High heels are vastly popular for many women in different work and fashion environments. They are all around us, making everyone think that wearing high heels is important for every woman. In fact, you cannot watch a television show or movie without seeing a woman in heels doing some crazy stunts. In addition, you cannot walk throughout the mall or various shops without seeing women walking around everywhere wearing unthinkably high heels. There are many studies out there that talk about how bad heels are for our bodies while some studies attempt to prove that heels are the best option, but are they really? Let’s take a look at what happens to your body when you wear high heels and what you can do to lessen the impact they have on your body.
What Happens To Your Body When Wearing High Heels?
What happens to your body outwardly is quite apparent to anyone who takes a look in the mirror. Heels do things such as pushing your chest forward and pushing your lower back forward, making your hips more prominent. These changes are a plus to many women, as this follows societal perception of an attractive person. Unfortunately, these changes put significant stress on your spine because high heels take your hips out of alignment with your spine. It also places significant pressure on your knees, ankles, and feet. You should note that depending on the heel height, the amount of pressure placed on your feet increases. According to The Spine Health Institute,one-inch heels increase the pressure by twenty-two percent whereas three-inch heels increase the pressure by seventy-six percent.Â
What Should You Do If You Wear Them?
While high heels are not good for people, many will still desire to wear them. There are a few things that you can do if you do continue to wear heels. These are:
- Make sure you do not wear your high heels for a long time. Consider taking them off while you are at work or at a place where you will be sitting for a bit.
- Do a few calf muscles stretches before you put your high heels on to warm up the muscles. You can even do stretches after you wear heels to make sure you calf muscles stay healthy.
- Avoid very high heels; go for lower heels so as to avoid putting too much pressure on your body.
- Avoid wearing shoes with pointy toes. First of all, these are bad for your feet even if you are wearing flats. Secondly, wearing these types of high heels can put you at further risk for hammertoes and Morton’s neuroma.
- Consider shopping for your high heels later in the day when your feet are at their largest. Our feet tend to swell up around the afternoon because we have been on them for the majority of the day. This will make sure your shoes are not too tight for your feet and toes.Â
Orthotic Heels And Flats
If you realize that you continue to have problems due to high heels, even with following the above tips, you might need to consider changing up your shoes. A great way is to choose orthotic high heels, many of which do not have an incredibly high heel, taking off the pressure regular heels put on your body. They will also provide excellent support for your feet, which you do not normally get with regular heels. However, you might decide to give up high heels for good, but you can still find incredibly trendy and adorable orthotic shoes in the form of ballet flats or flat boots. The possibilities are endless, and you know that you can keep your body as healthy as possible while still looking stylish.Â
In Closing
If you are in the market for high heels that are more comfortable and better for you body, The Orthotic Shop has an incredible selection for you. We have different styles of heels and have wonderful dress shoes that are not high heels. Take a look around our shop to find something that is perfect for you and your style, today! If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.