I'm sure you've seen them -- the athletic shoes with the oddly shaped sole, promising to tone your muscles? After hearing a few things about them, I have serious concerns about how safe they'd be for those of us with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.
The first issue I have is something I noticed just after buying myself a pair: They're really unsteady. This is intentional. Apparently, when you walk in an unstable shoe, your body compensates by tightening certain muscles, including your core. However, if you already have balance problems -- which a majority of us do -- I have to wonder if this is a smart approach. A quick look around the About.com network turned up a couple reports of falls that people believed were due to these types of shoes:
Shape-Ups Blamed for Fall & Injury Broken Ankle With Shape-Ups
If anything, we should be wearing wide-heeled, extra-stable shoes like those made for hiking.
My second issue is this: These shoes make your muscles work harder, meaning it takes more energy just to walk. Hello, post-exertional malaise! For the average person, it makes sense to coax a little more exertion out of the muscles. Someone who's reasonably in shape probably won't even notice much. But for us? Our energy is in such a limited supply that it makes no sense to me to demand more of the body than what's already required for activity. Those of us who are in remission or who are able to tolerate exercise well might be OK wearing these shoes, but I have to think the rest are better off being active for longer instead of at a higher intensity.
I've also seen claims online about tendonitis and stress fractures, but I haven't been able to find medical substantiation for these claims. I also know a physical therapist who says her industry is seeing problems from shortened fascia in people who use these shoes, but again, I can't independently confirm this.
As I said, I did buy a pair of these shoes. My original idea was that they'd be great for walking the dog. I've now decided that I will wear them some, since my balance has improved and I can tolerate more exertion than I typically get; however, since my dog is strong, unpredictable, and needs some remedial leash training, I won't be wearing them to walk him. The last thing I need is instability when I'm trying to contain his exuberance!
Have you used toning shoes? What was your experience with them? Leave your comments below!
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