The things we do for beauty. While we all know the pain that comes with wearing high heels, a new study shows that women who wear them often may experience anatomical changes in their legs, too. Researchers studied women who wore heels at least two inches high for an average of 60 hours per week. They found that they had shorter calf muscle fibers and stiffer Achilles tendons compared to women who almost always wear flats. Marco Narici, professor of physiology at the Institute for Biomedical Research Into Human Movement and Health at Manchester Metropolitan University says these changes cause the ankle joint to have a smaller range of motion and make flat shoes less comfortable. “You can counter the effect by stretching your calves daily,” he says. “Stand on tiptoes on a step, go down slowly, and rise again ten times.”
Beauty Tip: If you want to keep your calves looking long and lanky, and still wear high heels, you need to stretch daily.
