After walking the dog, I had put on my pretty pink shapeup shoes for the first time. I had figured this would be an ideal time each day to devote 30 minutes to the shoes, since this is when I perform many little tasks around the household, and rarely sit down.
With the shoes on, however, I suddenly could hardly stand. For my first moments, I staggered about, just doing my best to stay upright. Over the weekend, I had told my mother about the shoes, and could now hear her worried voice inside my head, warning me not to break an ankle. As for the rest of the family, Tom stared at me with an incredulous look, while Olympia simply ran away.
Grabbing for the one-page advertisement that came with the shoes, I noted a vital "helpful hint"at the bottom of the document that I had merely skimmed earlier. It advises to "focus on the flat part of the shoe, under the ball of the foot". With that in mind, I was able to take my first careful steps, lifting each foot slightly and placing my weight on the flat part of the shoes with each step. My movements were slow and deliberate, but I was at least able to get moving on my morning tasks.
Within perhaps two minutes, I was impressed to feel a strain in my calves and at the back of my knees, and soon, I was actually beginning to sweat -- although I suspect that was more from the effort of staying upright than from any cardiovascular workout.
After about 10 minutes, as I fed Olympia and prepared for my day, I started to feel the back of my thighs working as well. Within about 20 minutes, I could even feel my stomach muscles straining. Incredibly, it felt like I was getting an accidental workout while still doing my everyday morning activities.
It's too soon to say what this will mean for me and my fitness. But I'm already looking forward to trying them again tomorrow.
2 comments:
I wonder just how good they are for you. I mean, you probably could get a good workout walking on stilts all day, but it's probably not a recommended form of walking! Although there does seem to be a new focus on balance as part of a fitness routine. I'm interested to hear how you feel today!
I was thinking the same thing - that stilts might be another interesting option! But it would be harder to do my daily tasks while wearing stilts. And you're correct that it does force one to work on balance.
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