I have a penchant for high heels.  Several years ago, I bought a pair of very high and very narrow stiletto-heeled boots.  My girlfriends endearingly called them my “break your neck boots”.  But these boots were hot – and even though I had a difficult time navigating in my B.Y.N.B., I wore them every chance I got.

Well one evening my boyfriend (now husband of 7 years) wanted to go to Game Works for our date.  Ok, fine.  They have a bar there, I could at least have a Cosmo while I was watching my boyfriend play skee ball.  So with my eternal desire to look stylish, I wore the B.Y.N.B.

A funny thing happened on the way to the bathroom at Game Works…I fell down the stairs.

The very long point on the end of my size 10 foot caught as I was going down the stairs.  I felt a little like Carrie did when she tumbled down during her stint as a runway model.  Then, like Carrie, I picked myself up – wounded pride and all – and walked to the bathroom.  (But to this day, I still swear I saw two women pointing and giggling at me after my fall).

I have since retired that pair of B.Y.N.B., but I certainly could have used the help of Rosalind Neilen and her High Heel Workout.  Her unique class began in October 2008 and was inspired by the new crop of even higher “break your neck shoes”.  Not even the poor models can walk in some of these masochistic sky scraper heels.

With added inspiration from a terrified client who was preparing to walk in a wedding, Rosalind set out to marry two of her favorite things: high heels and exercise.  When I asked her the obvious question, “how do you exercise in high heels?”  It turns out that this was the paramount question on her new participant’s minds, too.

According to Rosalind, “the first 10 minutes [of class] are dedicated to helping you feel comfortable in walking, strutting and grooving in your heels.”  To get the ladies in the mood, (there are no male participants yet, but she said “DIVAS are welcome!!!”) she plays upbeat music and encourages movements like, “how to walk like a model, how to pivot and turn with a drink in your hand” and her favorite, “how to strut like DIVA”.

“Controlled bending squats and simple dance moves are designed to get the body ready for the next 20 minutes of intense legwork”, says Neilen.  Lest you worry about a full workout in your stilettos, after the 10-minute warm up, the ladies change back into their sneakers.

A new recruit to the HHW, Anabella Seguro-Motto said, “This was my first time taking Rosalind’s High Heel Workout class and it won’t be the last. I felt sore in places I haven’t felt in a long time. It was so much fun and a great break from the regular routine!!”

Glenda Toney, Rosalind’s first ever participant and “Star Pupil” (she beat Rosalind in a walk-off the very first class) agrees, “It first of all is great fun and it is one of the best cardio workouts. It also helps with your balance and your posture as well as toning of the leg and core muscles.”

Unfortunately, Rosalind and her HHW is only available in Florida, but I would venture to guess that with all the positive feedback and interest that she has gotten, it wouldn’t surprise me if we saw a High Heel Workout video someday.  But for those of us whom do not have access to her class, I asked her to give us some tips on building a better core – along with strengthening our legs, ankles and feet so that we too may strut with confidence.

Rosalind’s advice:

• Core strength simply refers to the muscles of your abs and back. All muscles matter, but as you get older, and especially if you want to look younger and feel fit and healthy, CORE muscles matter.

• Core muscles support your spine and keep your body stable and balanced. Improving core strength is vital to giving greater support to your spine and to keeping your body strong and flexible.

• By doing abdominal exercise as part of a daily home exercise routine, you can strengthen these core muscles. The muscles are less likely to become fibrous and will be more able to support your spine and keep your body flexible and balanced.

Want a taste of Rosalind’s class? Below are some of her recommended exercises. (Note: please perform the following exercises in sneakers):

CORE EXERCISES:

LEGS, ANKLES and FEET

Finally, a shoe story would be incomplete without me asking Rosalind which her favorite high heels are.  “Right now the shoes I love the most are my SIZZLING HOT YELLOW high heels!”

Here are a few of my picks, not necessarily to exercise in, but perhaps to aspire to walk in without falling down a flight of stairs.

(Click on images for shopping information.)

Do you have a funny high heel moment?  Leave a comment and let us know!

When not falling down the stairs in public, Tanya Zager Chisholm can be found at her site Fashion Sensei, discussing the latest fashion news and offering advice to women on how to dress their personal shape.