FitSugar

4 Important Exercises Every High-Heel Wearer Should Do

Leta Shy — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 04:03:13 PDT

There may be benefits to working out in heels, but those leg-lengtheners can also be bad news for your body. Constant heel wearing can lead to a host of problems, from inflamed nerves to long-term joint problems. Scary stuff, right? I'm a high-heel fan, but after listening to a long explanation (read: lecture) about the horrible effects of high heels from my trainer last week, I've been trying to combat a bit of the damage. Read on for three important types of strengthening and stretching exercises for anyone who is head over heels for high heels.

Calves. Hoofing it on heels leaves your calf muscles in a shortened position, which can mean weakened muscles when the heels come off. Remember to stretch out your calves after wearing heels in order to give them relief.

Find three more important areas every high-heel wearer should strengthen after the break.

Stretch It: Calves

FitSugar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 09:30:00 PDT

The calf muscles get worked from just about every activity, from wearing killer heels to running. It pays to know multiple ways to lengthen tight calves and here are five of my favorite stretches.

Source

Fab Body Guide: Stylish Boots For All Calves

FabSugar — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:00:22 PST

I have a boot problem: I've discovered that my calves are too slim to fill out the top of some boots. Yes, there are worse things in life, but when endlessly searching for a stylish pair, it can be disheartening, not to mention unflattering.

Many girls have the opposite problem, where their calves are too large for boots. No matter your dilemma, Buckles and Bows, the leading experts in wide- and slim-calf boots, can take care of it. All their boots, like this Pout Black Leather Boot ($200), come in calf sizes one through five. If you're my boat, er yacht, find out what calf size you are and start customizing your next pair!

Stretch It: Calves

FitSugar — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 04:00:00 PDT

Tight calves can be an unwanted side effect of such opposite activities as running or wearing high heels. Many people neglect stretching their calves! Since you have two layers of calf muscles, you need to do two stretches to ensure you are reaching both.

So try these stretches after your next run or after a night of dancing in your Jimmy Choos.

Gastrocnemius Stretch

Place your hands on a wall, or if you are outside, on a tree!
Step your right foot back, bending the left knee (don't let the knee bend forward past the ankle).
Keep your right toes pointing straight ahead (people tend to turn their toes out to the side) and reach your heel into the ground.

Hold for 30 seconds

Soleus Stretch

Continue to keep your hands on the wall, but move your right foot in three to four inches.
Bend you right knee slightly and really anchor your right heel.
Shift your weight over your left foot and keep reaching down with your right heel to increase the stretch.

Hold for 30 seconds

Repeat both stretches on the left side. Stretch each side two to three times.

Fit's Tips: It is important to do these stretches in the above sequence. You need to stretch the bigger calf muscle before working deep to the soleus. Both these stretches are great for preventing plantar fasciitis.

Foot & Ankle Institute

What's the Deal With: Rennet

FitSugar — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 10:15:00 PDT

Have you seen "rennet" listed as an ingredient on the package of your favorite cheese. I thought there were different forms of rennet, but wasn't exactly sure, so I did some research.

Rennet is a natural complex of enzymes produced in the stomach of mammals to help digest it's mother's milk. Inside the young animal's stomach, the rennet coagulates the milk, causing it to separate into curds and whey.

In the cheese-making process, rennet is added to the ingredients to do the same thing. The curds are separated from the liquid (whey), and it's then processed and matured to produce a wide variety of cheeses.

The rennet you find in cheese can come from 3 sources: the stomachs of calves (it's extracted after they are killed for veal), from plants, or from microbes (molds or fungus).

The word "enzymes" may also be listed in the ingredients instead of "rennet." Cabot cheese does this and when I called, I found out they use microbial enzymes (not from animals).

Fit's Tips: Just because "rennet" is listed in the ingredients, does NOT mean it comes from calves. Likewise, just because it says "enzymes," does NOT mean it comes from plants or microbes. If you are concerned with the type of enzymes found in your cheese, it's best to call the company to find out the source.

Source

Biking By Muscle

FitSugar — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 08:45:00 PDT

Biking is a great way to work your legs without taking a toll on your knees. To work the separate muscle groups in your legs it pays to pedal with clips, or straps, that secure your foot to the pedal.

Emphasize the downstroke: If you push on the downstroke you will work your quads - the muscle in the front of the thigh. This is also considered the most efficient stroke.

Emphasize the upstroke: Pulling on the upstroke will work your hamstrings - the muscle in the back of the thigh. While this technique is not the most effective for endurance riding, it will help you with sprints.

Emphasize smooth: Peddling in circle - this method will work your calves nicely. You hear this style called out a lot by Spin instructors. You imagine drawing a smooth circle with your foot as you're pedaling. This keeps the weight of your foot consistent through the entire stroke.

Experiment with different pedaling techniques and take full advantage of your leg power. Try this on the stationary bike at the gym, or if you have pedal clips on your own bike try them out on the road.

WHO Is Worried About Your Legs?

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 02:00:00 PDT

WHO is worried about your legs? The World Health Organization (WHO) that's who. Summer is the season of travel with long flights to exotic places, and long flights puts you at risk for Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT).

Although the danger of developing DVT - normally in the form of a blood clot in the calves - is small, it increases if people are immobile for long periods in cramped conditions. Add the fact more and more people are flying and you can see how the incidence of DVT is rising.

The WHO strongly encourages anyone taking a long flight to exercise their legs hourly by walking or contracting the calf muscles (pointing and flexing their toes). Passengers on long flights should avoid sedatives and alcohol because they make people more likely to be immobile for long periods of time.

Here's a list of other risk factors:

obesity
genetic conditions
age (although being young doesn't mean you're not susceptible)
use of oral contraceptives
being shorter than 5-foot-4 or taller than 6-foot-4

The last risk factor is interesting to me and researchers believe that height affects passengers in different ways. Short people are less likely to be mobile on a flight because their feet dangle, whereas taller people because they are more cramped.

Source

Wear Heels? Stretch These Muscles

FitSugar — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 04:00:05 PDT

We all know that high heeled shoes are pretty, and pretty bad for your body. Yet, we all end up wearing them sometime or another - a big meeting, a wedding, or almost everyday.

Basically the height of the heel pushes the weight of the body forward which interferes with your balance. The body likes to be in equilibrium so many muscle groups work harder to maintain your balance and keep you upright. Much of this muscular work occurs in the lower back since the lumbar curve get exaggerated while wearing heels. This exaggeration in the the low part of the spine affects the hip flexors in the front of the body. Plus the poor overworking calves get tight too after a day in high heels.

Since I know many of you still wear heels daily especially with Fab tempting us almost daily with the new shoes of Spring. I wanted to show you all some stretches that can help a girl out after a day in heels - if I can't scare you out of wearing them, at least I can help you feel better after a day in them. So check these recuperative stretches out, there's 2 options for you to try for each tight body part.

Low Back Stretches

Child's Pose

Squat in the shower

If you don't like to stretch in the shower, do this stretch on dry land.

There are two more body parts to stretch, so

read more The hip flexes the muscles that move your thigh bone toward your torso, can also get tight from wearing heels. You might feel the tightness when you try to stand up after sitting for long period of time, right where you legs start at the bottom of your torso.

Hip Flexor Stretches

Lunge

Psoas Stretch with Roller If you don't have a foam roller you can try this with a yoga bolster.

Because the heel is lifted by the increased height of the shoe the calves get tight too. They can become chronically tight from wearing heels regularly, so try these stretches on for size. You can also do a Downward Facing Dog.

Calf Stretches

Hold up the Wall

Kiss the Wall

Fit's Tip: I say print these out and tape to the inside of your closet door...it'll help remind you to lengthen those short and tired muscles.

How Can I Prevent Shin Splints?

FitSugar — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 03:00:00 PST

Chances are, if you are a runner, you've experienced the pain of shin splints. It basically refers to the condition called Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS).

When you overwork the muscles in the shin, the muscles exert a great amount of force on the shin bones (tibia and fibula) to keep your foot, ankle, and lower leg stable. This excessive force can partially tear the tendons away from the bone (the tibia, which is the one on the inside of your leg). Shin splints aren't caused by running, but rather by the impact force associated with it.

Here are some tips to prevent shin splints.

Before going out for a run, warm up and do some gentle calf stretches, which will prevent injury.
If you are new to running, start off slowly. Too much too soon will cause shin splints or other injuries.
Along the same lines, if you've taken a break from running, gradually work your way up to where you were.

There's plenty more tips, so

Avoid running on hard surfaces like concrete whenever you can.
Avoid running on uneven surfaces - it makes your tendons work harder to stay balanced and keep your bones stable.
Avoid running downhill if you can - try running on a diagonal instead of straight down. You can also try doing the grapevine down the hill. Imagine you are Rocky practicing your foot work.
Run with correct posture - don't lean forward or backward as you run, make sure your toes are pointing forward and not out to the sides.
Wear sneakers specifically made for running - they have extra support and shock absorbers.
Your sneakers should fit you well, keeping in mind whether you have high, low, or no arches, or wide or narrow feet.
Get a new pair of sneaks every every 350-550 miles. Use the twist test to see if your kicks have had it.

Fit's Tips: If you are experiencing shin splints, don't run through the pain. You need to rest, apply ice to reduce inflammation, stretch, and rehabilitate your lower legs first. If you choose to run with shin splints, you could further injure yourself. Here are some great stretches for your shins and calves to help prevent shin splints.

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Portable stretch: Calves

FitSugar — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 12:05:00 PST

Looking for inconspicuous ways to stretch when you're waiting for the bus, standing in line or riding the elevator? Well here is a "portable" stretch - a stretch you can take with you wherever you go.

While standing, straighten your leg out to the front or the side, depending on where you have room. Then flex your toes, pulling them back toward your knee. Hold for 10 seconds then switch legs. Repeat a couple of times or until the bus comes.

You can do this stretch wearing any shoe and if you like to wear heels this is a great way to keep your calves from getting tight.