HEALTML
HEALTH
How To Choose
t• Athletic Shoes
4
WILLIAM DEBELLES COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
C
hoices, choices, choices!
Air this, Shaq that, gel
here, pressurized gas
there. How does the aver-
age Joe without a degree in bio-
mechanics figure out what
athletic shoe to buy?
The decision-making process
can actually be reduced to two
simple steps.
Step 1: What will you be doing
in your shoes? The beauty of to-
day's highly specialized shoe mar-
ket is that you can fmd a shoe
that is precisely designed for al-
most every athletic activity. The
benefits to the consumer are in-
creased comfort and less chance
of injury.
Step 2: As a political strategist
might say, "It's the fit, stupid."
Try on lots of different models
and pick the one that best fits
your foot.
High Fashion
Athletic shoes are not only
functional; they're frequently
fashionable. Converse and Puma
are two companies that have ag-
gressively pursued this market.
Puma has re-released the suede
"Clyde" and leather "Basket"
models that were originally pop-
ular in the early 1970s, while the
classic Converse Chuck Taylor
basketball sneaker is an urban
style-setter, coming in many ex-
otic designs.
Aerobics
If you take aerobics classes
twice a week, you should defi-
nitely purchase specially de-
signed aerobic shoes (Avia,
Brooks and Reebok are the in-
dustry leaders). Wide-heeled run-
ning shoes will trip you up, and
cross-trainers don't have enough
cushioning. When choosing an
For Joggers
aerobics shoe, look for lateral sup-
For $70 to $120 you can fmd a port and a smooth area on the
stable, well-cushioned running balls of your feet for pivoting.
shoe that will be perfect for your
foot. Now you can buy models Walking
that prevent supination (shoe
Yes, walking. Research has
tends to wear on the outside of
the sole) or overpronation (foot shown that walkers need shoes
with lower heels than runners
rolls in too much).
Even if you're not going to buy (Nike Air HealthWalker Plus),
running shoes, you should walk while race walkers need a thin-
into the running section and pick ner, more flexible midsole
up one of today's high-tech spe- (Reebok Limbo). El
cials — their lightness (as low as
11 ounces for the Asics Gel-Ex-
ult) will amaze you.
In Your Face
Basketball shoe prices are very
steep, but there are always dis-
counts on the previous year's
models. The new king of the mar-
keting hill, the Reebok Shaq At-
tack was actually the worst
performer in a Zillions magazine
performance test of evaporation
rate and weight.
Despite Michael Jordan's re-
tirement, Nike still features Air
Jordans at the top of their bas-
ketball line. New York Knicks su-
perstar Patrick Ewing has his
own company (Ewing Athletic)
and sells his shoes at more af-
fordable prices.
Cross Trainers
Cross-trainers make sense if
you mix up your workouts. How-
ever, if you spend more than half
your time doing one particular ac-
tivity, you are better off just get-
ting the shoe designed for that
particular pursuit. Cross-train-
ers usually feature great lateral
support but don't have the cush-
ioning and stability of the sport-
specific models.
-
Who Sweats
Most?
Fun For Kids
Playing-it-safe games.
By Ruth Littmann and
Michael Fleishman
9
How I Stay Fit
Secrets to great bods.
By Ruth Littmann Section Editor
I 0
Coping
Dedicated spouses get involved.
By Ruth Littman Section Editor
12
Over Hill, Over Trail
Tips for smart mountain biking.
By Jennifer Finer Staff Writer
A
I
Genes Over Internet
Researcher tracks down kin.
By Jim Pfeifer and Ruth Littmann
32
You might think that a couch
potato will start sweating the
minute he starts exercising, but
research shows that fit people ac-
tually start sweating faster than
their sedentary counterparts.
Women take longer to start
sweating than men.
Sick Buildings
Office buildings with poor indoor
air quality cause flu symptoms in
50 million people each year, ac-
cording to Working Woman mag-
azine , costing $15 billion in visits
to the doctor. Headaches and fa-
tigue are common signs of poor
air quality.
Who Works
On What
Hate your thighs? Take comfort
in the fact that supermodel Cindy
Crawford also has to concentrate
on her thighs and tush, accord-
ing to Fitness magazine.
Pet Health
Local animals speak up.
By Furry Critters
Volunteers Give Back 18 • Help for Allergy Sufferers 26
Antioxidants 30 • A New Center for Geriatric Studies 36
As A Matter Of Fact
Health matters.
It must.
Here's a challenge for 1995: Show me one person who doesn't include
something health-related on his or her list of New Year's resolutions.
Lose weight. Jog daily. Quit smoking. Pump iron. Get that mammogram.
Take those vitamins.
Sick or healthy, you know health issues are issues that matter to everybody. So enjoy this special
supplement to The Jewish News, and have a healthy, happy 1995.
Ruth Littmann, Section Editor