FitSugar

Have You Ever Injured Yourself Playing Wii?

FitSugar — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 04:31:13 -0800

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 -0700

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 -0700

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 -0700

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 -0700

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 -0700

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.

Beckham Tore His Achilles Tendon: Are You at Risk Too?

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:30:55 -0700

As a fan of David Beckham and the World Cup, I was sad to hear about his injury from Sunday's game. With a torn left Achilles tendon that will likely need surgery and at least three months recovery time, his ability to participate in his fourth World Cup is probably unlikely. Although he may be sidelined from playing for a while, he's confident that the injury will heal and he'll be playing for years to come.

A torn Achilles tendon is actually a pretty common injury for both athletes and weekend warriors alike. This band of fibrous tissue connects your calf muscle to your heel bone. According to WebMD, "problems with the Achilles tendon may seem to happen suddenly, but usually they are the result of many tiny tears to the tendon that have happened over time."

Are you at risk for a partial tear or rupture (complete tear)? To find out, read more.

Tearing an Achilles tendon is most likely caused by overuse or repetitive movements, either from a certain type of exercise such as running, or a work-related activity such as construction. You're at risk if you:

Take part in sports or activities that involve quickly pushing off or stop-and-go movements, including basketball, tennis, soccer, or softball.
Suddenly change how you exercise in terms of intensity, length of time, or how often.
Don't take enough time to warm up before getting into your workout.
Overstretch the area while exercising or afterward.
Wear shoes that don't have enough arch or sturdy heel support.
Already suffer from inflammation in that area.
Have high cholesterol.
Are a middle-aged adult, or are male.

Treatment can involve surgery (as Beckham is reportedly opting for), physical therapy, or you can wear a cast and let the injury heal on its own. Either way, it's not fun and can take three to six months to recover. So if the above risks sound familiar, take precautions so you can prevent this painful injury.

R.I.C.E. Review

FitSugar — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:00:25 -0800

After reading the progress reports from the Get Fit For 2010 community group and contest, I noticed one big trend: injuries. They happen to the best of us; if you lead an active life, chances are high you will suffer some bumps, bruises, and strains along the way.

If you happen to sprain your ankle or strain your hamstring, immediate first aid can help you heal faster. No matter if you injured a joint or a muscle you should follow the R.I.C.E. protocol for 48 hours after your injury.

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. Let pain be your guide as to what daily activities are fine. Once you can go about your usual daily routine without pain, slowly ease yourself back into training. Try the elliptical before going gangbusters on the treadmill.
Ice: Apply an ice pack (or a bag of frozen vegetables, wrapped in a towel) to the injured area for 15-20 minutes every few hours. Ice helps reduce swelling and inflammation by slowing blood flow to the injury; it also lessens 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 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.

If two days post-injury your pain has increased or the swelling has not subsided, it's best to see a doctor or a sports injury specialist. A medical professional can properly diagnose the injury and recommend the correct form of treatment and rehab to get you back in action sooner than later.

Injury Prevention: Strong Hips = Strong Knees

FitSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 05:30:00 -0700

We all know that men and women are different, even in how we exercise. Add to those differences the fact that women are more likely to suffer knee injuries. The difference is structural; the width of our child bearing hips angles the thigh bone (femur) in such a way that it creates some laxity and instability in the knee joint. Not to mention the ebb and flow of hormones women experience monthly can affect knee stability too.

One way to protect your knees is to strengthen your hips, or anatomically speaking your glute med – the muscle that fills in the side of your pelvis (see an image of the muscle here). Having strong glute meds helps to control the thigh bone, which then helps to stabilize the knee joint. Sounds like a win/win situation to me.

To see how to strengthen your hips, just read more.

Side Squats with Theraband

Tie a resistance band around your ankles. Start with red/medium band and work your way up to green/heavy.
Begin standing with feet directly underneath your hips.
Squat halfway down and side step to the right as far as you can manage.
Bring left leg toward right, returning to your starting position.
Step to the right 10 times, then reverse stepping to the left 10 times. Repeat for 3 sets.

Fit's Tips: This is a great exercise for runners and can help prevent patellofemoral pain, aka pain on the outside of the knee. Couple this with rolling out your IT band and you will be good to go. Preventing injuries means you log more miles and stay on the road!

Source

Time Saver: "Prehab" in Between Sets

OnSugar Blog — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:00:07 -0800

Check out this time-saving workout tip from Coach Lark.

It's important to let the body rest between tough workouts. However, I always try to work light rehab or "prehab" (conditioning an area of the body that is prone to injury) in between heavier sets of strength training.

Whatever your issue, point of dysfunction, or pain, very light sets between your heavier sets can serve as prehab.

For instance, ff you have tight muscles, stretch is an appropriate recovery. (It feels great to stretch the muscles you just worked out. It also helps them relax so that you get more out of subsequent sets.) If you have poor balance, do balance drills between sets.

Whatever your weakness is, attack it between major sets in order to recover. The idea is to pack as much density as possible into your workout.

So, instead of just standing around while you recover between workouts, try these options, and get more out of your gym time. You will not only burn more calories and get in better shape; you will also remain healthy so you can keep pounding out the tough sets.

Whatever your ultimate fitness goals (to lose weight, to get stronger, to have a six-pack), the health and balance of your musculoskeletal system is crucial and a top priority.

Have a killer week getting it done and as always feel free to reach out with any questions you may have.

For more tip from the front lines of fitness, start following Coach Lark Says or start your own OnSugar blog. Maybe we'll post your story here on FitSugar!