21 February,2021 06:25 AM IST | China | Agencies
Zhang, identified only by his first name, claims that the iron shoe has not only strengthened his muscles and leg bones, but has also improved his blood circulation
A 42-year-old man from Yulin City, in China has been training in the art of "iron shoes" for the last five months. Inspired by several news reports that state the benefits of people walking with heavy weights attached to their feet, Zhang, identified only by his first name, decided to try it for himself. He began by attaching one steel plate, weighing around 18.75 kg to each of his feet and trying to take a few steps with it. Today, he can walk around with four of these heavy plates attached to each foot, and they together weigh 150 kg.
Before starting his iron shoe training, Zhang fastens the iron blocks to his feet using thick belts. When he walks he also does tai chi, for a more complete workout. Despite quadrupling the weight on each foot, he is still able to lift his feet 2 cm off the ground, and advance up to 20 cm with each step. He claims that the iron shoe has not only strengthened his muscles and leg bones, but has also improved his blood circulation, keeping his joints healthy. However, experts claim that this sort of exercise has its risks. Deputy Chief Physician of Yulin Integrated Orthopedic Hospital, Liang Zhou cautions that since everyone's bone make-up is different, walking with heavy iron shoes could cause serious injuries.
150 kg
Weight of steel blocks attached to his feet
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