Tag Archives: walking

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

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Karl Muller, a Swiss engineer, noticed whilst walking barefoot through a rice field in Korea that his back pain, which he suffered with, was very much better. After a little further research he learned that the Masai tribesmen of Africa do not suffer from back pain. They also display excellent posture.

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.

The end result was the Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) shoe. According to the company website, it is so different to conventional footwear that it merits the name 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 scientific studies have verified that this is genuinely better for your back and joints. There are further proven benefits in addition to better posture. For instance, whilst engaged in normal walking in MBT shoes, the wearer’s muscles will be in use for longer (in comparison with similar walking in traditional shoes). The muscles are in use for approximately 16% longer. Wearers also tend to take slightly shorter strides. Both these effects raise the amount of work done.

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 might think that that would be enough. In spite of all these benefits, some people find MBT shoes to be a bit chunky and less than pleasing to the eye. They also cost a little more than standard shoes – although you might be more than happy to pay a little extra if you suffer with back pain of course. Luckily, there are now other options available which work along the same lines and which are more pleasing to the eye. Both Fitflops and Skechers Shape Ups use similar curved soles which promote increased muscular activity and help to trim and tone both legs and buttocks whilst engaged in nothing more exhausting than normal walking activity.

Whichever brand of footwear you go for, the opportunity to reduce back pain and trim your lower body at the same time – all whilst doing nothing more energetic than walking normally – seems to be very attractive.

Check out MBT shoes or have a look at the Fitflops range.

Take Steps To Trim Your Lower Body

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When he was walking through a rice field in Korea barefoot, Karl Muller – a Swiss engineer – found that his back pain (which had been a recurring problem for him) was very much better. Intrigued, he did a little research and discovered that Africa’s Masai tribesmen do not suffer from backache. They are also known for their good posture.

Weighing the evidence, Muller concluded that walking barefoot on soft terrain was much better for your back and joints. He resolved to develop a shoe which would replicate the effects of this type of walking on a soft surface such as grass or sand.

The end result was the Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) shoe. According to the company website, it is so different to conventional footwear that it merits the name of “anti-shoe”.

MBT shoes have no heel – they incorporate a specially designed curved sole. When your foot makes contact with the ground, a gentle rolling actions is the result. It’s like walking on sand in fact. The sole is constructed using materials of differing densities which further aids in reducing jarring and shocks.

Independent scientific studies have verified that this is genuinely better for your back and joints. There are further proven benefits in addition to better posture. For example, whilst walking in MBT shoes, the wearer’s muscles will be activated for longer (when compared to similar walking in traditional footwear). The muscles are used for about 16% longer. Wearers also tend to “walk properly” and take slightly shorter strides. Both of these effects mean that extra work is done.

The significance of this is that every step you take wearing your MBT shoes is giving you a little more exercise. It’s a lower body workout, without visiting the gym. MBT shoes can help you to tone and trim your legs and buttocks as well as reducing back pain and encouraging better posture.

You would imagine that would be sufficient wouldn’t you? However, despite all of these benefits some people find MBT shoes a little chunky and not very pleasing to the eye. MBTs are also a little more expensive than conventional shoes (but the benefits may make them great value for money). Fortunately there are now other, more cosmetically appealing, offerings available which utilise the same basic theory. Both Skechers Shape Ups and Fitflops have similar curved soles which are specially engineered to increase the muscle activity duration and tone your legs and buttocks whilst engaged in normal, everyday walking activity.

Whatever design you find most attractive, the potential to get a lower body workout and reduce back pain just by normal walking looks like an extremely attractive option.

Learn more about MBT Shoes and Skechers Shape Ups

Finding Snakes and Reptiles

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by Colin Jones

There are few places in the world that haven’t been colonised by snakes and other reptiles. Snakes are even to be found in cities, although it is only the friendlier ones that tend to survive our wrath. However, if you want to find some of the more uncommon snakes, you could look in parks and fields, on beaches or in rivers and ponds and even in the sea, depending on where you live, of course as sea snakes tend to inhabit warmer, tropical waters.

You will have to be alert and train your eyes to spot even the slightest movement. Wear clothes of dull, drab colours and move slowly, stopping often to listen for movement in the grass or bushes. In the beginning, you will have many false starts, until you learn to tell the difference between the sounds of the various animals that live or hunt in the grass.

Snakes are difficult to find. Most of the adventurous snakes get killed by frightened (and often ignorant) humans, but a good tip is to look for relatively damp areas in arid regions and, conversely, dry spots in damp areas. Look for where their prey might congregate. For instance, near water for toads and frogs. Watch for frightened lizards or birds fleeing for their lives. And listen for geckos warning each other of the presence of a predator.

If you must move anything, at least don’t wreck it and furthermore, ensure you put it back as you found it. Two useful tools to have while out looking for snakes and other reptiles are binoculars (for tree snakes) and a snake-hook, which should also be used for moving bits of debris so that you don’t risk getting bitten by a snake or stung by a scorpion. A camera, a torch and a notebook and pen are more or less essential, depending on how seriously you treat your hobby of herpetology.

You could also take a rule or tape to measure your specimens and a few plastic bags and boxes to hold them while you are doing so. However, do not kill anything and do not take anything away with you either! Besides it not being right to walk into their domain and cause them harm, it is often contrary to the law too. Be very wary of handling any snake that you cannot definitely identify as non-venomous. You could be miles from anywhere and will probably not have any anti-venom with you. Since many snakes can kill within 30 minutes, you would probably die.

So, to summarize, go looking for snakes by all means. However, make your search slowly and wear inconspicuous clothing. Furthermore, wear strong, hiking boots to give you some protection where you are most vulnerable and do not disturb anything unnecessarily. Use a snake-hook to move things if you need to; a tape, torch, camera, notebook and pen to record your experience and/or findings and a few clear plastic receptacles just in case you feel the need to pick something up.

I hope you really enjoy your hunt for snakes and other reptiles, but always keep in mind that snakes are not friendly and they are certainly not pets, so be wary of snake bites especially if your search is not taking place in the gardens of a hospital!

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