FabSugar

Do You Carry Back-Up Shoes?

FabSugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:12:22 PDT

Simply Fab: Apara Grippy Steps

FabSugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:00:22 PDT

Have you ever worn a pair of fierce heels but was scared you'd slip and fall? Been there, actually done that (and have the scar to prove it). It's not fun slipping around while struttin' your stuff. Check Miley Cyrus posing confident at the 2008 Kids' Choice Awards. You'd never know she has on a pair of Grippy Steps by Apara ($8), to keep her heels from sliding in the wrong direction. These sticky contractions simply stick to the bottom of your soles and prevent any awkward moments from happening. Now that's a quick fix!

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Fab Read: How to Walk in High Heels

FabSugar — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 16:01:27 PDT

When I first read about Camilla Morton's new book, How to Walk in High Heels, I expected it to be little more than a fluffy gift book. But in reality, it's a thick, weighty guide to doing all sorts of things, from walking in high heels to looking fresh after a bender.

As the title suggests, the practical advice focuses mostly on fashion and beauty. Some of my favorite sections include how to get ready in five minutes, how to deal with a bad hair day, and-on a related note-how to wear a hat without looking silly. But Morton, a freelance fashion writer, also covers a lot of ground related to etiquette, leisure, and culture. There's a primer on playing poker and a guide to artists whose names you can drop at gallery openings. The highly readable how-to also contains advice from expert guests such as Manolo Blahnik, who explains how to pick out a shoe. A great gift book, to be sure, but also a highly informative read. Get your copy here for $17.46.

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!

8 Life Lessons Learned From CES 2012

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:31:59 PST

This year's CES didn't just teach us about gadget trends and the future of the industry - it also taught us a few things that we'll remember in our everyday lives as well. Here, we offer up a few tips to take with you on your next journey to a big tech conference, or to keep in the back of your mind for life. Trust me: our pain is your gain!

Get plenty of sleep. Between long hours on the show floor and various industry parties (and afterparties), there's a good reason we'd love to see siesta lounges at CES. But if you can't nap during the day, be sure to get enough shut eye at night. This is true even for the real world, where you've got emails, shows, and news to catch up on. Put away the laptop at a decent hour and get your beauty rest. You'll wake up refreshed and ready to take on the day's to-do list.
Carry water. Downing coffee, cocktails, and Diet Cokes, coupled with the dry weather in the desert, and filtered air in the hotels and casinos can cause dehydration fast. Keep a bottle of water on you at all times. This not only keeps your skin fresh, lips hydrated, and head clear, but it'll keep you from overheating due to thirst.
Wear good shoes. Did I mention how much we walked at CES? Seriously, the biggest expo I've ever seen, it spans the Las Vegas Convention Center and surrounding hotels. It's not hard to walk six miles in a single day. Multiply that by three or four days, and you've got yourself a good workout. Dress your feet appropriately for CES, and everyday life, since it can save your back later down the road.
Get in the lunch line early. Hungry bloggers line up to get their lunches far before the 11:30 a.m. call time. Although we never saw a shortage of food, who wants to wait in another line when you're tired and hungry? This is another way to say "eat your lunch." Skipping meals can lead to headaches and crankiness, symptoms you don't want to experience when you're in a fast-paced and crowded space or in your office.

Check out the rest of the list when you read more.

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!

Should You Start Barefoot Running?

Leta Shy — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:26:08 PDT

Has the sight of celebs traipsing around town in Vibram FiveFingers made you anxious to start barefoot running? Responding to the minimalist shoe craze, the American Council on Exercise decided to test out those barefoot running shoes to see how they fared for normal everyday runners. The council tested Vibram's Bilkia model on 16 recreational joggers and compared their performance running in these shoes, regular neutral shoes, and running barefoot. So, should you dip your toes into the barefoot running trend? Read on to find out the pros and cons of running like your ancestors after the break.

How Your Wardrobe Can Help You Lose Weight

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 01:41:48 PDT

When we think of weight loss, we can't help but daydream about the adorable clothes we'll be able to wear once we reach our goal weight. For the time being, you can use your present wardrobe to inspire those pounds to drop off. Here's how.

Bangle bracelets: Drinking water instead of soda, sugary juices, and high-calorie coffee drinks is a surefire way to cut calories. Getting your fill of nature's beverage also makes you feel full, which prevents unnecessary snacking, so try to drink a glass of water at least every hour or so. To help you remember to drink water throughout the day, here's a fashionable tip: buy a set of eight or so bangle bracelets. Wear them on your right hand and every time you finish a glass of water, move a bracelet over to your left wrist. It'll help you keep track of your water intake, and you'll look stylish doing it.

Comfy walking shoes or sneakers: If your office is in a tall building, you'll be more likely to save your feet and slip into the elevator if you're wearing heels. Comfy shoes, on the other hand, will inspire you to get up on your feet more, taking walks up and down the stairs, strolls to your co-worker's desk to chat (instead of sending an email), for a walk-and-talk meeting, or even a midday jog.

Fitted clothes: Elastic waistbands and big shirts are comfy, but they cover up your body and allow you to forget what you look like, which might work against you in terms of motivation. These types of clothes also encourage lounging around on the couch for hours. Instead, opt for clothes that have a more fitted silhouette. Fitted shirts and pants made out of stretchy material can help give you a sense of your body image and may also inspire you to do something active. Since wearing tights or leggings is in, it won't seem odd if you sport your yoga pants at work.

See more tips after the break!

The Tree of Life's Jessica Chastain on Her Breakout Year, First Cannes, and "Normal" Brad Pitt

Lindsay Miller — Wed, 25 May 2011 08:22:00 PDT

Jessica Chastain is a fresh face in Hollywood, but she's already worked with the likes of Helen Mirren, Ben Affleck, and, in The Tree of Life, Brad Pitt. Her and Brad's film, which opens Friday, just won the Palm d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival. We chatted with Jessica just before The Tree of Life's LA premiere yesterday. Jessica clearly likes to take risks in her life and work - in fact, she arrived for our interview with a leg cast, which she said was the result of a motocross accident! During our interview, she reflected on her first time at Cannes, emotional and unexpected scenes with Brad, and her take on the movie's message. Here are highlights:

PopSugar: So, obviously, the first question is what happened [to your leg]?
Jessica Chastain: This sounds so idiotic. I got in a motocross accident yesterday. I thought it would be fun, and I really liked it, and I went way too fast. I shouldn’t have done it, especially having a premiere today. I spent the afternoon in the emergency room yesterday, because the bike fell on me and twisted my leg. Those things are heavy! It’s funny, because I was lying there, and my knee snapped. I heard this popping noise. . . so the wheels kept going and I’m pinned underneath it, and I thought, oh someone will come get me. It just felt like forever, so finally I just went, "Help! Help!" It was really, really silly.

PS: So now you'll have crutches down the red carpet tonight?
JC: Yes, but not for photos. . . I balance really well, so I’m going to stand still in very high heels and pass off my crutches, and I’ll take my pictures. There won’t be any of that walking, talking, fancy red carpet stuff, or they will have pictures of me on the carpet, lying on it. I hope I don’t fall! Oh god. I was worried about falling down the stairs at Cannes.

PS: Can you talk about what the Cannes experience was like?
JC: Yeah, it was great. I realize it’s never going to be matched. Realistically, I mean . . . it’s not really a good example of a typical time at Cannes, because I’ve got two films that both won the top prize in their category. Tree of Life won the Palm d’Or and Take Shelter won the grand prize in critics’ week. And then I also had a film there, The Wettest County, which there was a bidding war [over] and Harvey Weinstein bought it. So it was like all of this great stuff was happening, and I don’t think that’s a typical Cannes. But it’s OK, because I’m enjoying every second, knowing it will never repeated again.

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To read more from Jessica on getting emotional with Brad Pitt and her hopes for the movie, just read more! PS: You character is seen almost exclusively from the perspective of her boys. When you were acting, did you think of yourself [from that perspective]? JC: When I read the script, I realized that she basically is the embodiment of grace and the spirit world. And then I thought, OK, I also have make her a real person. I had to ground her, and the only way I could think of grounding her was her love for her children. And this bond she has with her children is very important, so I had to make that incredibly real. And it actually was very real. The boys and I, to this day, we’re actually still very close. I got a Mother’s Day gift from Hunter last year, I get phone calls. . . . When the film ended, I was more heartbroken than anything that the kids went back to their mothers. I was like, 'I love the kids!' PS: How was it different with Brad? What kind of conversations did you have about building that familial closeness with your characters? JC: We didn’t really have those conversations a lot, because the one thing about Brad and my character is that there is this distance, where she’s constantly trying to reach out to him to have him open up to the family and to love. And he’s [like], "No, I’ve gotta always stay on guard, and it's survival of the fittest, and I’ve got to be the strong one." So in a way, if we’d had these bonding experiences like we had with the children, it would have made our jobs harder. But on set, the great thing about him is he could play that character and then soon as the roll was out, he was fun, nice, sweet Brad, throwing the football with the boys out in the yard, and asking me, "What kind of music do you like? That’s one thing I’m out of touch with right now is music." He’s a normal guy. PS: What about the emotional tussle you have in the house? Did you prepare for that at all? JC:We didn’t even know that was going to happen, to be honest. It was after we filmed the scene were he attacks the boy. I know for my character, she had to clean up the house, but she’s still vibrating from what happened and trying to contain it. We shot for four minutes, going back and forth, cleaning dishes, doing all this stuff. And at one point, I don’t know why or what on earth possessed me, but I grabbed the pepper and rubbed it in his face and said, "How do you like it?" And then he grabbed me, and all of a sudden, we’re fighting and struggling. So working with Brad, an actor who is open to being spontaneous and emotional and inventive and really listens to the other person, you can have moments like that. When someone comes in and they plan what they’re going to do, you don’t get those accidents. PS: What do you think the audience reaction will be like to this film? JC:You know, I think there probably will be a lot of mixed reaction, and I hope that it's going to create a lot of discussion, because a lot of my favorite films are the kind that I go, "Oh, I love that film," and someone else goes, "Really!?" I love those movies and I really hope that's the case. I feel like this film asks more questions than it answers. And a lot of us are used to being given answers and we just want to be entertained. This film really isn't that. It really isn't "I just want to turn off. I've had a hard day at work, I'm just going to go turn off and watch The Tree of Life." [Laughs.] It's not that. So I think you absolutely have to be in the mindset to be open and then to examine your life.

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.