Mar 15, 2009

How to buy Exercise Walking Shoes



How to buy Exercise Walking Shoes
You must be buying your dress shoes primarily because of the quality of leather, color, texture and decorative design but in exercise walking shoes it is what is under the foot that's more important. If you are a serious walker and looking for good shoes ,then you must understand the fact that the way the walking platform of a shoe is designed from the heel, where the walking motion begins, to the toe, where the foot must bend for toe off, determines how your foot will function. An issue of the University of California at Berkeley wellness letter observed “ ill fitting shoes,it is thought, cause 80% of all foot problems. Besides causing corns, bunions, nail deformities and other problems, painful shoes can alter gait and your outlook for the worse.” Anything which inhibits the natural motion of the foot will affect the foot's biomechanical efficiency. Your foot and the muscles in your legs will fighting the restrictions of the shoe. Thus, it is important to know what kind of exercise walking shoes should be bought.
A good exercise walking shoes platform should not be stiff at the forefoot, the ball of the foot, as many jogging and cross training shoes are. Rigid sole at the forefoot on exercise walking shoes interfere with toe – off, which is an essential part of the foot's contribution to your forward progress and speed. Some rocker type shoes, most cross trainers and jogging shoes are too rigid for the biomechanical juncture. They restrict the foot's ability to contribute to forward propulsion at the toe-off and cause the foot to labour against the stiff walking platform as it tries to bend in its natural manner. An exercise walker wearing such shoes and trying to accelerate beyond the brisk pace will experience unnecessary shin fatigue and stress in the leg muscles.
A good exercise walking shoe should have a comfortably wide toe box to accommodate the widening of the forefoot when the body weight is loaded onto it. The toe box should also be high enough to give the shoe adequate clearance. The platform of an exercise walking shoe should be essentially neutral. It should not try to manage the foot's biomechanics but should let it move from the heel plant to toe-off in its most natural manner. It should be just thick enough to protect the bottom of the foot, and provide a moderate amount of cushioning. The heel should be closer to half a inch because it is easier to walk at a fast pace with a lower heel.
But keep in mind that your buying decision should always be made on the basis of 'fit and comfort' over any technical features.
Things you should keep in mind while you go to buy exercise walking shoes :

Continue Reading

No comments:

Brain Based Learning

Neuroplasticity is ability of our brain to change and restructure itself which enables us to learn and adapt. This enables our brain to make...