There are a lot of products that are marketed towards walkers and helping them train for their walks; however, there are some that might not be as helpful as you think.

The biggest promises that should not be taken seriously are those from the toning shoe advertisements. The promises the companies make involve toning your buns, losing more calories, and more. If the shoes really did that then fine, the companies should be allowed to market those perks, but the claims have yet to be verified. In fact, in September of 2011, the Federal Trade Commission reached an agreement with Reebok to refund $25 million to those who bought EasyTone or RunTone shoes. Just this month, Skechers agreed to paying back $40 million in refund money for advertising based on unsupported claims.

Toning shoes are just one of the products that many walking experts do not recommend. Another is weighted shoes. Weighted shoes will most likely increase the risk of muscle strain and injury. Wearing heavy shoes is not natural for your body. Ankle weights carry the same caution with them. Try not to over-strain your body by adding weights in places that are unnatural to it. Instead, walk the extra minutes to burn those calories.

Arm weights are something to be cautious about as well. If you are walking for extended periods of time, the weights might strain your elbows, wrists, and shoulders, and they might also throw off your posture. This then leads to backache and neckaches. Maybe this is a time that you should consider doing an extra upper body routine a few times per week instead of trying to multitask. Magnets are a different story. It’s best to avoid buying expensive equipment that you really do not need. Put in the extra time and focus on your efforts to push yourself even harder during your walks instead of adding expensive equipment.