The effects of high heeled shoes - part 2

I hope you had time to read last week's blog about high heeled shoes and injuries. One of my clients sent the following message: "No kidding. Just bought two sets of really high heels and I have blown out my knee!". So we all agree with science - high heels can hurt our knees and feet. But what about wearing moderate heeled shoes (1.5 inches or 3.8 cm)? The cool thing in this study is that participants consisted of a group of 20 year-old women and a group of 75 year-old women. They compared the moderate heels to a flat control shoe. What they found: . knee varus torque during late stance increased 14% in the young women and 9% in the older women . early stance phase knee flexor torque increased by 19% and 14% respectively . the peak flexor torque was 7% higher with the heeled shoes in 70 plus women They advise that people with knee osteoarthritis should not wear even moderately-high hells as there is an increase in knee torque that can contribute to the development and progression of osteoarthritis. So now you know the truth about heels - even a little can hurt.

Come and join me for an introduction to kayaking with other women on Saturday June 9, 2012 http://www.gaiaadventures.com/2012_adventures.html Let's connect at info@gaiaadventures.com. Catherine D'Aoust at GAIA Adventures, Personal Training/Kinesiologist, Workshops www.gaiaadventures.com An invitation to love your life Kayak Rocky Point for women: Saturday June 9