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health problems

Most of us shudder at the thought of having to give up our favourite pair of heels.

The perfect pair of skyscrapers can make or break any outfit, but just how much of our health are we sacrificing for foot fashion?

Studies have shown that towering tootsies can take their toll on your spine, hips, knees, ankles and feet, while even altering your posture and gait.

Here’s how high heels affect different parts of your body and why it may be something you won’t stand for anymore.

Feet
The higher the heel, the bigger the impact. Normally, your feet act like weight-distributing shock absorbers, cushioning your skeleton from the intense, daily amount of pounding. However, one study found that four-inch stilettos can raise the amount of pressure on the front of the foot by 30 percent or more. Ouch!

Ankles and calves
Wearing heels forces your ankles to bend forward, a movement that could restrict circulation in your lower limbs. If you’re a regular heel wearer, this could eventually spell spider veins.

Back
In order to strut around in heels, your spine needs to sway unnaturally, a process that stresses your lumbar erector spinae muscle and in time this could result in a weak and painful lower back.

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Experts estimate that more than 80% of women are wearing the wrong size bra.

While we’ll spend whole afternoons browsing for the bra that’ll bring out the Kelly Brook in us, we don’t pay as much attention to getting the right fit.

But wearing a badly fitted bra can actually make you ill, leading to headaches, neck pain, poor circulation and skin and even breathing problems. A badly fitted bra will also affect your posture in a bad way.

Your breasts change throughout your life, so be sure to get fitted for the correct bra every six months. The average woman changes bra sizes six times in her life, due to changes such as hormones, weight loss or gain, pregnancy or exercise.

With a perfect fitted bra, the breasts are supported from underneath and not from the shoulder straps. This way it will be almost no pressure on the shoulders.

Most lingerie departments have bra-fitting specialists who can measure you on request. A bra should lie firmly against the rib cage. 90 percent of a bra’s support comes from a firm band. A 10 percent loss or gain or in weight usually equals a change in one cup size. A bra should be level front to back across the bodice.

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