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Nike created a phenomenon back in the 70s: the crazy for running shoes. Since that time, the running shoe industry has exploded to become a $20 billion industry.

And they don’t want you to know that studies show running shoes are causing more stress on the body and injuries than they are preventing.

According to Dr Daniel Lieberman, professor of biological anthropology at Harvard University: ‘A lot of foot and knee injuries currently plaguing us are caused by people running with shoes that actually make our feet weak, cause us to over-pronate (ankle rotation) and give us knee problems.

‘Until 1972, when the modern athletic shoe was invented, people ran in very thin-soled shoes, had strong feet and had a much lower incidence of knee injuries.’

His isn’t the only researcher and coach to note that things have gotten worse, not better.

‘We used to run in canvas shoes,’ a coach was quoted as saying. ‘We didn’t get plantar fasciitis (pain under the heel); we didn’t pronate or supinate (land on the edge of the foot); we might have lost a bit of skin from the rough canvas when we were running marathons, but generally we didn’t have foot problems. ‘Paying several hundred dollars for the latest in hi-tech running shoes is no guarantee you’ll avoid any of these injuries and can even guarantee that you will suffer from them in one form or another. Shoes that let your foot function like you’re barefoot – they’re the shoes for me.’

The Shoes are to Blame

Research has discovered that it isn’t the body but the expensive shoes that are causing more injuries:

Runners in shoes that cost more than $95 were more than twice as likely to get hurt as runners in shoes that cost less than $40.

What a cruel joke: for double the price, you get double the pain. Stanford coach Vin Lananna had already spotted the same phenomenon.’I once ordered highend shoes for the team and within two weeks we had more plantar fasciitis and Achilles problems than I’d ever seen. So I sent them back. Ever since then, I’ve always ordered low-end shoes. It’s not because I’m cheap. It’s because I’m in the business of making athletes run fast and stay healthy.’

Read the painful truth – that human beings were meant to run barefoot – in this excellent article at www.bushwalking.org.au/.

There are many workout options available to burn off excess calories, but the best activity for you is doing something you not only enjoy but look forward to doing three to five days a week for at least 30 to 60 minutes.

Let’s take a look at the top three calorie burning exercises.

1. Running: the high-caliber calorie blaster

Running remains the elite of all the cardio exercises and it’s excellent for weight loss. If you are a 150-lb person and can run a 9-minute mile you can potentially burn calories at a rate up to 780 calories per hour. (A burn rate is measure of the number of calories per minute, per pound of body weight that a physical activity expends.) Since we are all unique the number of calories you actually burn off is hard to gauge and it will depend on several factors—first and foremost of which is your weight and the intensity level you exercise at. Cross-country and road running require a good deal of aerobic fitness, as well as anaerobic conditioning for hill climbs. Dedicated runners and casual jogging mortals like to set weekly distance goals to challenge themselves although they don’t need more motivation other than their love of running.

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A regularly scheduled workout will help keep you motivated and stay on track in your weight maintenance program.

Have you ever wondered how is it that some people never have to be pushed to go out for an early morning run? You can call them fitness freaks, but for them, exercise has become second-nature: they love it, crave it, and wouldn’t miss a daily walk, run, swim or bike ride anymore than they’d forget to brush their teeth or go to work.

By adopting a regular schedule of a calorie burning activity you love, you’ll have all the motivation you need. People who are intrinsically motivated enjoy keeping fit and active because they pursue exercise for its own sake and that helps them get something out of each and every workout.

It’s the same type of passion people apply to their hobbies. Go for a bike ride or a walk—and do it regularly—and you’ll have no problem getting rid of the extra calories you’ve been storing as fat.

Low-impact workouts such as walking are great calorie burners and muscle builders. Walking remains the most popular activity du jour for people who need to start a diet and exercise program to lose weight.

Walkers may seem exercise-adverse to those who pursue more physically challenging activities but walkers intrinsically know the simple secret to calorie burning: stay in motion.

Aside from a good pair of shoes with cushioned support, it won’t cost you anything to go for a walk. Do it daily or at least 5 times a week.

Follow a Simple Routine

Keep your walking gait at a moderate pace of at least 3 1/2 miles per hour, or pick up the pace and do a brisk walk of about 4 mph. You won’t break into much of a sweat or get your heart rate up as much as other cardio exercises, but calories are burned at every intensity level and walking (or hiking) gets the job done. The popular “10,000 steps per day” walking program is designed with a goal of doing 5 miles per day, which is an excellent target. Each 2000-2500 steps covers a mile, and each mile you walk will burn about 100 calories.

If you can’t lift or do ellipticals, swim or ride a bike, walking is an excellent and easy way to burn calories. It’s also inexpensive!

Fitness swimming offers the best aerobic workout with the least amount of joint stress or impact. Pool rats admit to having trouble some days getting up for a workout—but once they jump in the water and get a rush by pushing off the wall and gliding underwater they remember what it is they love about swimming. Depending on your pace, the freestyle and breast strokes will burn up about 570 calories per hour, while a strenuous workout can zap up to 790 calories per hour.

A word of warning though: appetite is partially regulated by body temperature control and since water cools the body much faster than air, studies show that fitness swimming in cold water tends to trigger appetite. So if you feel famished after swimming, consider eating a small protein snack rather than a big meal. You don’t want to wolf down the calories you just spent an hour burning off in the pool.

If you are a non-swimmer, or love the water but aren’t into doing laps, consider joining a water aerobics class where the resistance of the water provides a gentle but effective cardio workout. An aquacise class has great music that everyone enjoys—and you don’t even have to get your hair wet!