High heels have their place and the gym isn't typically it. That is unless you live in Los Angeles, where former "So You Think You Can Dance" contestant Kamilah Barrett is bringing heels and healthy living together under one roof.
Get into heel hop, a workout routine not unlike what many of us (read: New Yorkers) endure everyday. According to the Associated Press' Nyia Hawkins, the no-impact strengthening workout is designed to teach women to conquer towering heels and feel better about themselves in the process.
Sounds like just the kind of fitness trend the Hollywood set might embrace. (Actresses Tia and Tamera Mowry have been known to join Kamilah's class and celebrity stylist June Ambrose has also touted the trend.)
But heel hop isn't just a wacky, celeb-approved way to get in some time at the gym. "With balance and gait, the core, the glutes, the buttocks muscles, the legs -- all of these need to be strong and they need to have stability," chiropractor Nick Campos told the Associated Press. "Sometimes you see women walking in heels and they seem a little shaky, this workout will help."
The typical heel hop program begins on a yoga mat with a round of sit-ups to strengthen the core, according to Wall Street Journal reporter Erica E. Phillips, who sat in on a class.
In a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology last year, researchers found that regular high heel use can lead to muscle damage and even permanent changes in the structure of the foot. But according to Barrett, her heel hop routine reconditions the muscles used in heels, ultimately reducing the potential for damage.
Take a look at how Barrett does it in the video above and tell us what's the craziest workout you've ever tried in the comments section below.
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