photo credit: elward-photography

“Of all the things for which women have an inexplicable affection–Matthew McConaughey springs to mind–high-heeled shoes are among the most puzzling. Scientists have linked wearing them to serious health conditions, such as osteoarthritis and sciatica, as well as milder ones with hideous names like hammertoe and–my favorite–Haglund’s deformity (a lump on the Achilles tendon, also known as pump bump). A Swedish study even associates heels with schizophrenia. Yet this season, women are heading off to work in footgear more vertiginous than ever, topping out at about 6 in. (15 cm). Just last month tree-high shoes felled several models on the Milan runways, and no wonder. Walking in heels that height is the rough equivalent of trying to stroll down Space Mountain.”

“Crunch introduced its Stiletto Strength classes to New York City in 2006 and now offers them in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago. “It’s one of our most popular classes,” says Donna Cyrus, Crunch’s senior VP of programming. Legworks, which offers the workshop I went to in Manhattan, has a growing fan base. The Los Angeles high-end shoe store Il Primo Passo holds high-heel-walking classes, taught by a drag queen, of course, on a monthly basis.”

Sourcel Time

Story Published: Sep 30, 2008 at 5:52 PM PDT
By Herb Weisbaum & Good Housekeeping

Walking is great exercise. But if walking is a part of your exercise routine, you need a good pair of walking shoes. And the folks at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute have done all the legwork to make it easy for you to make the right choice.

Finding the perfect walking shoe is no walk in the park.

“What you need to know before you go out and buy a pair of walking shoes is what type of foot you have,” said Kathleen Huddy, the institute’s textiles director.

The best way to do this, Huddy says, is to “take a brown piece of paper, wet your bare foot, step on it as if you would walking and look at what the imprint is.”

If you see a lot of your foot in the wet imprint that means you have a low arch, and you’ll need something like the Asics Gel Kayano Walker 7 ($100).

Huddy says the shoe has a lot of support here at the bottom, and is wider than other shoes.

When you step on the brown paper and you see just a little of your foot on the imprint, that means you have a high arch. And what you need is a show like the Brooks Defyance ($90), which offers a different support system. [Ed. The Brooks Addiction is also an excellent choice.]

You don’t have to spend a fortune to get a good pair of walking shoes.

Good Housekeeping testers liked the Saucony Grid Instep RT, and it’s just $60.

The institute says a good walking shoe should be as wide as your foot or slightly wider to ensure an even distribution of weight. And make sure the shoe bends easily at the forefront. You want the shoe to be flexible for walking.

Maybe you’d like to get a little more out of your walk. The following are a few tips from my friend, Dr. John Schwartzberg, at the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter.

Swing your arms. It burns more calories and gives a little bit of a workout to your shoulders and arms.

Choose a varied terrain. You burn more calories walking on grass or gravel. And plan your route so you walk up a few hills.

Try walking backwards. I’m not kidding. When you walk backwards you use different muscles than when you walk forward so it strengthens different muscles. You just need to make sure you have someone with you to keep you from running into something.

Use hand weights. Dr. Schwartzberg says they’re good because they make you burn more calories. You just need to be careful not to hurt yourself.

Source: Komo News

By Deanna Allen
Staff Writer

Are you considering walking for a cause or for an event and have never done that type of thing before?

Althea Lawton-Thompson, fitness professional and star of the “Altheatized” exercise video series who owns Aerobics, Yoga & More in Lilburn, has some advice on getting started.

“For someone who is currently sedentary or not that active, I would suggest walking at a local park, around a school track or around a neighborhood,” Lawton-Thompson said. She suggested a route that’s not too hilly and taking 15 minute walks two times a week to start.

“I wouldn’t try anything too rigorous to start out,” she said. “To get ready for a 5K, which is 3.1 miles, I would suggest slowly increasing the time by five to 10 minutes every week to two weeks.”

Lawton-Thompson said walkers need three to six months to prepare for their first distance walk.

When the day of the walk finally comes, Lawton-Thompson stressed staying hydrated before, during and after, wearing comfortable walking shoes that are broken in and stretching after a five to 10 minute warmup before beginning the walk. She also emphasized the difference between walking and running shoes - walkers need the former.

“Running shoes are higher in the heel, because they’re made for a very heavy heel strike,” Lawton-Thompson said. “Walking shoes have equally balanced soles from the ball of the foot to the heel.”

For more information on Lawton-Thompson, visit aymfitness.com or call 678-749-7777.

Source: Gwinnet Daily Post

PUMA Speed Cat gives you two provocative looks that will have your friends and co-workers asking you where you got them. The lace-up style encloses your entire foot so you get a fully covered feeling, like a boot, that provides good lateral support for those lunch time jaunts.

The Speed Cat sneaker has a smooth, soft fashion leather upper that is durable, yet ultra-cozy. The black coffee model is glossy leather with a tiny circular pattern. The puncing puma on the pink and white model is sure to get you noticed as the office trend setter.

Tonal topstitching adds to the sporty look while the contrasting embroidered puma on the toe adds a fun touch. The oil-resistant rubber sole and cushy padded insole and collar will give you the protection that you need to wear this fun lace-up style anywhere and everywhere.