How your shoes give away your health. Your shoe wear and tear gives away your overall health. If you aren’t wearing out your shoes you probably have heart disease! The newest data from the SWAN study shows that if your internal organs, especially your largest artery your aorta, is padded with extra fat you have far reaching negative consequences on your health. The most basic physical function suffering immediately when that happens is an effect on gait. Whether it’s just one more factor in decreased oxygen to your muscles or some other physical dimension problem to have fat around your aorta is independent of obesity, smoking, or hypertension. That deep fat is of paramount concern. Those women in the study group losing walking speed at a high rate (shown to be just 2.4% a year) were at a greater risk for severe cardiovascular complications?
Here are some health checks you can do right now:
1. It’s not just your shoe wear and tear that gives away your health, but how your feet fit those shoes as well. How fast can you walk without your feet hurting in your shoes? Are you walking or running slower than your friends?
2. Your shoe wear and tear gives away your health if it’s not even wear. Check the bottoms of your shoes are you wearing them out unevenly? Hip or joint issues can cause that.
3. How many days do you reach 11,000 steps without being at all sore? That is only a 10% increase on your daily 10,000 steps, you should be in good enough shape for that!
4. Do you get calf or toe cramps in your shoes when walking fast? If the shoes fit and you still get those cramps your feet or circulation can be the issue.
5. Check out a video of yourself: are you waddling, dragging your feet, do your hips or knees just look awkward, or do you have a hitch to your step? All signs of poor gait!
6. Come in to be seen to discuss ways we can suggest body contouring, weight management, or a new fitness class. Yoga itself can help correct imbalances in your physique and posture.
