Sports giants Reebok recently brought out a range of trainers designed to improve toning in the legs and bum. They called the range ‘easytone’, which spanned from the concept of the shoe. The trainers are designed with a convex sole which creates instability; it forces the foot to balance on a smaller surface area than usual. This means the leg is constantly trying to find a balance point and keeps the muscles working on a small scale, even while walking.
The concept seems too good to be true; you exercise the same amount or simply walk around and your legs and behind get a workout that would usually take hours a day at the gym. But is this all just some marketing campaign or do they actually work? A team of scientists with expertise in exercise, sport and physiology at the University of Wisconsin conducted a study to test the claims on each of the shoes.
John Porcari PhD, who led the tests, agrees that the trainers should work in theory as they make the muscles work harder by creating instability that the body attempts to counteract. The shoes are based on a curved sole which creates an unstable surface which forces the wearer’s body to constantly struggle to find equilibrium.
The model says she enjoys swimming, walking yoga and dancing. An avid member of dance and fitness classes, she was the perfect candidate for this exercise range aimed primarily at women.
The trails were also conducted with a group aged 21 to 27 and both groups were tested with regular trainers to compare. The first results were not impressive, using the Reetone trainers did not increase caloric expenditure or heart rate and only produced aching of the muscles.
However, the team surveyed users of the shoes over a period of several months and found that the general consensus was an overall toning of the legs and bum. The team struggled to determine whether the toning was entirely due to imbalance or motivation to walk more. So far, consumers have gone crazy for the highly priced trainers and this trend is set to boom at Christmas.
Consumers can get their hand on the easytone trainers in stores and online and there is rumour of a extended Reebok easytone due next year.
categories: fitness,exercise,training,women,muscles,shoes,trainers,gym,workout,toning