FitSugar

Sitting 101: Desk Ergonomics

FitSugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:30:00 PDT

I consider myself an active person and am definitely happier strolling about than sitting, but I sit for a large portion of the day. I blog – how could I avoid a chair? Like most things, there's a technique to sitting. A well-designed workstation can help keep you pain free while you toil away during the day.

Here are a few things to consider about how and where you sit:

Adjust the height of your chair so your hips are between 90 and 120 degrees. If adjusting your chair means your feet no longer rest comfortably on the floor, use a foot rest.
Your keyboard should be in line or lower than your elbow joint. The open angle of the elbow will help reduce elbow, wrist, and shoulder pain.

I have a few more suggestions, so

Keep your wrists straight and never bend them up to type. I find a good wrist rest to be invaluable for maintaining correct wrist alignment. Check out these stretches for your wrists – they will help, too.
The top of your monitor should be at eye level. If it is too low you could be setting yourself up for neck pain. Put a book or two under the screen to raise it adequately.
You should sit with your back straight. Use a pillow if you need low back support. Do not lean forward because that will close you hip joint down and stress your low back and neck.

Don't forget to move around as much as you can during the day. Adding little walks throughout your workday is an effective way to relieve pressure you might feel on your bum and spine.

The Family Dinner - How Often Does It Really Happen in Your Home?

Lisa Horten — Fri, 25 May 2012 08:13:15 PDT

Like all good intentions (especially those pertaining to parenting, it seems), the family dinner is a concept that's great in theory but difficult in execution. If your kids are little, then you're likely to be walking a tight line between dinner and bedtime. Then, as they get older, sports practices and after-school activities get in the way. And that's not even factoring in Mom and Dad's professional, social, and otherwise time-consuming obligations.

Anyway, we "get it," so we're hoping you'll share . . . Exactly how often does your entire family sit down and eat dinner together? Let us know in the poll below, and share your additional thoughts, frustrations, tips, and tricks on the matter below. No judgment - we promise!

Enter Our Choose Your Summer Getaway Giveaway

SavvySugar — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:09:41 PDT

Are you sitting at work, dreaming of where you'd like to spend those long Summer days? You're in luck, because SavvySugar has teamed up with DailyWorth and CheapOair to make your getaway wishes come true.

What's better than a free vacation? A free vacation at your choice of three dreamy destinations. Do you want to feel the adrenaline on Las Vegas's streets or gawk at the bay views of San Francisco? Just maybe you want to feel the hot sands of Miami on your feet. Enter to win two round-trip tickets, a three-night hotel stay, and $750 in spending money to take you where your heart desires.

In addition, we'll be serving up tips on how to save for your Summer travel and how to find the best vacation deals. Enter below by May 28 to win your Summer getaway, and you'll be one step closer to getting there.

Enter Below

1. Like us on Facebook

SavvySugar

DailyWorth

CheapOair

Link Time - Woman Kicked Off Flight For Controversial Pro-Choice Shirt

Annie Scudder — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:45:06 PDT

A woman was removed from a flight for wearing a pro-choice shirt - The Frisky
Should Sarah Palin sit down again with Katie Couric? - The Jane Dough
How Priscilla Chan kept her wedding a secret - The Daily Beast
Miley Cyrus is obviously having good sex - YourTango
"Why I always fall for addicts" - HuffPost Women
Chris O'Dowd makes for great eye candy - theBERRY
Six places you shouldn't leave your underwear - CollegeCandy
How social media can increase condom usage in conservative cultures - GOOD
Some options for officiating a wedding - The Hairpin

Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer on Modern Dating and the '90s

Annie Scudder — Wed, 23 May 2012 02:00:50 PDT

Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer are gearing up for the June 5 season-two premiere of Franklin & Bash on TNT. The guys hold a special place in our '90s girl hearts, so when we got a chance to chat with them, we had to get their straightforward dating advice. And, of course, we brought up the '90s. How could we resist while talking to Saved by the Bell's Zack Morris and Clueless's Travis Birkenstock? Read more to find out what we learned.

5 Things You Always Wanted to Know About Paying For College

LearnVest — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:15:23 PDT

Paying for college is such a complex issue. LearnVest helps simplify it by answering some key questions in regard to paying tuition.

If you believe everything you read, then you might think you need to be a Rockefeller to have kids.

That, of course, isn't the case.

Yes, kids are expensive, and thinking about paying for a college education can be scary and frustrating . . . but that's where we come in.

As with everything else in life, figuring out what to do about your kid's college savings is all about the planning, says Stephany Kirkpatrick, CFP, LearnVest's director of financial planning. Depending on where you are in life right now and how old your kids are, you may have questions about how to set up a 529 plan (which is an education savings plan designed to help families set aside funds for future college costs), what to look for, and when to start saving.

If you're pregnant or have a newborn and are starting to think about this, then good for you! The earlier you get started socking away cash for their college, the easier it will be. You'll learn a lot in this article, but you should also check out our Baby on Board Bootcamp, which will tell you everything you need to know - financially - to be ready for a baby. It includes 529 advice, as well as financial tips on everything from putting together a will and picking out a life insurance policy to buying nursery basics.
If your kid is slightly older and you’ve done your research but haven’t yet started saving in a 529 plan, then first read the four mistakes to avoid when choosing a 529 plan, and then check out the different college savings plans available to you.
If this is the first you’re thinking about it, no matter your kid's ageI, then don't worry about it. You have to start somewhere!

Read on for more.

4 Reasons to Add an Exercise Ball to Your Home Gym

Leta Shy — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:58:44 PDT

The exercise ball may occupy a lot of room in your home gym, but it's one versatile piece of equipment. Find out how to get the most out of your exercise ball below.

A healthier seat: Ditch your normal seat on the couch and sit on an exercise ball instead. Using a ball to sit helps correct your posture, tones your abs, and encourages you to stretch, all of which sounds a lot better than the lower back pain that too much sitting on the couch can cause.

Routine shakeup: Adding an exercise ball to your normal mat routines can shake things up and challenge you. For example, you can plank using an exercise ball at your feet to make holding your pose that much harder, or sit or lay on your exercise ball while you execute arm exercises. Even just practicing your balance by kneeling on the exercise ball can help you tone and whittle. Need some ideas? Try these amazingly effective ab and butt workouts using the exercise ball:

Find out how to do the plank pike and the hamstring curl using an exercise ball with this advanced exercise ball workout video.
Skip boring crunches and do this ball pass ab exercise instead.
Challenge your core and balance with this single-leg squat, done against a wall using an exercise ball.
Lie on the ball and work your arms with this chest press move.

Read on for more reasons to use an exercise ball.

Mad Men's 5 Maddest Moments: "Christmas Waltz"

Shannon Vestal — Mon, 21 May 2012 11:38:08 PDT

This week's Mad Men brings back a character we haven't seen in a while, Paul Kinsey, and gives us a look at a relationship between two characters - Joan and Don - who we don't often see interact (but wow, when they do, is it entertaining). Financial problems also start to make Lane Pryce sweat in a subplot that's obviously leading to something far more serious.

The Paul story line kind of feels like a filler-y diversion, but I still liked seeing the old character and getting to see a side of Harry Crane, who's been relegated to being made fun of by Don lately. There are big moments this week I want to discuss, though, so to get to it, just read more.

Cauliflower Gratin

OnSugar Blog — Mon, 21 May 2012 11:30:00 PDT

Looking for an elegant yet simple way to serve cauliflower? Look no further than Fresh Tart's gluten-free version of cauliflower gratin.

Perhaps it's cliche that I read MFK Fisher's The Gastronomical Me and wanted to immerse myself in the world of food, but that's OK. Who wouldn't want to do exactly that after reading that sexy, scrumptious book? My goodness that woman could write, my mouth waters (and my heart swoons) just thinking about it.

There's one passage in particular that has had me making simple cauliflower gratins for years. I purposely don't look back at the specifics, I just count on how incredible she made cauliflower roasted with cream and Gruyere sound, swiped through with crusty bread and enjoyed with cold wine.

Lord.

So here's my version, so simple, so completely gluten-free, so much better than the pasta dish I served to Nathan and John tonight (in my opinion). I threw in some arugula leaves this evening because I had them, but you wouldn't need to include them.