The long Memorial Day weekend is the official start of camping season. And while hanging in the woodsy outdoors is fun, it increases the risk of being bit by a tick and contracting Lyme disease and other types of tick-borne infections, like Rocky Mountain spotted fever or tularemia. Blacklegged ticks (aka deer ticks), lone star ticks, and American dog ticks are all on the list of things you don't Read more

You may be wondering why I've been going a tad tick crazy on the site during the Dog Days of Summer. Well, there's a reason. Last week when chatting with a pal in NYC, she shared a scary story about her rescued Rottie mix, Jack. While he's seen here in sleepier times, my friend woke up one morning a couple weeks ago to find him not only resting, but totally unable to get up. Obviously, she Read more

You're asking and I'm answering. Dear Fit, Last weekend after a night of camping, I was washing my hair and realized there was something stuck to my scalp. My husband took a look and found a small black tick embedded in my skin. He removed the whole thing, and aside from being completely freaked out, now I'm worried that I have Lyme disease. How do I know? —Totally Ticked Off by a Tick I'm sure Read more

Exercising in the woods is perfect in the Summer because the challenging terrain offers you a tough workout, but the trees provide shade to prevent overheating. When on the trail you need not only to watch out for poison ivy, but be on the lookout for ticks as well. These little buggers are small, but their bites have the ability to transmit diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Read more

Nothing beats the lazy days of Summer, when you're toughest decision is to go to the beach or to hit the pool? I hate to rain on your sunny day, but unfortunately, there are some commonplace health hazards you should watch out for. Here are four things to keep in mind as you enjoy the warmer weather and longer days. The pool. Even though the water is treated with chemicals, studies show that Read more