Notes in the key of C

     There’s at least fifteen pairs of shoes in my closet, twelve suspended in rows on the inside of the closet door, like soldiers standing at attention, silently waiting to be called upon to serve. The others lay scattered  in the closet, lounging amidst wooden hangers, a bowling ball and a retired computer monitor.

     My latest acquisition is a new pair of  “Shape-ups”.  You’ve seen them….the top looks alot like your average running shoe but the soles, thicker on the back half, heavier, and curved from toe to heel.  “Get in shape without setting foot in a gym!” it says on the front of the box.    Haven’t I heard this before?  Take a pill.  Lose the weight.  Oh, yeah?   Manufacturer promises these shoes will promote weight loss, tone muscles, improve posture, tighten abdominal muscles and firm calf and buttock muscles.  All THAT in one pair of shoes?  I was skeptical.   But I took the plunge…because I’m a daredevil, a risk-taker and I live life on the edge.  Not really!  My curiousity got the best of me and I bought a pair.

      So,  after just a few days of wearing my Skechers Shape-ups,  I’ve come to a “pre-conclusion”.  Nothing replaces the benefits of going to the gym.  With my 61st birthday on the horizon and many years of working out behind me,  I can’t be convinced that a pair of shoes will replace the gym.    HOWEVER, I’m happy to admit that  I have nothing bad to report about the new shoes.  It’s too early to tell how many of the claims are true but when I first put them on,  walking was just a little strange.  But only for a minute and I think that this is where a slight adjustment in your posture and your stride becomes smoother and more natural.  The curvature of the soles seem to minimize the impact of each step on your knees and the rest of your body.   I can definitely tell that it’s making my calf muscles work harder,  haven’t noticed any abdominal improvement but my butt muscles are so tight,  I’m starting to squeak when I walk.  Not really!  But overall, the shoes fit and feel great and I am satisfied that they were a good investment in my fitness lifestyle.   So, between juicing daily,  eating wisely, working out regularly and the benefits of a good pair of  “shape-ups”,  I’m confident I’m continuing in the right direction.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 8th, 2010 at 2:02 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.