In the Qing Dynasty, Cao Tingdong wrote “Essay on Health Preservation”, there was a sentence like this:
The adequacy of the shoe is all tied to the bottom. The bottom will be flat, and a few bends will hinder the toes.
This is the previous description of the relationship between shoes and health.
Most people only realize the existence of shoes when their feet are unwell or their shoes do not fit.
However, this daily thing that we all ignore is closely related to health.
The cause of some people’s waist and back soreness and knee and heel pain may be that they did not wear the right shoes!
The basic function of shoes is to protect
When standing, your feet bear all the weight of your body.
There is an arc-shaped arch on the inner side of the foot, which plays an important role. It can buffer the vibration generated when walking, making walking smoother and more comfortable. Shoes should assist and strengthen this function.
Think about the feeling of riding a car with rubber tires and a car with wooden tires, and you will understand.
However, shoes, as an important part of daily wearing and fitting, also bear the requirements of beauty. With the increasing variety of styles, some shoes have neglected the most basic protection and auxiliary function of shoes because they focus on the appearance of their design.
High heels look good, but they are not good for health.
According to the survey, 72% of adult women in modern society wear high heels, of which 39% wear them every day.
Wearing high heels, the muscles of the lower limbs are unconsciously tight, which will make the leg lines look better. At the same time, the center of gravity moves forward, the chest stands forward, the hip muscles tighten, and the posture will look tall and straight.
However, high heels not only give women aesthetic feeling, but also bring adverse effects on health.
The study found that:
After wearing high heels, the stride length becomes smaller, the stride speed becomes slower, the joint stress of the first toe increases obviously, and the strength and flexibility of lower limb muscles decrease, which easily leads to flatfoot and hallux valgus deformity.
After wearing high heels, the stride length becomes smaller, the stride speed becomes slower, the joint stress of the first toe increases obviously, and the strength and flexibility of lower limb muscles decrease, which easily leads to flatfoot and hallux valgus deformity.
Wearing high heels to climb stairs, knee joint load pressure is 3-4 times of body weight, wearing high heels to descend stairs, can increase to 7-9 times. Knee joint and meniscus will be seriously damaged.
Wearing high heels for a long time is also not good for the spine, causing soreness of waist and back muscles and strain of related ligaments, thus causing chronic lumbago.
In addition, wearing high heels is also prone to ankle sprain, intertoe inflammation, corns and other foot diseases.
Flat shoes are not all that good.
Many middle-aged and elderly people especially like flat shoes, such as cloth shoes, flat sandals and slippers. Whether it is housework, leisure and entertainment or outdoor mountaineering, they all wear flat shoes without exception.
They think that flat shoes are the closest to the natural state of the foot, so the protection of the foot is the best.
But there are also problems here.
Many friends reported that there would be heel pain-when I got up in the morning, my heel was so painful that I couldn’t step on the ground. Sometimes it would be better to rub it, but it would be painful after walking for a long time during the day.
As mentioned earlier, our feet have an arc-shaped arch, and flat shoes do not conform to the shape of human arch. Always wearing flat shoes, lack sufficient support for the arch, after walking or standing for a long time, the fascia of the sole of the foot produces chronic strain, which eventually leads to pain.
There is no buffer for the vibration generated when walking. Over time, it is strange that there is no problem.
How’s shoes are suitable and healthy?
Due to the degeneration of muscles and ligaments on the feet of middle-aged and elderly friends, they are no more elastic than when they were young, and their weight-bearing ability is also reduced. If they stand for a little longer, they are prone to pain in their feet, knees and crotch.
When walking, exercising or standing for a long time, it is recommended to choose sports shoes with heel pads and good elasticity, and wear less high heels and flat-bottomed cloth shoes.
I really like flat shoes. I can buy a heel pad online or in a larger supermarket and feel much more comfortable.
Specifically, it is:
- Choose wide shoes to wear, don’t choose shoes with too pointed head and too high heel. The sole should be stable and elastic. Otherwise, it is easy to increase the risk of falling down and sprain your feet. As the temperature drops, you should carefully choose a pair of warm and breathable shoes. A good pair of shoes may cost more, but it can last longer and be more comfortable.
Finally, I’d like to introduce a little trick.
When watching TV and computer at home, you can do special foot exercises.
You can use your toes to grab towels or marbles to exercise your foot muscles.
If you need to wear high heels for work entertainment, you can prepare a pair of sports shoes at your work place and change them back when they are over.