Swiss engineer Karl Muller was walking barefoot through a paddy field in Korea when he realised that his backache was much better. Curious, he did some further research and learned that the Masai tribesmen of Africa do not seem to suffer from backache. They are also renowned for their excellent posture.

Muller concluded that walking barefoot on soft, yielding ground was significantly better for your back and joints than walking on hard surfaces. He decided to try to come up with a shoe which would mimic the effects of walking in this manner on a soft surface such as sand or grass.

He developed the Masai Barefoot Technology shoe. This is, according to MBT's website, so radically different from traditional footwear as to deserve the name "anti-shoe".

MBT shoes have no heel - they incorporate a specially designed curved sole. When your foot makes contact with the ground, a gentle rolling actions is the result. It's like walking on sand in fact. The sole is constructed using materials of differing densities which further aids in reducing jarring and shocks.

Independent scientific testing has confirmed that this design is genuinely better for both joints and back - and there are further proven benefits. For example, walking in MBT shoes means that the wearer's muscles are used for longer (in comparison with walking in normal footwear). There is about a 16% increase in the duration of muscle activity. There is also a tendency to "walk correctly" and take marginally shorter strides. These effects mean that extra work is performed.

What this means is that each and every step you take when wearing MBT shoes provides you with extra exercise. It's like a lower body workout - but without the need to visit the gym. As well as reducing backache and improving posture, MBT shoes can also help you to tone your legs and reduce the size of your buttocks.

You would think that those benefits would be all the motivation required. However, some people do find MBTS a bit chunky and, dare I say it, a little ugly (beauty is in the eye of the beholder). However, there are now other, more cosmetically appealing, alternatives to choose from if you wish. Skechers Shape Ups and Fitflops both incorporate similar curved soles which will tone and trim your lower body whilst engaged in normal walking activities.

Whatever footwear you opt for, the possibility of reducing backache and joint pain whilst toning and trimming your lower body - just by walking - seems extremely attractive.

Learn more about MBT Shoes and Skechers Shape Ups

Marcia Kilgore, an ex personal trainer found that she didn't have enough time to visit the gym due to her busy lifestyle - so she resolved to do something about it. She developed a range of fitness sandals, shoes and boots together with the London South Bank University (LSBU).

The difference between Fitflops and normal shoes is that Fitflops use a specially engineered curved "microwobbleboard" sole which is divided into three separate sections. Each of these sections uses a materials of different densities in order to create the microwobbleboard effect. The heel section is made from a high density material which absorbs impact when walking. The centre section, from the arch of the foot to just behind the toes, is fabricated from a low density material and the toe section uses a medium density material which help to maintain speed, pace and variation.

This construction style means that, when walking normally, the muscles are in use for a longer period of time. The activity time is prolonged by as much as 16%. This means that you will be toning your legs and trimming down the size of your bittocks with every step you take - even although you're just walking normally.

Just walking in Fitflops can help you to increase calf, leg and buttock muscle activity, improve your posture, achieve better muscle tone and burn calories. As incredible as it may seem, you can trim your legs and buttocks simply by walking about normally - exactly as you would be doing anyway.

Following extensive research and trials at LSBU, Fitflops were launched in the UK in 2006. They were a big hit right from the off and many people had to wait to get their Fitflops. Initially, the range was primarily made up of flipflop type sandals. However, based upon feedback from their customer base, the Fitflop range was enlarged and there is now a wide choice of different colors and styles of sandals, and boots and clogs have been added. Men and women's Fitflop styles are both available and they are now on sale in the USA.

So if, like Marcia Kilgore, you find it hard to make the time to get to the gym, or if you just find it hard to motivate yourself to exercise, then why not think about getting a pair of Fitflops? Just pull them on instead of your normal shoes and walk about normally to get the benefit of exercising your lower body without having to modify your daily routine.

It's easy to workout while you walk. Learn how with Fitflops.