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