Skechers Shape Ups Shoes - Exercise While you Walk

Skechers shape ups are a range of fitness shoes which feature a specially designed curved sole. The sole’s special shape will help to mimic the effect of walking barefoot on soft ground – even when you’re walking on a hard surface. The key to this is the three element sole.

The dynamic rolling bottom section, the special soft foam cushioned insert under the heel and the twin density mid-sole section work together to give you the sensation of walking on a thick pile carpet or soft sand. Walking normally, as if on a soft surface, will make you use muscles that you wouldn’t normally use when walking on hard surfaces in conventional shoes. It will also extend the duration that the muscles are used for.

This will tone and strengthen your muscles as well as increasing blood flow and reducing the jarring impact on your joints and lower back.

The potential benefits of using Skechers Shape Ups are as below:

• Better posture.
• Improved blood circulation.
• Trims and tone legs and buttocks while walking.
• Strengthen back muscles.
• Reduced cellulite.
• Tighter abdominal muscles.

The principles behind Skechers Shape Ups are now pretty well established. The original "curved sole" fitness shoe was the MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology) shoe which was developed by Karl Muller - a Swiss Engineer. Whilst he was walking barefoot in a rice field in Korea, he noticed that his back pain was much better.

He did some further research and found that the Masai tribesmen of Africa didn't suffer from back pain. They were also noted for having excellent posture. Muller attributed this to the fact that they walked everywhere barefoot on relatively soft ground. He then developed the MBT range with its curved sole specifically to achieve the barefoot walking experience - with a gentle "rolling" motion of the foot - even on hard, urban surfaces.

Whilst his main goal was to alleviate back pain and reduce stress on the joints, a number of studies have shown that walking in this manner also means that the muscles are active for a longer period of time for each step. There is also a tendency to "walk properly" and take slightly shorter strides. This also increases the amount of work done and has the effect of giving you a lower body workout just by walking around as you would be doing anyway.

A number of independent scientific studies have substantiated the claims made by MBT, Skechers and also Fitflops (another similar offering - just a bit more fashion conscious). In addition to the tested and proven benefits there are a number of anecdotal claims by users of further benefits that they have achieved. Obviously results will vary from one person to another, but it does seem that choosing the right type of shoe can give you a workout while you walk and trim and tone your legs and buttocks.

Walking in your bare feet on soft ground is perfectly natural. However, unless you live on a tropical island somewhere, then it's probably not what you're used to.

Whether you decide to try Skechers Shape Ups, MBTs or Fitflops sandals, you should start out gently. It will depend upon your general fitness, but something between 30 to 45 minutes a day should be okay for the first few days.

You can then increase the time that you wear your fitness shoes, along with the distance that you walk in them, gradually with time.

One last thing - Skechers Shape Ups are available for both men and women - although, since they are shoes, women do get a somewhat wider range to choose from.