Recent years have given way to much controversy about the negative effects of high heels on your body. Doctors tut when women come to them with back problems, osteopaths sigh, and the health sections of newspapers go all out to warn us about the evils of the stiletto. But are they really that bad? Granted, high heels make your calves a little tender for a couple of days after you’re worn them, and your feet may be slightly sore, but once you wear heels on a regular basis, your body gets used to them – and your calves and feet will be stronger for it.
It is high time someone put a stop to these myths. Some people have already done so: earlier this year, the BBC came out with an article that suggested that high heels can, in fact, have favourable impacts on the body. That is why we shall challenge three pre-existing myths on the stiletto, and will subsequently explore how these can actually benefit the body.
Myth #1: High heels give you back problems. Not necessarily, say senior osteopaths. Only people with predispositions for back problems have a higher probability of getting one – but that doesn’t mean everyone is doomed to injure their back as a result of wearing stilettos. While it has been confirmed that walking on 8-inch heels for extensive periods of time can result in too much pressure being put on the front of the ankles (which leads to postural problems), this can be easily avoided if you take care. Instead of walking on stilettos all day, for instance, travel to work in your trainers and only slip on your heels at the office.
Myth #2: Stilettos create stiffness in the neck and lumbar spine. Not so. Osteopaths say that stiffness has very little to do with the fact that you are wearing high heels, and has everything to do with how you wear them. If you already have a postural problem before slipping on shoes, such as the disposition to tilt backwards slightly, then heels are likely to aggravate the problem as they put pressure on the lower back. However, if you adopt a straight and erect posture before putting on stilettos, then it is very unlikely that you experience any problems. In many cases, high heels have the tendency to correct a woman’s bad posture by forcing them to balance themselves, so stiffness is not a direct result of wearing stilettos.
Myth #3: Heels are not good for your muscles. Again, a false assumption. While some might experience soreness after wearing stilettos too often, this can be avoided as prescribed in Myth #1. A recent study has revealed that, in fact, women who wear high heels have stronger leg and pelvic muscles. As long as there is variation in the shoes you wear every day, you don’t have to worry about overexerting your muscles.
Another interesting discovery about stilettos (as reported by the BCC article) was made by Italian Urologist Dr. Cerruto: wearing high heels can benefit your sex life. Cerruto explains that the pelvic muscles are exercised because stilettos force the foot into a certain angle. Since a women’s pelvic floor functions are essential to her sexual performance, it is comforting to know that this performance might be improve simply by wearing stilettos more often.
No matter what myths you live by, there is always a right solution for you. Many times those extra four inches of self-esteem are just what a woman needs in life. Why take that away? As long as you pay attention to how your body responds, and you assume the correct posture, health and heels can go hand in hand.
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