Saturday 4 February 2012

HEALTH TALK: Your high heel habit is warping your walk


If you're a woman reading this from a cubicle, chances are your feet are currently squished into a pair of high heels. You may swear although they look painful, they're "so comfortable!" Sorry, your feet aren't buying it.
A new study suggests that the shoes you love are putting you at risk for muscle injury, even when you walk barefoot.
When you wear a high-heeled shoe, your foot is forced into a plantar-flexed position. In other words, you're pointing your toes as long as you've got the shoes on. Imagine Barbie feet.
Day after day of teetering in towering heels appears to shorten fibers in the calf muscle, and make the Achilles tendon stiffen instead of flex with each step, Both of these factors may contribute to muscle fatigue, and potential injury.
 Researchers analyzed the way longtime high-heel lovers used their muscles to walk across the room, both with their heels and without, and compared their gait to that of women who generally wore flats. The nine habitual high heel wearers had worn heels of at least 5 centimeters (that's just under 2 inches) at least 40 hours every week for at least two years; the 10 control participants usually wore heels for less than 10 hours each week.
But we know better than to try to convince you to ditch the heels. Instead, try to limit the number of days you wear high heels to just a couple times a week, instead of Monday through Friday unlike me,i wear heels only when i'm going for a red carpet event or club. We wearers of flats will warmly welcome you back down to your level :p.
 let me leave you with this question;
     How many days a week do you wear high heels? Does news of the damage it may be doing to your muscles make you want to cut back? Share your opinion here and on my facebook page.

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