FabSugar

High Heels Can Give You Barbie Feet

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:41:45 PST

High heels. You either love them or hate them, but you can't deny they are chic. We love the height boost and illusion of longer legs they offer, but we do realize they're not the best things for our feet. Unfortunately, recent research shows that these lovely shoes may be worse than previously thought.

In a study of longtime high heel wearers, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers found wearing heels actually shortens the fibers of the calf muscle, making the Achilles tendon stiffen instead of flex when walking. High heels keep feet in a pointed position, so even when habitual high heel wearers (those who wore heels at least 40 hours a week) slipped off the pumps, their feet were so used to walking with the heels raised that it became the new norm for their muscles and joints - think permanent Barbie feet. The constantly engaged calve suffers from serious muscle fatigue, but switching abruptly from heels to flat shoes, like sneakers, puts stiletto wearers at a greater risk for injury.

Keep reading to find out what you can do to heal your heel-wearing legs.

How to Save Your Achy Party Feet

Leta Shy — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:34:56 PST

If the holiday parties have you living in heels, you've probably got some unhappy feet on your hands. Wondering how to beat the suffering? Here are some feet-relieving remedies to help you out.

Prevent injuries by keeping your ankles and leg muscles strong. After all, who wants to make a wobbly party entrance? Take a few minutes a day to add some ankle-friendly exercises to your routine, like tiptoe walking, heel walks, and balance exercises. Find out the four important exercises you should be doing if you wear heels here.
Don't stop there. If your feet are achy after a night of dancing on stilettos, relieve them while combating the muscle-shortening effects of sporting heels for an extended amount of time. Be sure to stretch them out with these seven stretches for high-heel wearers.
Feet still achy? Find more relief with these five things you can do to treat your achy feet, and try to alternate wearing heels with flats to give your feet a rest!

Wear High Heels? Do These Stretches

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:05:09 PST

Whether you wear heels solely on special occasions or rock them every day, here are some stretches to offer your tootsies a little relief from soreness or pain.

Source: Thinkstock

4 Important Exercises Every High-Heel Wearer Should Do

Leta Shy — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 04:03:13 PDT

There may be benefits to working out in heels, but those leg-lengtheners can also be bad news for your body. Constant heel wearing can lead to a host of problems, from inflamed nerves to long-term joint problems. Scary stuff, right? I'm a high-heel fan, but after listening to a long explanation (read: lecture) about the horrible effects of high heels from my trainer last week, I've been trying to combat a bit of the damage. Read on for three important types of strengthening and stretching exercises for anyone who is head over heels for high heels.

Calves. Hoofing it on heels leaves your calf muscles in a shortened position, which can mean weakened muscles when the heels come off. Remember to stretch out your calves after wearing heels in order to give them relief.

Find three more important areas every high-heel wearer should strengthen after the break.

Coco Works Out in Stripper Heels - Have You Seen Crazier?

Michele Foley — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:15:56 PDT

I know that wearing high heels has some benefits, but Coco, Ice-T's wife, takes things to the next level by wearing stripper heels while strength training (something I learned from watching her new reality TV show, Ice Loves Coco). And that's not all I learned. She also runs on the treadmill (replacing her stripper heels with running shoes) with her bulldog Spartacus - as in, Coco and Spartacus share the treadmill together. It's clearly working for her, too. Coco may be curvaceous, but she also boasts a flat stomach and tiny waist.

While I've never seen a woman work out in heels at the gym, I have had my share of unusual sightings. Most recently I encountered a guy dressed head to toe in '80s hair-metal attire, blaring his iPod while flexing and grunting at himself in the mirror. Think you can top that? What's the craziest thing you've ever seen at the gym?

Strap On and Tone Up: The Benefits of High Heels

FitSugar — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 00:52:44 PDT

With the explosion of striptease, pole dancing, and high-heeled workouts, you can’t help but wonder if sporting stilettos actually tones your body. I love the sense of confidence I feel when stomping through the streets in a new pair of heels. But should we listen to our podiatrists and chiropractors when they warn us to stray away from our pumps? Check out the benefits of heels, and share what you think about high-heeled workouts.

Improved Baby-Making Muscles (and Sex Life!)
In 2008, Dr. Maria Angela Cerruto, a urologist at the University of Verona, Italy, studied 66 stiletto-strutting women under the age of 50 and concluded that wearing heels can help strengthen pelvic and abdominal muscles. To counter the elevated angle of a heel, women lean a little forward, thereby tightening abdominal muscles and tucking the pelvis under. This action increases the ability for pelvic muscles to contract, which leads to more gratifying sex, easier childbirth, and problems associated with urinary incontinence. The benefits of high heels are described as being similar to doing Kegels or holding Mula Bandha during yoga.

Keep reading for a look at other advantages.

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.

Do You Decorate With Heels?

Casa Community — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 05:00:46 PST

Here's a post from CasaSugar Community member Angela Tafoya from the CasaSugar Q and A group:

I have a friend who recently gave her entire house an interior makeover. From new countertops to tile flooring, her new place looks great. However, what really caught my eye were her heels - and not the ones on her feet. She had a pair of vintage, purple suede YSL heels on display in her living room. Now, I've seen this before on sites like The Coveteur, but I never thought this was something people did. I always thought of it as staged for photos. After seeing it in person, I think it is a cool, creative way to decorate. I may have to try it! What about you? Do you decorate with heels?

Do you have a question for the CasaSugar community? Post it in the CasaSugar Q and A group!

Source

Don't Let Fashion Sabotage Your Training!

Kristen Hawley — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 03:30:01 PST

My ongoing battle with my IT band has taken a turn for the worse, except this time it's all my fault. Generally, I take care to make sure I'm not hurting myself or my progress; things like crossing my legs at work are a no-no, and I always watch my form, whether I'm running outside or indoors on a treadmill.

But even after all of this vigilance, it only took one weekend to set me back a few weeks. Why? I did a whole lot of walking in very improper walking shoes. I was at a conference in Las Vegas, so that meant long days on the show floor, and long nights at parties and industry events. While wearing sneakers, or at least supportive, sensible shoes is ideal, the dress I wanted to wear matched only a pair of flat boots, which I figured would be fine for walking all day. Unfortunately, I was wrong; the heel on my boots was too heavy and caused me to abandon proper walking form completely. And of course at night, I donned a pair of on trend yet unhealthy-for-my-IT-band five-inch heels.

The reward for a trendy day in Vegas? An incredibly tight and sore IT band from a day filled with walking/hobbling around. I'm too sore to run at the gym now, I'm stuck rolling and stretching for at least another week. And while a week off from running won't completely sabotage my training plan, it certainly wasn't worth one day of fashion. So, the next time you're choosing between proper and improper footwear, keep this tip in mind: don't let fashion sabotage your fitness!

Strengthen Your Ankles For the Chunky Shoes of Fall

Susi May — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 05:50:51 PDT

I'm loving the sculptural look of this Fall's chunky footwear. But between the soaring heel heights and the substantial platforms, I worry that these styles might cause some nasty falls and possibly twist a few ankles too. While it's always sensible to take a break from your high heels and alternate with some fashionably sensible pairs, I say take some extra precautions and strengthen those ankles. No gal can stuff a foot wrapped in an ace bandage into her new platform Mary Janes.

These exercises will give your catwalk stride a little extra confidence and your ankles a bit more stability.

Walk it out: Strengthen your high heel walk sans shoes and do tiptoe walking to strengthen your ankles and calves. While you're at it, add in some heel walks to strengthen your shin muscles, which help prevent falls, and to give your overworked calves a nice little stretch to boot.
Bring on the wobble: Work your legs standing on a Bosu - try your basic squats and lunges on the unstable surface and feel your ankles and feet work to stabilize you.
Blindly balance: Challenge your sense of balance and your ankle strength with this simple move. In bare feet, stand with your right shoulder close to a wall. Lift your left foot, so you're standing on just your right foot with your right knee slightly bent. Put your right fingertips lightly on the wall next to you, then close your eyes. It's really hard to balance! All the small muscles in your foot and around your ankle will be properly challenged and learn how to stabilize a wobbly joint. Try to hold the position for at least 15 to 30 seconds, and repeat two or three times. This do-anywhere exercise makes good use of commercial breaks.

The fashion and fitness connection doesn't end at your ankles. Celeb trainer David Kirsch has some exercises to ready you for the silhouettes of the season.