"脚部锻炼鞋"热销英国 闲逛也可练美腿

    The Daily Telegraph reported on October 14 that a kind of "gym on your feet" footwear is flooding the mareket, which could tone up your legs and bum¹ without having to resort to endless lunges and squats²。
    It all started with MBTs (Masai Barefoot Technology)， the chunky "anti-shoe". Research showed that the rolling action of the soles really could relieve back, neck and joint³ pain for many people and – as an added bonus – they helped to tone the lower body and burn more calories。
    Then FitFlops swept the UK with their funky⁴ sandals, furry⁵ boots and, new for this autumn, a fabulous⁶ platinum⁷ sneaker. Studies at the Centre for Human Performance at the London South Bank University showed that normal walking in the sandals increased leg, calf⁸ and gluteal muscle activity and improved posture⁹ and muscle tone。
    The key lies in the soles – two rounded balance pods underneath¹⁰ the heel that create a slight instability with each step that forces your muscles to work harder to adapt. It’s a bit like walking on uneven¹¹ sand. Reebok says this increases muscle activity in the glutes by 28 percent and in the calves¹² and hamstrings by 11 percent。
    However, these forms of functional¹³ footwear aren’t multi-purpose; even the EasyTone trainers are limited in their use. Because of their inherent instability they are not recommended for running, aerobics¹⁴ or playing sports。
    Strength coach Michael Pellegrino also sounds a note of caution. "There is no substitute for real exercise and you should always choose footwear that is supportive to the feet and ankles," he says. He approves of MBTs as they "teach good posture and core control" but is unconvinced by the others. "They are gimmicks," he says. "They do make muscles work harder but not necessarily in a good way."据英国《每日电讯报》10月14日报道，一种新型“脚部锻炼鞋”正在市场上热销，穿上这种鞋子，无需再去进行无止尽的深蹲锻炼，只需闲逛就可以拉长腿部线条。
    这种鞋子来源于马赛赤脚科技，一种笨拙的“反常规鞋”。研究表明，对于大部分人来说，这种左右移动的鞋跟可以缓解背部、脖子和关节处疼痛。另外，它们还可以让矮小者“变高”，燃烧更多的热量。
    FitFlops鞋充斥整个英国，它们有普通的凉鞋、毛茸茸的靴子，今年秋天，还有一款新式亮闪闪的镶铂金鞋上市。伦敦南岸大学人类工作效率研究中心研究表明，穿着凉鞋正常走路可以增加腿部、小腿和臀部肌肉的活动，改善人们姿态和提高肌肉张力。
    鞋子的关键在鞋底，在鞋后跟下安置两个圆形掌子，人们穿上鞋后走路就会产生轻微的不平衡，这样人们就要努力调节肌肉使其尽快适应， 就像行走在不平的沙滩上。锐步鞋声称说这种鞋可以使臀大肌活动增加28%，小腿和腿筋活动增加11%。
    但是，这些功能性的鞋子不是多用途的。就连EasyTone 运动鞋的用途也被限制在一定范围内。因为这些鞋子存在固有的不稳定性，专家建议不要穿着它们进行跑步、健身操等运动。
    体能教练迈克尔?佩莱格里诺也给出忠告。他说：“没有什么可以成为运动的替代品。你们应该选择支持脚和脚踝的鞋子。”他称赞马赛赤脚技术鞋“支持力集中，可以塑性”，但是并不是适应所有人。他说：“这种鞋就是‘噱头’, 它们尽力使肌肉进行活动，但不一定是好方法。”

1 bum   

n.臀部；流浪汉，乞丐；vt.乞求，乞讨

参考例句：

• A man pinched her bum on the train so she hit him.在火车上有人捏她屁股，她打了那人。
• The penniless man had to bum a ride home.那个身无分文的人只好乞求搭车回家。

2 squats   

n.蹲坐，蹲姿( squat的名词复数 )；被擅自占用的建筑物v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的第三人称单数 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。

参考例句：

• The square squats in the centre of the city. 广场位于市中心。 来自互联网
• Various squats, lunges, jumps and sprints are incorporated for the humans. 主人们还要进行下蹲、弓步、跳跃和短跑等各项训练。 来自互联网

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 funky   

adj.畏缩的，怯懦的，霉臭的；adj.新式的，时髦的

参考例句：

• The kitchen smelled really funky.这个厨房有一股霉味。
• It is a funky restaurant with very interesting art on the walls.那是一家墙上挂着很有意思的绘画的新潮餐馆。

5 furry   

adj.毛皮的；似毛皮的；毛皮制的

参考例句：

• This furry material will make a warm coat for the winter.这件毛皮料在冬天会是一件保暖的大衣。
• Mugsy is a big furry brown dog,who wiggles when she is happy.马格斯是一只棕色大长毛狗，当她高兴得时候她会摇尾巴。

6 fabulous   

adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的

参考例句：

• We had a fabulous time at the party.我们在晚会上玩得很痛快。
• This is a fabulous sum of money.这是一笔巨款。

7 platinum   

n.白金

参考例句：

• I'll give her a platinum ring.我打算送给她一枚白金戒指。
• Platinum exceeds gold in value.白金的价值高于黄金。

8 calf   

n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮

参考例句：

• The cow slinked its calf.那头母牛早产了一头小牛犊。
• The calf blared for its mother.牛犊哞哞地高声叫喊找妈妈。

9 posture   

n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势

参考例句：

• The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。
• He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣，摆出一副打架的架势。

10 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

11 uneven   

adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的

参考例句：

• The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
• The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。

12 calves   

n.(calf的复数)笨拙的男子，腓；腿肚子( calf的名词复数 )；牛犊；腓；小腿肚v.生小牛( calve的第三人称单数 )；（冰川）崩解；生（小牛等），产（犊）；使（冰川）崩解

参考例句：

• a cow suckling her calves 给小牛吃奶的母牛
• The calves are grazed intensively during their first season. 小牛在生长的第一季里集中喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 functional   

adj.为实用而设计的，具备功能的，起作用的

参考例句：

• The telephone was out of order,but is functional now.电话刚才坏了，但现在可以用了。
• The furniture is not fancy,just functional.这些家具不是摆着好看的，只是为了实用。

14 aerobics   

n.健身操，健美操，韵律操

参考例句：

• Doing aerobics is a good way to improve one's health.做有氧健身操是改善健康状况的一个好方法。
• Aren't you going to the aerobics class this morning?今天上午你不是去上有氧运动课吗？