Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Wearing EasyTone shoes

Reebok EasyTone shoes are designed to increase muscle activation in the gluteal muscles, hamstrings and gastrocnemius. Reebok designed balance pods under the heel and forefoot of the shoe to create a natural instability when you walk, forcing your muscles to work harder to keep you balanced. Reebok's user guide that comes with the shoes states that wearers should avoid sports or activities that incorporate any "unplanned" or lateral movements such as tennis or basketball, since the instability of the shoe could lead to injury. However, many other exercises can be performed while wearing EasyTone shoes.
Lunges
Lunges provide a workout for your legs and core muscles, and performing them in EasyTone shoes is not as easy as it looks, according to ISSA-certified personal trainer Nikol Klein. She describes the shoes as having two mini Bosu balls attached to the bottom. Klein suggests aiming for three sets of eight lunges with each leg. Keep your hands on your hips as you perform the lunges to help with your balance, and strike the ground with your heel first on each lunge. You can perform a more advanced version of the lunge by lunging onto a Bosu ball for added instability.
Balancing
Since EasyTone shoes increase instability, it is natural to perform exercises on them to challenge your balance. Start by standing with your feet shoulder width apart and your knees bent slightly. Balance on one leg as you raise the other leg off the ground and extend it in front of you. Hold this pose for a count of 30 before switching legs. You can also extend your legs out to the side or behind your body to challenge different lower body muscles.
Jumps
Balance on one leg and bend your standing leg to about a 45-degree angle. Hold this pose for five seconds, then push off your standing leg and jump straight into the air, landing on the same leg and immediately dropping down into the crouched position again. Repeat this exercise five times on each leg. You can alternate legs following the jump if landing on the same leg is too difficult for you. You can also perform box jumps by setting a sturdy 6-inch box in front of you and jumping with both feet onto the box, then jumping back off. Increase the box height to 12 inches if the 6-inch jump is too easy.
Walking and Running
The EasyTone shoes are designed to challenge your balance Adidas AdiPure IV during daily activities, including walking and running. Reebok says the EasyTone shoes have been measured up to three times softer than traditional running shoes, so they provide more cushioning when walking and running. The American Council on Exercise chief science officer, Dr. Cedric Bryant, suggests wearing a weighted vest or carrying hand weights when walking to help burn more calories and tone your muscles, rather than relying only on the shoe's instability to tone your lower body.

No comments:

Post a Comment