FitSugar

5 Things: Icing an Injury

FitSugar — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:00:00 PDT

If you've ever pulled a muscle, you know it can hurt like crazy and interfere with future workouts. One of the best, easiest, and cheapest ways to treat a muscle strain is with ice, which reduces both the pain and the inflammation. Ice is also a great treatment for chronic, nagging pain like runner's knee. But although it's a simple process, it's very important to do it right. Here's how:

Start icing ASAP. Icing is most effective if you do it immediately after the injury and continue over the next 48 hours.
Do not apply ice directly to your skin; instead, wrap it in a towel or place it in a cute ice pack.

To see the rest,

No cute ice pack? Bags of frozen veggies, such as corn and peas, make great ice bags. Not only are they already packed and frozen, but they also conform easily to the body.
Ice for no more than 20 minutes at a time. If your tissue gets too cold, it can cause further damage, so be sure to warm up for at least 45 minutes between icing sessions.
If you're training hard for a marathon or other big event, icing after workouts can prevent future soreness. You might even try an ice bath if you're prone to full-body aches.

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You Asked: Ouch! I Pulled My Groin

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 03:30:00 PDT

Hey FitSugar,

I'm usually really good about warming up and stretching before a workout, but last week at the gym, I did something stupid. I excitedly hopped on a weight machine I don't usually use, and while trying to work my hamstrings, I pulled my groin. Ouch!

Now it just won't seem to get well. How can I treat it? Do I have to stop exercising all together? I hope not, because I'd hate to stop working out.
- Groaning About My Groin

Ouch is right. A strained muscle in the groin is very painful, and it's a hard one to avoid using - it can smart every time you walk. This is a very common injury, so for some tips on treating it,

A pulled groin is actually a strain in the muscles known as the adductor group, which connects the pelvis to the femur. The injury occurs when you overstretch a muscle and can result in small tears in the tissue. It usually happens if you haven't warmed up properly or if you're attempting to lift more than you're accustomed to - both of which sound like culprits in your case.

To treat it, try the good, old-fashioned combination of rest and ice. Initially, you should ice the muscle for about 20 minutes at a time. Yes, that means sitting with an icepack on your crotch, but don't worry: After 48 hours, you can transition to heating pads or similar warming treatments. Anti-inflammatory medications can also help with any pain or swelling.

You don't have to stop exercising entirely, but do listen to the muscle, and don't do anything that makes it hurt more. It's especially important to avoid strength training the adductors or stretching them until the pain has subsided. When it does, probably after a week or two, don't forget to try these inner thigh stretches after your are warmed up before resuming your next activity. Hope you feel better soon!

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You Asked: Pulled Calf Muscle?

FitSugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:30:00 PDT

Dear Fit,
I overdid it running on the treadmill a couple of nights ago. I ran hard and was in a rush so I didn't stretch or cool down. Then I put my heels back on to go to a cocktail party. When I got home, my right calf was aching. It hurts a bit when I walk and feels really tight. I think I pulled it. What can I do to help it heal quickly? Do I ice it? Do I heat it? I haven't worked out in a couple of days and I miss the exercise.
Thanks,
- Kink in My Calf

Ouch! I hate exercise injuries and feel your pain, though I usually injure my hamstrings. I think it is good that you're staying off your calf. To see how I think you should treat this injury, just

First off, it sounds to me like you strained your calf rather than pulled it. A strained muscle is when the muscle is overstretched while working and develops micro tears. Usually it happens when the muscle is being asked to simultaneously stretch and bear weight, like when running. In a pulled muscle, the size of the tears are larger and are considered partial tears. A pulled muscle is much more painful, and generally with a pulled muscle you feel the pain immediately upon injury, creating an "OMG! What have I just done?" moment. It doesn't sound like that happened your case.

The good news is that strained muscles heal much more quickly pulled muscles. It generally takes about two weeks for a strained muscle to completely repair. Initially you want to ice your strained muscle for no longer than 20 minutes at a time. But after 48 hours, transition to heat in the form of baths or heating pads. The initial icing will help keep down any swelling that has occurred in the muscle, then the subsequent heat promotes healing. To reduce the sensation of pain, you can take over-the-counter pain medication.

For healing purposes, the best thing you can do is rest the muscle by avoiding impact activity, like running, and don't try to stretch the muscle until the pain is gone. While I am not sure that wearing heels is what you want to subject your injured calf to, wearing flats with this kind of injury is not beneficial either. You want to keep the heel lifted a bit, so wearing running shoes would be ideal. If that is not your style, you can put a little heel lift in your shoe, but be sure to put one on the non-injured side to keep your legs even. Lifting the heel takes pressure off the calf muscle, and can help during the recovery process.

Once the pain is gone, be sure to stretch and strengthen your calves with some heel raises; I would also do some basic walking before hitting the treadmill again. If you allow the muscle to fully recover, you decrease the chances of reinjuring your calf. A proper warm-up will help prevent injury, too; do some light cardio, then stretch the muscle before running hard. If in two weeks you are still in pain, make an appointment with your doctor to make sure you haven't torn the muscle or tendon.

Sure do hope this helps.

Source

From the Fit Community: The Best Cardio Machine For Your Body

Fit Community — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:53:42 PDT

Which cardio machine is right for you? FitSugar reader JessicaSmithTV asks an expert for the answers. She shared what she found in our 10 Pounds Down! community group.

The stair master, the stationary bike, and the elliptical - we all have our favorite cardio machine at the gym, but which one is the best one for your body? We asked Dr. Yoav Suprun, DPT, a McKenzie physical therapist at Canyon Ranch in Miami Beach to weigh in on the pros and cons of some of your favorite gym staples.

The Stationary Bike
Pros: Low impact, easy on the joints, offers a wide range of intensity options
Cons: The riding position can bring on back pain, or aggravate sciatica for some. “We flex our spine all day and sit for hours - why sit for a cardio session?” asks Dr. Suprun.

The Elliptical
Pros: Low impact, upright position of the body, also easy on the joints and offers a wide range of intensity options
Cons: If you have a small structure or small frame, using an elliptical with handles would be pulling your body out of alignment. “People suffer from holding the handles as it pulls on the lower back and neck once the handle is moved forward,” explains Dr. Suprun.

Keep reading for more pros and cons of your favorite cardio machines.

3 Ways Walkers Can Benefit From Going Barefoot

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:57:41 PDT

If you're into running, there's no doubt you've heard the buzz about barefoot running. It's become trendy for a reason: running barefoot can help you have better form and technique, preventing injury and pain. Runners aren't the only ones who can benefit from ditching their footwear. If walking is your exercise of choice, here are some reasons you'll want to try going barefoot.

Active and engaged muscles: Slipping on shoes may protect your feet from dangers, but it also means the muscles in your feet don't have to work as hard. The cushioned sole of a shoe absorbs all the sensations and pressures, which means your feet have become more passive over time. Because weak muscles are more prone to strain, pain, and injury, walking barefoot allows you to engage your body more, making feet stronger and better able to handle workouts.
Better walking form: One way a walker can have incorrect form is by roughly pounding the ground with each step. Cushiony sneakers absorb the force, so you're not even aware that you may be walking incorrectly. Remove your shoes and you'll instantly walk lighter, causing less jarring impact on your joints. Even though walking is considered a low-impact sport, it's still hard on your feet. Improving form means less risk for injury.
Busting through the walking plateau: Walking the same way, day in and day out, means using identical muscles every time you head out for a walk. Your body quickly strengthens the muscles in use, easily adapting to the demands placed on them. Without the opportunity for new challenges, muscles won't become stronger and can actually become injured from overuse. Walking barefoot forces your body to use other muscles not normally used when walking with sneaks, which helps you achieve a more effective and different type of workout. You'll especially feel the difference when walking barefoot on different surfaces.

Keep reading to learn how to start barefoot walking.

3 Reasons to Work Your Back in Time For Summer

Leta Shy — Wed, 02 May 2012 01:17:24 PDT

When it comes to looking your best on the beach, it's not all about how to build a six-pack or which exercises make your backside look the best in a bikini. In fact, having a healthy and strong back can make you feel your best on the beach in more ways than one. Here are some essential back exercises and why they will help you rock a swimsuit with confidence.

Stand tall and slim: Wanna look five or 10 pounds lighter without dropping a number on the scale? Stand correctly! Having bad posture pushes out your belly and rounds out your shoulders, making you look shorter and fatter in an instant, so it's important to add posture-building workouts to your bikini-ready routine. Stand tall with this standing reverse fly exercise and these eight back and shoulder exercises and stretches to combat any workday slouching.

Help banish the muffin top: While all the spot-training in the world won't melt away your muffin top, doing specific workouts that target your torso and upper back will create a slimmer, more toned look. If you're dreading showing off any of the extra padding you've accumulated around your waistline, try a few of our back-strengthening exercises to help you tone, like this video of how to do the Superman exercise and these exercises that will help you get rid of your muffin top.

Stay injury-free: A strong back helps keep you injury-free by preventing imbalances and unnecessary strain. If you're looking forward to an active Summer burning calories outdoors, start working on your back muscles to make sure an injury doesn't sideline your fitness fun. Get more bang for your buck with this butt-lifting, back-strengthening single leg dumbbell row or try these four spine- and torso-stabilizing exercises to keep your back healthy and strong.

Know Your Basics: How to Do a Lunge

Leta Shy — Tue, 01 May 2012 03:07:30 PDT

Lunges are a quintessential exercise; you can do them anywhere and the effects can be seen in no time, in the form of shapely, toned legs and backside (just in time for bikini season!). If you're planning on incorporating lunges into your routine, however, make sure you're not doing more harm than good. Find out how to do lunges correctly below.

The basics: It's important to do lunges properly so you don't put unwanted strain on your joints. Here's how to perfect your form:

Keep your upper body straight, with your shoulders back and relaxed and chin up (pick a point to stare at in front of you so you don't keep looking down). Always engage your core.
Step forward with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle. Make sure your front knee is directly above your ankle, not pushed out too far, and make sure your other knee doesn't touch the floor. Keep the weight in your heels as you push back up to the starting position.

Challenge your muscles: Now that you have the basics down, you can modify your lunge workouts in many different ways in order to work different muscles. For example, Crunch gym personal training manager Tim Rich recommends reverse lunges (stepping back instead of forward) as a good way to complement the forward movements in your daily life. "We always move forward," Tim says. "Moving in a reverse direction requires more skill and helps regain some balance and athleticism." Here are more recommended lunge variations to try:

Do a bicep curl with dumbbells while you lunge to work your upper body while you strengthen your legs.
Do this walking forward lunge workout to further challenge your balance.
Change it up with side lunges so you can work your lower body muscles in a different way than you normally do. Find out the correct way to do a side lunge here.

Injury prevention: Even though lunges are one of the best ways to work your lower body, some people tend to avoid lunges because it can put too much strain on the knees. If you feel pain, Tim recommends you take smaller steps as you lunge. "Reducing the range of motion will still develop good strength and alignment," Tim says. Slowly increase your lunge distance as your pain gets better. Some people also find that doing a reverse lunge instead of a forward lunge also helps reduce knee strain.

Do you like doing lunges?

Things to Never Do While on a Short-Distance Run

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:14:00 PDT

With last week's Boston Marathon kicking off marathon season, there's been a lot of talk about how to tackle long-distance runs and how to recover from an endurance run once it's over. All great advice, but for many of us, a 30- to 40-minute run is all we want to handle. For all you short-distance runners out there, here's a list of things to never do during your workout.

Skip the warmup: Even though you're not running for very long, you still need to warm up your cold muscles. Walk briskly, do some jumping jacks, or run up and down your stairs for five minutes to get your blood flowing and to prepare your muscles and joints for the workout ahead. Skip the warmup and you might as well sign yourself up for a pulled muscle.
Carbo load: Depending on how much you weigh and how fast you're moving, a half-hour run burns 300 calories, more or less. Compare that to someone burning 1,200 on a two-hour run and you'll see that it's not necessary to carbo load beforehand with a huge spaghetti lunch. Follow these tips for choosing an appropriate pre-workout snack, don't eat a thing during your workout, and when you're run is complete, nosh on one of these low-cal post-workout snacks.

Keep reading to find out more short-distance running mistakes to avoid.

A Body Check That Won't Hurt: Tips For Proper Running Form

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:49:36 PDT

Running is all about stepping one foot in front of the other. Sounds easy enough, right? But if your running form is incorrect, you'll end up with aches, strains, and injuries that could prevent you from lacing up your sneaks at all. Make sure to avoid these running-form mistakes the next time you hit the treadmill, trail, or pavement.

Head: It sometimes feels good to close your eyes and relax your chin toward your chest, but don't keep your head down (or tilt your head up) for long periods of time. Prevent neck strain and encourage an open throat for easy breathing by keeping your head stacked over your spine. Correct head position also encourages a straight, upright stance, which makes you a more efficient runner.
Shoulders: Without even realizing it, you may be running with your upper back and shoulders tensed up toward your ears. (And you wonder why you have a pounding headache or aching neck.) Every so often, take a nice deep breath in and as you exhale, relax your upper torso and actively roll your shoulders back and down toward your pelvis. Do a self-check to make sure your shoulders are stacked over the hips. Hunching the upper body forward not only makes it difficult to breathe, it also puts pressure on your lower back.

I'm just getting started so keep reading to find out what the rest of your body shouldn't be doing while running.

The Biggest Reasons Your Ab Exercises Aren't Working

Prevention — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 04:25:40 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

If you're struggling to see your six-pack, you could be making one of these mistakes.

By Jenna Bergen, Prevention

As the weather warms and Spring break approaches, we're all forced to do that same rather scary thing: unearth the bathing suit and take a good, hard look in the mirror. I did it just last week and was relieved to see that my job as the fitness editor at Prevention had kept my abs from going too far south. Still, given all the hours I clock at the gym, I wouldn't mind seeing a little more definition. That's when I realized I needed to fine-tune my game. If you've been putting in the effort and still don't have the abs you're after, take heart - you're not alone. Here are four top slipups that mess with your six-pack - plus expert fixes to get you back on track.

Your Form Is Sloppy
"The wrong form can turn an effective move into one that won't do anything for you," says personal trainer Jessica Smith Gomez, costar of the 10 Minute Solution: Best Belly Blasters. A few of the most common mistakes: pulling on your neck (which allows your abs to slack off), using momentum rather than muscle strength (again, a freebie pass for the abs), sagging your hips in plank, and not keeping them pulled in during every move. "You must control your abdominal wall to get any real benefit," says Erin O'Brien, creator of Kristi Yamaguchi: Power Workout and Strong Body Ageless Body. Not sure how you're doing? Check your form in a mirror.

Keep reading for two more reasons your ab exercises aren't working!