Do shoes make a difference in walking for health?

Do shoes make a difference in walking for health?

If you look around today, walking is one of the most popularly practiced cardiovascular exercises all over the world. From the treadmill at the gym, to walking tracks at Independence Square, or simply making use of a vacant ground nearby, a majority of Sri Lankans too, especially those of the urban regions of the Western Province, consider walking as their daily mantra to lead a healthy lifestyle.

It’s no secret that walking has a myriad of health benefits such as building stamina, burning extra calories, and improving heart health and moods. But for those starting out or have been walking without diving into a bit of research beforehand, there are a couple of important factors to take into account before walking.

In starting out walking as a daily exercise, one of the most common mistakes made by walkers, which hinders the reaping of fullest benefits, is not choosing the right shoes – both in type and size.

As you know, the human body is structured in such a way that your feet support the weight of the entire body, and as such helps keep the body aligned and balanced. Poorly fitted walking shoes, therefore, can get in the way of this link, causing pain in the lower back and even increasing susceptibility to serious injury. Although it may seem minor at first, the true effects may arise later on in life, bringing long-term complications.

On the other hand, well-manufactured walking shoes provide stability, flexibility, and comfort for walkers.

Now, before you purchase walking shoes, it’s important that you make sure to keep the following fundamental particulars in mind, so that not only the shoes match the requirement of the type of exercise, but also suit the shape and size of your feet as well as your body structure and the correct posture.

Let’s get into it.

Looks are secondary

As much as you’ve heard this when it comes to people, and as much as you would like to invest in a pair of shoes that you actually think looks good, the color and outer design of your walking shoes should come second to the technical aspects of the shoes.

Know your size

First of all, measuring your feet should be done at the latter part of the day. Why? Feet tend to swell during the day. Another fact to keep in mind is that, since feet hold the weight of the body, it’s always better to stand instead of sitting. The best option is to have a salesperson of the footwear store measure your feet while you are standing. Remember, you should feel immediately comfortable as you try the shoe out, or it could most probably end up being too tight or too loose.

Lace it up

According to the Boston Magazine, unless you sustain an injury or suffer from pain that prevents you from bending over to tie your shoes, it is advised to always opt for walking shoes with lace. This is mainly because, unlike Velcro or slip-ons, lace shoes add another layer of stability when walking. With this, it is also important to know the correct way to lace your shoes.

Test it out

Durability and comfort are major attributes to look for in walking shoes, given that they will ideally be part and parcel of your daily routine. As such, it is advised to touch and feel the pair of shoes, check its flexibility, examine the bend of the toe, and finally take a couple of steps at different speeds of walking.

By now you would have an idea that selecting the right shoes for walking is as essential as an athlete selecting the best pair of running shoes for training. While it is indeed a step forward in the right direction to walk for a healthier life, regardless of the age and capacity, be mindful about the shoes you wear to see the real progress of your effort.