|
MBT Voucher
***To purchase a pair of MBTs in the UK at a discounted rate (only for Wholistic readers) then simply print this 15% off MBTs voucher and head along to your nearest Sweaty Betty store (RRP £125) (www.sweatybetty.com ).
 Sweaty Betty are an incredibly funky active womenswear company stocking MBTs for women (but also stock a few unisex styles that men can also comfortably fit with their wider feet). Offer expires 31 March 2007.
“MBTs”
Too busy to make it to the gym? Could your body do with a bit of firming?! Lower limbs need strengthening? Do your hips, knees or back ache?
Then please allow me to introduce you to a simply awesome product which aids in answering all these questions and a few more: a shoe!! A shoe named ‘MBT’, standing for: Masai Barefoot Technology.
Seriously though, this is a gym in a shoe. For clients and friends whose busy lives simply do not allow time to exercise, I have recommended these shoes as incidental exercise is their only ammunition for good health.
Recently my Mum arrived in London and within days she was equipped with a pair. I received a text message upon her safe return to New Zealand, saying she wears them almost everyday. (I unfortunately didn’t have as much luck with my Dad, but I’m sure he’ll see the light with a little time!)
The Stats:
It’s all about instability, core conditioning. Our bodies have lost the benefits of unstable environments offered from natural grounds. Due to the artificial concrete jungle we’ve created, our bodies are not challenged as much to keep them in good shape. In health clubs thankfully it is becoming increasingly common to see the focus upon training shift to Neural control - recruiting the right muscle fibres in the right order to stabilise the body
Invented by Karl Muller, a Swiss engineer, who found he could relieve his constant back ache by walking barefoot through paddy fields in South Korea. This gave him the insight and understanding into the fundamental importance of instability to postural health. He next began to study the Masai warriors, a semi-nomadic tribe from East Africa, who despite their incredible height were able to walk vast distances each day with perfect posture whilst barefoot upon natural ground.
I first encountered MBTs when a phenomenal client became too curious about them, and consequently bought me a pair to research them for her. Convinced they were a gimmick, I don’t think I would have ever bought them until …. well …. when everybody else had them on their feet… until it had passed a critical level in thinking and had become a ‘sure thing’ - safety in numbers!
“Wear them an hour a day for the first week until your body becomes accustomed to wearing them” you are warned.
For the first hour on the first day, it was a rather intense situation. A lifetime of walking challenged. Your balance is severely tested: your ankles, legs and glutes (backside) muscles bare the brunt of this new altered walking surface. Your obliques (abdominal muscles responsible for twisting movements) and deep pelvic muscles engage, the spine also lengthens to balance more effectively on the masai sensor.
Oh! How we laughed!! The oddest sensation!
After exhausting Hyde Park it was with delight that two muscles were beginning to let their presence be well known to me: gluteous minimus and medius (muscles of the backside often overshadowed by the more dominant gluteous maximus). Wahoo!! MBTs had certainly grabbed my attention.
Now, my friends may argue… but I definitely feel that MBTs lift your backside!
I noticed this fairly much immediately, honest! Infact I was so impressed that I went to the MBT Academy to become an MBT trainer………
….. and from there to establishing a sweatyBetty MBT walking club And with the emergence of the spring flowers we kick off again AFTER EASTER - 17 April!!! Tuesday nights 6:30pm SweatyBetty - Kings Rd, Chelsea SW3 (www.sweatybetty.com) we roll away along the Thames and exercise through Battersea Park - The sessions are FREE!! ***
I recommend that you try to make it along to at least one session, or consult an MBT trainer to ensure that you are using the MBTs correctly and reaping the maximum benefits the shoes can offer.
- MBT also operate a London Walks series: Sundays from 11am to 12pm in Hyde Park led by Alissa Twisk www.mbt-uk.com MBTs – the Nitty Gritty
Only those who have been trained by the MBT crew are able to sell MBTs. It is paramount that the shoes are fitted correctly. The seller is often pretty stern about getting the fit right: and more often than not, half a size lower is needed to ensure a snug fit, avoiding slipping at the heel. The MBT company do not allow the shoes to be sold over the internet as the correct fitting of the shoe is vital and has to be done in person.
1. The laces must be securely fastened so that the heel doesn’t slip and the shoe can concentrate upon rolling through
2. Protection of the Masai sensor – ensure that it doesn’t become wet (ie. Avoid big puddles and placing in washing machine – clean by wiping shoe down.)
Although they have been on the market for a decade now, MBTs are still in their infancy and are only yet available in certain countries around the world.
(see www.swissmasai.com to view the current collection and for updates as to just where in the world they are now).
Finally……..
- There are the beginnings of a vegan shoe. ‘The M shoe’ is the only style that does not have any leather, but the MBT crew have been unable to ascertain from Switzerland if there are any animal products used in the production eg. glue
- MBT are not yet registered as Fair Trade
|