Do Toning Shoes Really Work?

I have been asked this question several times, "do toning sneakers work?"

At this point the data are not supportive of toning shoes having the effects of burning more calories or toning large muscle groups. So basically, no, the shoes don't really work. I think this article is a great summary of the research that has been conducted on toning shoes, including a recent study:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/13/can-shoes-really-tone-the-body/?ref=health

My favorite quote from this article is from Dr. John Mercer of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Dr. Mercer says, "Humans are quite lazy, from a physiological standpoint. Our bodies will try to do the least work possible in any situation." Bascially what he is saying is that even when the toning shoes change our walking mechanics, we adapt quickly and figure out how to walk in the rounded-bottom shoes more efficiently. However, Dr. Mercer does point out that if a person enjoys the way that the shoes feel, she may be more inclined to exercise - and that is a good thing.

New Guidelines on Exercise Released

Well, these guidelines might not appear totally new but they officially supersede the 1998 American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand on exercise.

In the July 2011 Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine (www.acsm.org ), the new Position Stand has been released to help health professionals provide exercise guidelines to individuals.

Basically, here is what's recommended:

• at least 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per week (at least 30 mins, 5x/week)


• of those 150 minutes, 75 minutes should be intense


• resistance exercises (strength-training) 2-3 times per week


• flexibility exercises (stretching) 2 or more days per week


• if these guidelines cannot be reached, a lesser amount of exercise can also be beneficial

The Position Stand is a 26-page document so I decided to post a summary news article on the topic instead: http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/la-heb-exercise-guidelines-20110628,0,7367747.story

Talk to a health professional to get an exercise prescription that works for you.