FitSugar

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

Beyond Red: Decorating With Ruby Hues

Elka Karl — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:25:49 PST

When it comes to deep saturated color, ruby rules the red tones. This saturated color originally was used to represent the color that best expressed the ruby gemstone. Its gorgeous red color strikes me as passionate, regal, and perfect for adding to your home decor.

Ruby is actually an easier shade to decorate with than straight red, thanks to the brown and purple tones present in varying shades of the color. Essentially, this means you have a red shade that plays well with a variety of other colors. Try mixing a ruby-red chandelier with a duck's-egg shade of painted walls, or add a ruby-red sofa to an eclectic mix of multihued wood furniture and patterned upholstered chairs.

For a modern ruby chandelier that won't strain your pocketbook, try the Boom Lucite Chandelier ($105). Inspired by papercut art, the chandelier features two planes of voluptuous laser cut into lucite curls. For an even greater impact, try hanging a cluster of three.

The color mix in Flavor Paper's Shore Leave Wallpaper ($150) has a fun edge, which matches the imagery. Designed by Emily Minnie, the pattern features old-school tattoo images including stars, pinup girls, and anchors. I'd love to see this papering a powder room in a roller derby girl's home.

Perhaps my absolute favorite find is the Hans Wegner Oculus Chair ($5,500). Available in a variety of colors, this gorgeous chair features a wool upholstery and a stainless steel base. Originally designed in 1960, Carl Hansen & Son began reproducing the Oculus chair three years ago based on the prototype still owned by Wegner's family.

Did something else catch your eye? Click the image to shop your ruby-red favorite.

Earn More Money By Changing Up Your Office Space

LearnVest — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:15:07 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Most of us spend about 40 hours per week at work - in other words, the majority of our waking hours.

And nearly all of those hours are spent sitting at our desks. It’s a definite problem - and not just because we’re missing happy hour or quality couch time at home.

There’s no shortage of discouraging research pointing out the evils of a sedentary lifestyle and claiming that sitting will actually shorten our lives.

But, conversely, making a few tweaks to the way you sit - and the space you sit in - all day has been proven to make you a happier, healthier worker, busy earning your killer salary.

And, scientists say, the happier you are, the more you tend to earn.

In an effort to make the time spent at our desks as productive (and as profitable) as possible, we’ve combed the research for the easiest, most effective tips to soothe your mind and body when trapped in a cubicle . . . or corner office.

Just follow these four steps.

1. Make It Comfy

When we say “comfy,” we mean “ergonomic.” It’s an unfriendly word for a friendly concept: basically it means “intended to provide optimum comfort and to avoid stress or injury.” Friendly, right? Besides, an awkward workspace can lead to major health issues, including disorders in your joints or tendons, so a little tweaking of your cubicle can go a long way for your well-being. Line up your body correctly by following these two principles:

Your feet should be flat on the floor and your elbows should be even with your desk. This can be achieved either through adjustable chairs or - if chairs are a hot commodity at your office - a combination of step stools and pillows.

Read on for more tips.

No More Neck Aches: 5 Ergonomic Stands For Your iPad 2

Anna Monette Roberts — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:34:08 PST

We tend to be hunched over while looking at our smartphones and laptops, but have you ever considered the damage you're doing to your neck and back while playing with your iPad? A new Harvard study shows the neck strain accumulated from hovering over your tablet. Rather than looking down to read or watch your stories, here are five ergonomic stands to keep your neck neutral and free of injury.

From the Community: the Best Exercise You Aren't Doing

Fit Community — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:10:46 PST

FitSugar community member (and fitness instructor) livinginthin has shared a how-to on an overlooked exercise that everyone should be doing.

Running, cycling, squatting, jumping, curling, crunches, and lunging - you do it all, right? Well, the one move you aren’t doing is probably the one that can keep you doing all those things (and more), pain and injury-free for a lifetime.

What is it? Dorsiflexion. In layperson’s terms, dorsiflexion is the action of the foot that occurs when you pull your toes back toward your shin, engaging the foot and ankle muscles (the tibialis anterior, extensor hallucis longus, and extensor digitorum longus).

Weak muscles in this part of the leg can cause everything from muscular imbalances to an impaired gait and even tripping and falling (as we age, we lose even more strength in this area, which makes it harder to step properly), says Dr. Yoav Suprun, PT, Dip. MDT, a certified personal trainer, physical therapist, and owner of SOBE Spine in Miami Beach, FL.

Learn what exercises you should be doing to combat these muscle strains, after the break!

The Consequences of Overtraining, and How to Prevent Them

Leta Shy — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:20:20 PST

We may want to push ourselves to meet new goals, but there can be a fine line between pushing ourselves to the limit and overtraining. And research has shown that more and more of us are actually pushing ourselves past what is healthy for our bodies when we train.

Serious athletes are trained to exert their bodies to their max point, and many recreational exercisers, from the grunting guy straining to lift too much at your gym to your friend who always complains she feels dizzy after a workout, may think they should do the same, all the time. The problem is that recreational athletes may lack the knowledge to know when their bodies are telling them to rest, which makes them perform worse - and, as a consequence, just want to train even more to start seeing results. That can lead to a vicious, painful, and exhausting never-ending cycle of overuse injuries, constant fatigue, and worsening athletic performance.

When it comes to your own workout, don't be that person. Read on for some important tips for preventing those unpleasant consequences of overtraining

3 Things I Learned From My First Indoor Cycling Class

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:15:09 PST

Since it's important to vary workouts and keep the body guessing, this year I resolved to add indoor cycling to my usual running-and-weights fitness routine. I made sure to wear and bring the right items to the gym, but I learned a few technique-related tips during class that I wish I'd known earlier. Planning to try an indoor cycling class for the first time? Keep these three pointers in mind to steer clear of injuries and make the most of your workout.

Regularly shift your hands: To avoid stiff, sore wrists, be sure to move your hands around the handlebars by correctly incorporating the standard cycling hand positions. You should try to keep your hands slightly loose - no death grips necessary - and do your best to let your weight fall into your feet, rather than leaning your entire body into your hands. It's also important to keep your shoulders down and relaxed.
Keep pedal rotations pause-free: Aim to make each pedal revolution as smooth as possible so that you don't put any extra strain on your ankles or the balls of your feet. There's a natural tendency to pause at the bottom of a rotation - especially during standing intervals - so make sure that your leg and glute muscles stay in a constant push-and-pull rhythm. To achieve this, try keeping your feet flat rather than letting your heel turn up and toe push down.
Focus on technique, not resistance: As you ease into indoor cycling, don't worry too much about the resistance level on your bike. Instead, strive to stay moving throughout the entire class and learn to fluidly transition between the sitting and standing positions. Later, when you've grown more comfortable on the bike, you can begin to worry about increasing resistance and amping up your workout.

Trail or Sidewalk? The Pros and Cons of Running on Different Surfaces

Leta Shy — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:28:56 PST

Body-wise, running can be a high-impact sport, which can mean achy joints, irritated tendons, and other running-related injuries. Many runners use various methods to try to lessen the impact of constantly striking the ground.

For many runners, that means choosing a soft surface. But while you may think that running on soft surfaces may help lower the strain on your body, this may not always be the case. An article from The New York Times says that runners who preferred softer surfaces don't necessarily have fewer injuries than those who ran on asphalt or concrete (and may have more, since softer surfaces can lead to accident-related injuries). In fact, some studies have shown that our bodies actually adapt to different surfaces no matter how hard they are, so the type of surface that we run on may not matter as much.

While the best running surface may be a personal preference, there are still benefits and drawbacks to each type. Whether you love to run on the street or on trails, check out the pros and cons of running on these surfaces after the break.

On Party Etiquette: Is It OK to Bring Cake to a Restaurant?

Susannah Chen — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:15:12 PST

Let's face it: dining out is a totally subjective experience, and I've often wished there were hard and fast rules in place for issues like splitting the bill or whether coat checks should be mandatory. The question du jour? Whether it's OK to bring a birthday cake to a restaurant.I've just turned 30, and I'm celebrating by having dinner with a dozen friends at a small, family-owned ethnic restaurant. It feels apropos to have a cake for the occasion, but since the event takes place at a restaurant, I worry that the whole cake-and-candles thing could not only be disruptive, but also put a strain on the restaurant.

Guidelines on birthday cake etiquette seem to vary. Some restaurants are happy to do it; some request a call ahead; many other high-end establishments charge an (often pricey) cake-cutting fee. Still, others think it's a practice that should be cut out entirely. "I'm always baffled by people bringing their own cake. Do you bring your own steak?" one commenter asked rhetorically on a discussion board about the topic.

I want to hear what you think: if a restaurant doesn't focus on dessert, is it OK to bring your own birthday cake, candles, and lighter to dinner? What do you think of a per-person plating fee? Please weigh in below.

Quick Tip: Remember to Start Off Slow

Leta Shy — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:57:38 PST

It's one thing to have a healthy goal (like weight loss) for New Year's, and it's another to set yourself up with unrealistic time lines (like losing 10 pounds by the end of the week). New Year's resolutions can be motivation you need to start the year out strong, but they can also give you unneeded pressure to reach your goals ASAP.

Whether your normal routine has disappeared in lieu of holiday celebrations and cake, or if you've vowed that this is the year that you'll become a gym rat, remember to take it slow. No matter what your starting point, taking it to the next level should involve a slow ramping up and not an all-out body-straining routine, which can not only lead to discouraging aches and pains but also injuries that sideline you even when you want to keep going.

Want some strategies to help you start out slow and build your routine gradually? We've got tips on how to ramp up your workout once you've mastered your current one, how to restart exercise after an injury or sickness, and how to jump back on the fitness bandwagon after your exercise routine has taken a hiatus.