Shoe Smarts Why Gym Workouts Are Actually Bad For Women Who Wear High Heels

If you’re like the millions of fit and successful women out there, you likely strut around in high heels all day and hit the gym for a HIIT workout afterward. But believe it or not, the combination of wearing high heels during the day and sweating it out via the gym or a jog at night isn’t doing your body any favors. In fact, according to Dr. Jacqueline Sutera from City Podiatry in Manhattan, some of the most popular workouts are bad for high heel lovers. 

Why High Heel Fans Should Be Wary Of Exercise

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There’s no denying that physical activity is healthy, and Dr. Sutera doesn’t suggest that busy gals who wear stylish shoes quit working out altogether. Rather, she warns those who are constantly on the go to be careful about what kind of workouts they engage in after a full day spent teetering on heels. 

“[The] combination of wearing heels throughout the day and taking your heels off and slamming your feet at night running, or all these high-impact classes that are very popular right now, that combination sometimes leads to injuries such as stress fractures, tendinitis, heel pain issues, pinched nerves, I can go on and on,” she tells Bravo. “These girls are busy, they don’t want to give up their heels, and they don’t want to give up their workouts.”

Can You Keep Your Heels And Still Stay Fit?

Fortunately, there are ways to balance staying stylish and staying svelte. To minimize potential foot injuries, try exercises with less lower body impact on the days you wear heels for hours on end. Examples include swimming, yoga and Barre classes — all of which fit well into most fitness plans with the added bonus of keeping your workout routine fresh.

Meanwhile, while most podiatrists agree that wearing high heels on the reg is a no-no, they also concede that there are exercises that can help strengthen the feet so that wearing heels isn’t as stressful to your soles and toes as usual. If you regularly wear heels, sandals and other unsupportive shoes, then try these FIVE FOOT EXERCISES to keep your feet in tip-top shape and avoid painful stress and injuries.

And speaking of working all day, here's why experts say the man in your life should avoid brown shoes if he's angling for a power position.