Have you seen these crazy looking athletic walking and running shoes that look like a foot skeleton yet? They’re actually very futuristic looking, but they look like on me, who needs a lot of arch and ball support in my shoes, they would cause a lot of pain in my foot and in my back!

I’ve never tried a pair on, but I’d venture to guess these are the types of shoes that only certain people can wear who don’t need a ton of support when they’re either running, walking or doing a lot of physical activity. Especially the kind that involves a lot of jumping around and joint impact.

But are appearances deceiving?  Let’s take a look what these barefoot athletic shoes are all about and talk about it.

The idea is that running and walking or moving around otherwise is most naturally done in bare feet. The barefoot running shoes, most notably made by Vibram FiveFinger now, are based on the idea that this is the best way to work out, but they also add extra protection and cushion that you wouldn’t have if you were just strictly going bare foot.

These shoes literally have five separate toe slots, just like the footie socks that were such a novelty back in the day. They even have socks that have the little toe pockets as well, to go with the shoes.  This is why you look like you’re in your bare feet when you wear them, because each of your toes is outlined.

The idea is also that when in your essential bare foot form, you are also helping to train your entire body instead of “casting” your foot in a regular shoe with all the padding, rubber, soles, and binding.  They supposedly help to make your body sync up, helping to train the nerves and muscles to become more efficient due to the minimal interference of all the unnatural padding of a regular fitness shoe.

There is also supposedly research out there that shows we can run faster and farther when in bare foot form (of course with protection, but with minimal interference from too much material and padding in the way).  There is also some evidence that we may be able to escape more injury by running in this more natural form.

The shoe maker Vibram recommends that when starting off using their shoe, you transition slowly as there may be an adjustment period.  They do say that they have a sole that protects from too much friction or injury.  Is the barefoot running shoe right for you?  I suppose you’d have to try them out!

Going green is all the rage now.  It’s not even just a fad, thankfully. It’s a realization that we are all growing in population, taking over much more of this green earth and polluting it, and we really need to start thinking of how we are taking care of the earth.

We also need to be more mindful of our energy and water consumption, as these are not completely infinte resources.  Another consideration is gas or fuel for our cars. Many people consider gasoline an infinite resource, but really it is what is called a fossil fuel, and there is only so much of it under the ground.

Sure, more gets made as time goes by, but it can take several years to get to the point to where it is usable.  Mining techniques for the various forms of energy are not earth friendly, so humans really need to start considering their energy consumption.

This can often go hand in hand with staying healthy and active and maintaining a healthy weight.  Taking the steps more and skipping the elevator is an example of being greener and more mindful. Elevators run on electricity and can take a considerable amount of energy to haul your butt up several floors.

Cars are another example, and not taking your car as often is a huge step in the right direction, for both your health and your green endeavors.  It can be hard if you live in the middle of nowhere and don’t have anywhere that is within a realistic walking distances, but if you live near a city or in a suburb, you can definitely skip the car and walk as many places as you can.

If you’re in a shopping plaza, for example, and one of the stores is way down at the other end – don’t get back in the car and drive to it – walk.  These little sacrifices not only are better for your health, but are better for your local environment and air quality since you are not polluting the environment with the emissions from your car.

Planting trees has been a huge lesson in going green for us. We have also gotten great exercise lugging around water buckets, walking our acre of property and checking them for health.  Planting trees takes a considerable amount of work the first year of their lives, and this means you burn calories taking care of them.

It also means your contribute to the natural cleansing of the air by adding more oxygen producing plants.  It’s better for you too. The mere sight of green trees and plants has been shown to calm the mind and rejuvenate the spirit.

Many of us suffer from back pain. Whether it is from an injury we had, or from simple stress and genetics, back pain can be an all encompassing pain that really is life interrupting if you don’t know how to manage it.

Many people think, intuitively, that when you are in pain, you should stay still and this will help. That is exactly opposite of what is true. Staying still, and leading a sedentary lifestyle where you get little movement and sit in a chair a lot is the WORST thing you can do for  back pain.

Moving around helps to loosen up the muscles, get the blood flowing, and perhaps most importantly gets enorphins and pleasure chemicals released in the brian, which helps to offset any of the pain you might be feeling in your back. The same goes for neck pain, and often times back, neck and shoulder pain go hand in hand.

Think of moving as lubing up the body. It helps to loosen the joints, and also helps to keep you mobile and agile as you age and  your joints, bones and muscles inevitably become less elastic and more prone to injury.

Exercises like yoga, swimming and water aerobics are excellent for those that exeperience back pain. The elliptical machine is a great way to get your cardio in if you have a sensitive back or joints in your leg that act up, since it has almost zero impact on the muscles and the joints.

Walking is an excellent workout for those with back pain. In fact, just walking and standing in the upright position helps us to stay mobile and flexible, whereas sitting and laying down really allow the muscles to atrophy and to become inflexible.

It’s all about maintaining movement and flexibility in the body.  If you have a desk job, make sure you get up and walk around once every hour. If you can’t actually get up and walk around, make sure you at least stand up from your chair and move around your cube or office, or stretch your back.

If you are going to do yoga for your back pain, be mindful that some poses are not back friendly if you are not flexible enough yet, and must be eased into instead of forcing your body into them. This can actually create more pain or result in injury, so take it slow.

Many exercises for flabby arms also help to ease back pain, such as supermans and kickbacks, all of which help to strengthen the lower back and help prevent back pain and weakness.

I was reminded about how important it is to use a really good pair of running shoes recently.  My husband and I wanted to take a jog around the neighborhood the other night. It was a beautiful day. Not too hot, one of those perfect spring days where the humidity here hasn’t quite picked up yet, so even when it gets warm, it’s still very breezy and very comfortable.

The air is still light, in other words, there is none of that heavy, humid air yet.  So I went to get my running shoes on, and alas, I had left my entire gym bag at the office, because I had planned on working out that day and never did make it to the gym, and then left the bag when my day was over.

So I had to use my backups, which are a tattered, really old, broken down pair of running shoes that have had the entire sole broken down over time so there is no springiness. Also, I use them to cut the lawn in when I’m helping my husband out, so they are pretty beat up from that too.

I instantly felt the difference from my beloved running shoes when I put them on. There was almost no support. They were very flattened, and the arch was basically nonexistent. I need a good, supportive arch in my shoe since my feet are practically flat, and the arch is what supports you.

Not only was the support not there in the bottom of the shoe, but the materials on the top of the shoe were very flimsy, so it almost felt like it wasn’t containing my entire foot as securely as it should have. I felt like I had to tie the laces very tight just so that my foot wouldn’t come out of the shoe.

Of course, the green tinge they had to them didn’t help lol.  I ran and walked, alternately, in the shoes, because they had barely any support and I almost felt as though I might as well have been walking in my socks.

I feel passionately about the right shoes for running and walking.  That’s why I put together the running shoes reviews page, and that’s why I always make sure I put a good pair on my feet. They prevent injury and discomfort. Anything that keeps me running and keeps me wanting to be fit is important in my book.

I have to say, I’m impressed with a recent PSA that I heard from Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest HMO/PMO health providers today.  I had heard some good things about them, well as good as you can about organized health providers, and I heard a PSA (public service announcement) on the radio the other day that really made me warm up to them.

Why? Because, unlike so many other institutions that are supposed to improve health through medicine, this PSA was to get the message out that physical activity, especially for those of us  with desk jobs, was important as a preventive measure.  I’m all about prevention instead of medicating once there is already a problem, so to hear a proactive message like this from a major healthcare provider with quite a reach in audience was refreshing.

Of course, I get that they also got their name out there, and that this type of good will message knowingly does wonders for a health institutions reputation and the way the public looks at them.  It’s a very clever business move, but it’s also a great message to get out there to people like myself who do have desk jobs that it’s important to at least get around and walk as much as you can throughout the day.

The message encouraged the formation of lunch time walk groups and social events that focused around physical activity.  They really stressed to use your lunch and any breaks to get in some physical activity, and when I’m being good at work, that is really what I try to do.

I always figure that if I have to be at work, why not at least use my lunch hour wisely and get out and walk or run or get down to our company gym where I can get on the elliptical or recumbent bike for a while.  That way, when I get home, I’m free and clear to do everything I want to and my workout and my health and wellness has already been taken care of for the day.

At my job, we actually have quite a nice, large campus that is enjoyable scenery to take a walk in during the mild weather months.  You can walk a few miles if you circle it all the way around a few times, and I do see sets of people, as well as single people out there walking on their lunch. You’re getting fresh air, resetting your mind, refreshing your spirit, and getting some of that much needed vitamin D dosage from any sun that is present.  That’s a win/win.

So I just had my first opportunity to really get ou tand about in the yard and do some yard work. It was a perfect day to do it. At first I thought it was a bit chillier than I would have wanted but once I got going and got my heart pumping and circulation going and started to really work, I was glad it was only about 55 degrees!

I also like the fact that it is before it starts to get all buggy outside. The bugs always bother me when I’m gardening, and it’s definitely one of the reasons I don’t like doing that “yucky” work when it’s eighty degrees or higher outside.  Although I will say you get more of a sweat and probably a better workout when it’s hot outside.

What I did today was mulch three large garden beds. Before I could actually spread the mulch though, I had to clean the beds out. There was a lot of debris in the way of dead branches, leaves and other things leftover from last fall and more. That in itself is a lot of work.

There is a lot of lifting, bending and walking with heavy items and wheel barrows when you mulch, especially when you live on a really graded piece of land like we do.  First, I had to hoist bags of mulch that weighed about fifty pounds each into the wheel barrow, then wheel them down fifty feet or more to the garden beds, then I had to spread the mulch shovel full by shovel full.

I was beat!  I’m hoping I really burned a lot of calories because I feel famished and I also feel like I could take a nap after the four hours outdoors!  Welcome SPRING!!! I’m so glad you’re here. It was great to get outside and get a natural workout with some cardio and muscle work in and also feel a huge sense of accomplishment when I’m done.

I will say, there is nothing more peaceful that yard work once you get into it, and the feeling of gratification knowing that you did something to make your yard look beautiful is really the best part.  Oh, and the calories burned and muscles worked. Except now I think I may need an Aleve for my back