Health & Fitness
ATHLETE’S FOOT: IT’S NOT WHAT YOU WEAR BUT WHAT YOU DO
There's bad news and good news for consumers who purchased a pair of Skechers "toning" sneakers in the past.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ATHLETE’S FOOT: IT’S NOT WHAT YOU WEAR BUT WHAT YOU DO
(BALTIMORE, MD May 21, 2012) – There’s bad news and good news for consumers who purchased a pair of Skechers “toning” sneakers in the past.
Find out what's happening in Parkville-Overleawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Bad news: this footwear – like similar shoes manufactured by other companies – does not live up to its dubious promise of firming up butts, legs, calves, and abs “without setting a foot in a gym.”
The good news is that Skechers will now pay $40 million in partial refunds to duped customers.
Find out what's happening in Parkville-Overleawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“This is a new development, but sports and fitness experts have been warning consumers for a while that there is no credible evidence supporting manufacturers’ claims that this kind of overpriced footwear will help wearers exercise more intensely, burn more calories or improve muscle strength and tone,” says LT Thomas a personal trainer at LT Fit in Baltimore, MD.
In fact, Thomas points out that because of some special design features on these sneakers, such as rounded soles, people with balance problems can be at risk of falling down while walking or running.
“Be suspicious of any advertisement that makes unrealistic claims about ‘miraculous’ properties of athletic shoes or any other piece of fitness equipment,” Thomas cautions. And just because you have given “toning” sneakers the boot, doesn’t mean that you should give up on your dream of having a firm and toned body. “Realistically speaking, the only way of achieving those results are specific workouts combined with a calorie-restricted, whole foods diet,” Thomas says.
Here are his suggestions for some exercises that will improve your overall tone and firmness, regardless of what kind of shoes you are wearing:
Squats, performed correctly, will work your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and calves, whipping your entire lower body into shape.
Two-point dumbbell rows and chin-ups are great for strengthening your back.
Stability ball rollouts, plank, side-plank and torso twists are great for tightening major abdominal muscle groups.
Push-ups will work on your chest and triceps, and they’ll even firm up flabby arms as well.
“These are just a few examples of many different exercises that challenge all the major muscle groups, toning and firming them more effectively than any shoe – or any other gimmick, for that matter – ever could.”
About LT Fit:
Launched by fitness expert LT Thomas in October 2010, LT Fit offers a co-ed in-home personal training program and a women’s only fitness boot camp. LT Fit specializes in the areas of weight loss, fitness jumpstarts, strength training, pilates, busy professionals and stay at home moms. Program details and client testimonials are available at www.LT-Fit.net. Thomas, a certified fitness expert with 11 years of experience in the fitness industry, can be reached at LT@LT-Fit.net or 855-225-8348.
# # #
About LT Thomas, Fitness Expert:
Thomas is a certified fitness expert (NSPA weight management, Fitness Boxing Institute, AAAI and BS in Exercise Science) with 11 years of experience in the fitness industry. Thomas can be reached at LT@LT-Fit.net or 855-225-8348 and is available for media interviews on topics related to health, wellness and fitness.