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.
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