An important part of any fitness program is having the proper shoes. Are you like me and have flat feet? Well, my one foot is flat and the other rolls inward to compensate for the flat one. So not only do the feet hurt at times, it also affects the knees and back too. Working out can be all the more painful without proper shoes. I’ve tried a lot of fitness shoes; New Balance, Nike, Reebok, Asic and more, all claiming that they’re good for this or that on my feet, but none of these were great.
When I started out my workout program recently I was using one of these brands and one of the steps in our workout was to do burpees. Seriously, when was the last time you’ve done a burpee? For me it was probably in Jr. High. Well, after my first jump and landing I thought my feet were going to break it hurt them so bad! I modified my burpees to not include the jump at the end, but of course then I wasn’t getting the full effect of a burpee – same thing for the jump squat and a few other things too.
Then I was sent these Dr. Weil Rhythm Walkers. They immediately felt different on my feet – like no other shoe before it. They were designed with world-renowned Australian Podiatrist, Phillip Vasyli. These shoes are designed to help restore the foot’s natural function. Unnatural surfaces force your feet to pronate (roll over) to gain ground contact, which flattens the arches and can:
- Cause foot and lower leg pain such as plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendonitis
- Disrupt normal knee function
- Interfere with hip alignment
- Increase pressure on the lower back
This insert is different in that I could instantly feel more support not only in the arch of my foot, but the heel and ball, too. All his shoes are designed with this foot system. Walking felt different for about the first 20 minutes and then I became quite used to it and it is very comfortable on my feet. But, not only on my feet, but knees as well. And you know what? I tried the jump squats and burpees once I was wearing these shoes and I’ve never had a pain in my feet or knees since!
Don’t forget – starting next week, April 3rd it’s the start of the 2nd Annual 2013 Walkabout. Dr. Weil challenges us to join in and walk every day for 28 days straight to begin a fitness program. Walking is easy and healthy!
Walking shoes were sent to me for consideration of review. Happy feet are the result and are the opinion of my feet only.