doing nothing more strenuous than walking normally.

Regardless of which brand of footwear you choose, the prospect of reduced back pain whilst trimming and toning your lower body seems to be extremely attractive.

Check out MBT shoes or cast your eye over the Fitflops range.