The Next Stage

       I did the Peggy Brill workout this morning -- in about 15 minutes. And I felt pretty good about it. I saw myself in a mirror afterward and was pleased to find a grin on my face. And since then, I have continued to feel good. Indeed, I am actually beginning to feel more fit.  So she has won me over, so far.  

       But it's time to take this resolution to the next stage.  When I started the month, I committed to 15 minutes of concentrated effort to get fit. Now that I have my 15 minutes of daily effort down, I am going to add in some non-concentrated effort.

      My first plan is to check out "rocker bottom" shoes. These shoes, angled at the heel and toe, encourage one's foot to roll smoothly from heel to toe with each step. Reportedly, this prevents forward lean, thereby encouraging good posture, and perhaps most importantly (from my point of view)  helps to tone one's bum. My thought is that by wearing such shoes while going about my normal daily activities, I will get an extra workout without really trying.  

       MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology) shoes are perhaps the most expensive of these -- ranging from around $180 - $250.  As this was more than I was willing to spend on what I feared might just be a gimmick, I decided to look instead at Fit Flops -- flip flops "with the gym built in".  These shoes, with a tapered midsole, are said to trigger increased gluteal, hamstring, thigh and calf muscle responses.  

       At only around $50, I almost placed an order, until I read that while using Fit Flops one walks similarly to a barefoot walker. And, when I thought about it, I realized that the MBT shoes seem to promise the same thing -- although with them, one presumably walks like a barefoot Masai walker. I began to doubt that either of these shoes would provide me with much benefit since, although I am not Masai, I already walk barefoot much of the time. Indeed, I find shoes and socks so annoying at home that my floors are often strewn with abandoned footwear. 

       Thus, I decided to order SHAPE UP shoes, instead. These shoes, also shaped like flip flops, have what can only be described as an extreme rocker bottom. The web site asserts that wearing these shoes for only 30 minutes a day will lead to "lifted buns, toned legs and a stronger core" and that the shoes are "the most convenient way to shape up".  

       As might already be apparent, convenience in getting fit is my number one goal for the month. And since I would be required to wear the shoes for only 30 minutes a day, I thought they might suit my preference to be barefoot.

       I ordered them in pink, thinking that if I do kick them off, they'll at least be easy to find in my decidedly un-pink home.  The shoes arrived over the weekend, and surprisingly, are actually kind of cute. I'll start giving them a try tomorrow...