FitSugar

Spring Cleaning May Give You More Than a Pristine House

Heather Dale — Tue, 17 May 2011 02:27:54 PDT

You're well on your way to giving your life a healthy Spring cleaning, but what about your house? Have you dusted everything thoroughly, cleaned your window treatments, and taken that pile of items in the basement to Goodwill? Don't worry, I haven't either. But it's never too late to start chipping away at your Spring cleaning chores.

Once you do take out the rags and rubber gloves, make sure to exercise extra caution and safety, because according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, in 2010 alone, more than 35,500 people injured themselves on a stepladder, and more than 41,000 suffered injuries while gardening or using gardening equipment. Wow - those are some serious Spring-cleaning injury stats!

Here are some reasons we tend to hurt ourselves around this time of the year.

Silly Injuries That Could Derail Your Fitness

Kristen Hawley — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 12:30:10 PST

Part of a fit lifestyle, in my opinion, is living life to the fullest. Taking advantage of each moment and doing something fun is just as important for living a fit and healthy lifestyle as a proper fitness routine. Unfortunately, sometimes those two things get in the way of each other, and the most well-lived moments can turn into injuries that can sideline your workout routine. In the spirit of full disclosure, here are a few of the silly injuries I've recently received and a few suggested solutions for averting disaster.

Slave to fashion: Thinking I'd only be out of my Las Vegas hotel room for a few hours (famous last words), I donned a pair of sky-high heels. A few hours turned into many hours, and that turned into an incredibly sore IT band. I'm a runner, so that was not ideal; each step I took during runs for a week reminded me of my five-inch heel mistake.
Solution: When in Vegas, wear heels . . . I get it. But it would have been prudent to stash a pair of those slip-on shoes that take up about the same amount of purse real estate as a compact. Lesson learned. Alternatively? If you're stuck in heels, sit when you can and pay attention to how you're walking. Had I just slowed down and walked properly, I don't think I would have had close to the same problem.

There are plenty more! Check out the rest and share your own stories after the break.

Speak Up: Workarounds For Injured Areas

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:30:41 PDT

If you're an active gal, chances are high that you've tweaked your knee or pulled a hamstring while out adventuring. These injuries, be they acute or chronic, shouldn't spell disaster for your fitness life. Instead of sitting it out, figure out what you can do - there are many ways to work around compromised joints and muscles. I know because I found Pilates after injuring my lower back. Between using the aptly named Reformer and doing the mat work series religiously, I was able to work my entire body while rehabbing my beat up spine. I not only stayed in shape, but I got stronger, too.

Here are a few more fitness workarounds I have found:

When I pulled my calf muscle earlier this year, running on land hurt, but deep water running was a great substitute.
When my knees feel funky, I skip lunges and do step ups and donkey kicks to work my backside without bothering my knees.
My neck was out recently, making cycling seriously unsafe since I couldn't turn my head, so I did a stairs workout - no head turning necessary and it sure did work my heart and legs.

If you have figured out some ways to work around injuries in your life, please share them in the comments below. Most likely, it will help another FitSugar reader keep moving.

Have You Ever Injured Yourself Playing Wii?

FitSugar — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 04:31:13 PST

Sometimes getting healthy can be a dangerous thing, even when playing a video game. Being sore after an intense round of Wii bowling isn't too unusual, but a young girl recently suffered a foot fracture while playing Wiii Fit. Yowza!

The 14-year-old girl fell off of the Wii balance board, probably while doing one of the yoga poses that requires a bit of balance from standing on one leg. If you're unfamiliar with the Wii balance board, it's an accessory you stand on like a skateboard that allows you to mimic real life balancing moves, twists, and turns. Besides Wii Fit, the balance board is also used in skateboarding, snowboarding, and rock climbing games.

This girl is definitely not alone. During an intense game of Wii Tennis, a friend of mine was hit with a Wiimote. The remote came flying out of her opponent's hand and hit her squarely on the jaw. I'm curious . . .

Which Running Injuries Have You Endured?

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:30:00 PDT

Running and jogging, while a fabulous form of exercise, can lead to some pretty un-fabulous injuries. From shin splints to runner's knee one injury can leave you in pain for many days. Me, I've had shin splints, pulled muscles, and ankle sprains all in the name of my love for running. What about you?

Source

Hazardous Summertime Sports

FitSugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 04:30:00 PDT

Being physically active means sometimes accidentally hurting yourself. Forbes has ranked the top ten hazardous sports, based solely on the number of injuries reported from emergency rooms in 2006. Take this quiz and see which sports you might want to avoid if you are trying to stay in one piece.

Helpful tip: the numbers used in the ranking do not take into account the varying participation rate of the sports, so the more people playing the sport the higher the number of injuries. So, yes, this might also seem like a popularity contest.

Source

Take the Quiz

Sprain vs. Strain

FitSugar — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:00:00 PDT

Injuries suck! But it does help to know the name of your enemy and the difference between a strain and a sprain.

Strain: A strain involves injury to a muscle or a tendon, which attach muscles to bones. Strains, aka "pulled" muscles, are caused by over stretching or tearing a muscle or a tendon.
Common strains: hamstring and back injuries.
Sprains: A sprain occurs at a joint and is the tearing of ligaments, which connect bones to bones. Ligaments are tough and fibrous bands, and can gradually stretch over time decreasing the structural integrity of a joint.
Common sprains: Ankle and knee.

Fit's tip: To avoid both of the above injuries you should stretch after working out to ensure flexible, responsive muscles so your ligaments and tendons have less chance of being pushed beyond their natural limits and tear.

Source

Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmare

YumSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 04:38:19 PDT

In a strange, but true tale, GQ UK's Chef of the Year, Gordon Ramsay, has burned his man-bits. In what can only be described as his own personal kitchen nightmare, Ramsay stood a little too close to the stove and burned himself.

"The other day I was standing too close to the stove when I was cooking. I was wearing these cotton trousers and underneath I was going commando, suddenly, I felt this searing heat. I went, 'F**k me, bollocks to that."

Once the accident happened, he was rushed to London's private Cromwell Hospital where an ultrasound was performed. His right testicle was burned and Ramsay was said to be in "absolute agony."

In other news, Ramsay will be expanding his dining empire by adding ten more pubs to his collection.

Source: TMZ and My Park Magazine
Image Source

For Minor Bumps and Bruises Use R.I.C.E.

FitSugar — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 03:30:00 PDT

Accidents happen, they just do. If something serious has happened to you, then you should definitely see a doctor. For minor injuries (bumps, sprains, etc), say you rolled your ankle while getting off the treadmill (don't laugh, it's been done), use the RICE program to whip yourself back into shape:

Rest: Take a break for a day or two to let the injured area rest and recover. Your body needs time to heal the injury. Once you can go about your usual daily routine without pain, you can ease yourself back into a full slate of activities.
Ice: Apply an icepack (or a bag of frozen vegetables, wrapped in a towel) to the injured area for 15-20 minutes every few hours. Ice helps to cut down on swelling and inflammation by slowing blood flow to the injury, as well as lessening the pain by numbing it a bit.
Compression: Between ice treatments, wrap an elastic bandage around the affected part to apply pressure and reduce swelling. Compression can also help provide support to a weak joint. It should be fairly tight, but make sure it doesn't press on nerves or cut off blood circulation - if the end of the limb turns blue, that's too tight! It's also too tight if you feel throbbing in the bandaged area. For the same reason, don't wear the bandage at night.
Elevation: Let gravity do the work - try to keep the injured limb raised above the level of the heart to prevent fluids from pooling in the inflamed tissues. For an injured leg, prop it up above the hips when lying down. Injured arms can be held up in a sling.

Fit's Tip: Try using RICE but keep in mind that you are not a doctor (well, maybe you are but most of us aren't), so if the injury doesn't seem to be getting any better within 48 hours, it's best to see a doctor.

Courteney, Busy, and Company Take Us Behind the Scenes on Season Three of Cougar Town

Lindsay Miller — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:00:00 PST

Fans of Cougar Town will have something extra to celebrate this Valentine's Day when the ABC comedy makes its long-awaited return to the airwaves. We paid a visit to the set of the show recently to get a preview of what's ahead for season three - including a wedding for Jules and Grayson - straight from the cast. Courteney Cox and Josh Hopkins talked about the trouble being engaged will present for the pair, Busy Philipps dished on the new business Laurie will be starting, and Dan Byrd revealed that a pretty major injury is on deck for Travis in the upcoming episodes. Check out our video to get an early look at some scenes from the premiere and to hear some juicy tidbits the cast revealed to us, and catch Cougar Town at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC tomorrow!