Personal Review: Skecher's Shape Ups

Do you see the ads for Skecher's Shape Ups and wonder if they really work? I'll tell you my experience.

But first I must note that this is totally my personal review, my own opinion. Skecher's in no measure has compensated me for this review of their shoes. In fact, they don't even know I exist.

I saw the ads. I was curious. I saw more ads. I even went online and watched their five minute infomercial (which you can see on this page if you scroll down). I put them on my short Christmas Wish List: Shape Ups or money to buy Shape Ups.

Superman was born two days after Christmas, so even though I got some money to purchase my Shape Ups, I didn't get around to it until about 6 weeks postpartum. At that point, I was really eager to try them out... just to see what wonders they would work on my out-of-shape-self. Because of Superman's transverse position and the trouble that caused my hips, it had been four months since I exercised last!

I ended up ordering a pair off Ebay... gotta love discounts! And when they came I eagerly laced them up. At that point, six weeks postpartum with a very slow recovery, it was my tendency to walk and stand hunched over. My fifth pregnancy and the cesarean left my abdominal muscles weak, to say the least. It was just hard to stand up tall. Do you know what I mean?

I wasn't ready for full blown exercise at that point, but the Shape Ups really helped my posture. I wore them around the house and as I was working in the kitchen. And I really noticed how they caused me to stand straight and tall. Correspondingly, they worked on tightening my core muscles... which is just what I needed.

The shoes came with a DVD of two workouts. The fifteen minute workout was great for getting used to the shoes and doing some easy-to-moderate strengthening exercises. I couldn't do much more than that when I first started back into an exercise routine. I have also tried the thirty minute workout a few times. It is a true workout... I was sore the first time for sure!

I don't think I noticed a big difference in muscle strength and tone until I started wearing them on my morning exercise walks. We walk at a brisk pace and there are a few big hills on our route. It is a good workout even in regular shoes. But with my Shape Ups on I really, really observed (and felt!) how different they were then my regular sneakers. They truly give a good workout! And, since I only have 30 minutes to walk, I need every step to count. 

So the ads say that Shape Ups "tone your muscles, promote healthy weight loss, and make it easy to get in shape!" I would have to agree that they tone muscles.I've seen my legs and backside shape up. And I would add that they improve posture. Even though I don't wear my Shape Ups all day, my posture is improved throughout the day. 

I would recommend Shape Ups... I think they really are different than regular sneakers... just like the ads say. What do you think? Have you tried Shape Ups? If so, how do you exercise in them? Do you like them?  

Get In Shape, Girl!

You do remember that commercial jingle, don't you? Or, does that completely date my decade?



Anyway... I am now ten weeks postpartum. Here is a picture of The New Little Guy on his two month birthday. Pretty cute, huh?




See his bib? Well, he almost always wears one. Because he spews like a volcano! (Thankfully, it is getting better.) And most of the time, unlike in this photo, his bib migrates around to his back so it resembles a cape. All that to say, he has earned a blog name. He is the caped wonder: Superman. The perfect sidekick for our dear Spiderman. Although, we did wonder if we should rename the boys Tornado and Volcano...

On to my subject for today: Getting in Shape... whether you are, like me, getting back into shape or whether you are just beginning a habit of exercise.

It has been over three months since I have exercised. And that is just way too long! I mentioned before that Superman preferred to lie transverse in the womb. This put incredible stress on my hips and made it impossible to exercise without ruining my mobility for the rest of the day. Then, there was the cesarean recovery... And now, it is time. I can tell that the "idle months" have negatively effected my posture, my stamina and my muscle tone. It is time. I know I will feel more vitality and strength once I get started.

Although, I am not ready to jump directly back into my old routine. My old plan is too intense for my recovering core muscles. Eventually, I'll get back to that plan. But I've gotta start somewhere!

I've been searching online to find some more moderate core exercises to get me started. I know me, and I know that without a plan, I will not be consistent. And without being consistent, I will not see results.

After looking at WAAAAAYYYY too many sites, I found this program to be the most realistically helpful. Technically, it is a postpartum program. But I think it would be beneficial for anyone jumping into an exercise routine. Start at the top and find out where on the progression you need to begin your program.

Remember, a strong core is so important. Your balance, posture, agility and range of motion all depend on your core muscles. Whether you start with these exercises or with a more advanced program, make time *almost* every day for strengthening your back and abdominal muscles.

In addition to the core exercises, I am going to work up to doing intervals on my elliptical machine again. I would love to be outside walking! But, the weather and daylight don't permit that quite yet. I am very much looking forward to it though!

With my nights still quite unpredictable, I don't know how many mornings I'll be able to follow the plan. But I am starting small, with just 15 or 20 minutes of workout time. Hopefully I will find three or four mornings a week for fitness. What about you? What are your exercise goals? Do you have a good routine? Please share what works for you in the comments!

Bodyweight Exercises for Women

I have hesitated to write a post on this topic, but it seems to address the concerns of many women who, like myself, are fighting the not-so-slimming effects of multiple pregnancies.


Why do I hesitate? There are only a handful of Bodyweight Training Programs out there. And they all seem to have the same claim-based, immodest-model-driven marketing scheme, to which I'm not entirely favorable. Nonetheless, I'm going to tell you the program I use. It's Eddie Baran's Bodyweight Exercises for Women. Please keep in mind my disclaimer about the marketing style.


I post this because I know from experience that Bodyweight Exercises really do work. In fact, it has been my experience that they strengthen muscles, increase flexibility and tone a body without bulking up size. And they don't take a lot of time. Isn't that what we are all looking for?


I alternate Bodyweight Exercises with interval training for a complete exercise program. (I do modify this slightly during pregnancy.) Every other day, I do Eddie Baran's Fab Five exercises, plus a small selection of others from his book. The entire routine takes about twenty minutes and it does the job.


So, for what it's worth, if you dare to endure the marketing, please check out the above link. I hope it will benefit you as much as it has me.

Exercise That Works

I enjoy exercise. Especially if I notice that it makes a difference in my waistline. You know, after four babies, I need something effective. But not all exercise is effective.

A few years ago, I began to cull some evidence that the slow and steady workouts I had been spending my time on were not as efficient as a shorter interval workout. Efficient in terms of fat burning and muscle toning. I also read an article that described how the long, slow, steady workouts were not as beneficial in keeping our heart muscle functioning at top notch.

The research showed that during a slow and steady workout, such as a walk or a jog or a session on the elliptical machine, our metabolisms will start to "preserve" energy by slowing down. This is the exact opposite of what we are trying to achieve. We want to burn more calories and more fat, not keep it. But, in a long, slow workout, our bodies prepare for a marathon and keep the energy for what might come. I guess they just don't understand that we will stop after 45 minutes or so.

However, when we put our body through interval training - where we mix short bursts of maximum exertion with periods of active rest - we keep burning fat and calories at a peak rate. This type of interval training also keeps our heart muscle working at its peak potential.

I have used this type of training for a few years. It has been a good use of my time. Instead of 45 minutes, I exercise 25 and get even better results. I have even seen interval training exercise dvds put out by some of the biggest names in exercise. These workouts are usually 20 minutes plus the warm up and cool down. Sounds good, huh?

If you don't use exercise equipment or dvds, you can still work this exercise theory into your running or your walking. You can time yourself for two minute bursts of maximum effort and equal active rest times to let your heart settle back into a steady rhythm. The goal would be to work up to three minute fast intervals with two minute rests. Just walk or jog at a slower pace during your recovery time.

You could even change things up by alternating fast and slow songs on an ipod. It doesn't have to be meticulously methodical... the key is just to vary up your exercise intensity. Keep your body guessing. It will do your metabolism good.