MBT footwear and walking on moss

MBT footwear

Have you heard about the MBT footwear, the strange looking shoe that is said to cure everything from back pain to cellulites? Used by Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna among others, it's become a big hit among the Hollywood celebs. So, what are they really about? Can it really do what it promises?
Lets start to talk a bit about the secret behind the design. When we walk, there's a lot of pressure on the foot. That pressure gets distributed throughout the whole body. If you have bad shoes or walk a lot on hard surfaces, it takes a toll on the body and can result in different problems; back pain, heavy legs, neck pain, etc.

The MBT footwear is constructed in a way that evens the pressure out through out the whole foot. The sole of the shoe are built with four layers, each one needed to create the effectiveness of the shoe. The first layer is a glass fibre layer that ensure a natural rolling movement for the whole foot, from heel to toe. Layer no two is the thickest one, and it's that part that creates the feeling of walking on a soft and uneven surface, a bit like walking on sand. In that way the part activates the neglected muscle groups that are not used when walking with normal shoes. Next comes the part that are a section placed under the heel. Can you picture the feeling of walking on sand or on soft moss? That is what this part does, makes the sole of your feet really sink in to a soft surface. The last part protects the others and are designed to make it easy to walk everywhere, also in snowy weather and on icy pavements.

These layers combined makes the body less restrained when walking, but at the same time you are working with muscles in your body that you don't' normally use at all or very little. Here are some numbers: 19% more activity in the rear thigh muscle. 18% more activity in the lower limbs muscle. 19% LESS stress on knee and hip joints.

This way it activates the whole body, and besides activating neglected muscles, it also improves posture, and tones the whole body because of the increased muscle activity. It can give good help with back, neck and hip problems, as well as with joint, muscle and tendon injuries. The MBT footwear is used by many athletes to rebuild muscles when injured. And it reduces pressure on the knees.

Starting to walk with MBT footwear if you have knee problems, you can see great results. Even if you are having those problems you can still walk and exercise in MBT's, and slowly build the muscles and get more strength in your knee ligaments.

You can use the MBT footwear in your everyday life. Once you got the body used to the shoes (it takes a little while, for the muscles to get used to them, and they can feel a bit unsteady at first too. People usually need a bit of practice before you can walk comfortably with them). But after that, use them on your way to the office, walking the dog, shopping, cleaning your house, just everywhere you like!

Want to know more about MBT footwear and the benefits of walking? Sign up for a free e-mail course on fitness walking or just browse around: www.mbtshoes.efven.com



About the Author
Beatrice Stephenson is a freelance writer on health and recreation issue