There are millions of training regimes and diets to get fit and firm yourself up, most of which involve changing your lifestyle, joining a gym or taking time out of your day to engage in some form of activity.
They seem too good to be true; you can exercise the same amount or simply walk around and your legs and behind get a workout that would usually take hours a day at the gym. But do they actually work or is this all just some marketing campaign? A team of scientists with backgrounds in exercise, sport and physiology at the University of Wisconsin conducted a study to test the claims on each of the shoes.
The sports giant claim the shoe creates a smaller, more unstable surface area which is significant enough to activate muscles without impacting the way you move or even making you aware. Supposedly your leg and bum muscles will naturally fight to find a balance point and will therefore work your legs and buttocks significantly more than usual.
The trainers are not recommended for normal sports such as tennis or netball due to their lack of lateral support, which is fine by us. What they are designed for is everyday use which allows muscle activity to take place during even mundane tasks.
The second group, aged 21 to 27 also went through similar tests and both groups were tested with regular trainers to compare. The initial results were not impressive, using the Reetone trainers did not increase caloric expenditure or heart rate, and the only effects were aching of the muscles.
So if you’re off doing the weekly shop or just walking around the workplace, your legs will be in constant workout. The company commissioned a study to determine how effective the trainers were and the results noted at least an 11% increase in muscle activity in the calves and gluteus during simple activities. However none of the subjects notices a difference in aching or physical exertion.
Consumers have so far gone mad for the Reebok easytone range and there is rumour of further, more casual models to be added to the popular easytone trainers