100 Things You Can Do to Stay Fit and Healthy: Simple Steps to Better Your Body and Improve Your Mind by Scott Douglas

Author:Scott Douglas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2016-04-14T04:00:00+00:00

Photo by Stacey Cramp

Shoes with heels bring to mind two Latin phrases. First, De gustibus non est disputandum—in matters of taste, there can be no disputes. If you think wearing heels looks good, I can’t tell you otherwise. But in the context of this book, I can tell you the other Latin phrase, Caveat emptor—let the buyer beware. Stylish or not, shoes with heels are bad for your body.

Consider a study that measured calf muscle length and Achilles tendon agility in women who regularly wear high heels versus women who don’t. The heel wearers had calf muscles that were about 12 percent shorter than those of the non-heel wearers. The heel wearers’ Achilles tendons were more than 10 percent more rigid than those of the non-heel wearers. As a result, the heel wearers had significantly less range of motion in their ankles.

A different study showed how these sorts of structural changes have functional implications. Researchers gathered two groups: one made up of women who had worn heels of at least 5 centimeters (a little less than 2 inches) for forty hours a week for at least two years, and the other made up of women who had worn heels for less than ten hours a week. While the women walked over level ground, the researchers measured ankle and knee motion and lower leg muscle activity. The heel wearers had measurable increases in fascial strain and muscle activity compared to the other group. Their history of wearing heels for much of the workweek had negatively altered their basic walking mechanics.

Heels also tip your pelvis forward, leading to some of the same alignment problems as those caused by poor sitting posture, including lower back strain and weakening of the powerful muscles on your backside.

Running shoe companies and other active-wear brands are among the leaders in making flat shoes that can be worn in professional settings. Merrell, Altra, VivoBarefoot, and others have taken the design principles behind their barefoot-style athletic shoes and successfully applied them to loafers, lace-up flats, desert boots, and the like.

If heels are unavoidable in your profession, do the best you can to minimize the time you spend in them, such as wearing other shoes while commuting and taking the heels off when you know you’ll be at your desk for a while.

Also, go barefoot or wear socks and/or slippers around the house. Why wear shoes inside? Shedding them will not only help your body, but also keep your floors and carpets clean.

#51: Wear Shoes That Fit Your Feet, Not Vice Versa

Hopefully I’ve convinced you to reconsider wearing shoes with heels. Now let’s move on to other aspects of daily footwear.

Try this: If you’re wearing shoes, take one off and line up your bare foot with your shod foot. What do you see?

Ideally, you’ll see that your bare foot widens continually from the heel to the base of the toes. The arch of that foot is engaged, helping to distribute your weight over the foot. Your toes of that foot are probably spread out, and all of them are probably touching the ground.

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