Can’t Stand Them
Someone’s got stiletto heels on their hit list, and it isn’t the fashion police. Los Angeles podiatrists are rising up to beg women (and a few men, we guess) not to don the popular high-heeled shoes. So, you think the shoes are sexy and provocative? Well, try this on for size: sore feet, ankle sprains and bad posture. That’s what you risk in the high-flying shoes, claim the foot docs. Added one Los Angeles podiatrist: “This is what we’re up against: a fashion industry that has gone too far by sacrificing safety.” Maybe a call to the fashion police isn’t such a bad idea, after all.
Swing Sets
Ever catch one of those Chubby Brothers Conventions on weekend TV? You know, golf tournaments. Well, golf’s soaring popularity, due in part to a fitful-for-now Tiger Woods, has inspired one health club to offer a specialized regimen just for golfers. The Bally Total Fitness golf workout takes 30 minutes three times a week and is designed to improve flexibility and strengthen the golf swing. The training includes a five-minute aerobic warm-up, leg press, leg curls, leg extensions, and two sets of chest, upper-back and shoulder exercises. Guess this could be the end of the electric golf cart. Yeah, right.
Pumped Up
Three California cities lead the nation in the percentage of health club memberships. Topping the list is San Diego, where 22.5% of the adult population belong to health clubs, followed by San Francisco (20%) and Los Angeles (19.5%), according to Scarborough Research, a consumer, retail and media research firm. Conversely, the Wilkes-Barre-Scranton region in Pennsylvania had the lowest ranking at 5.8%, with Charleston, S.C., (6.4%), and Louisville, Ky. (6.9%) close behind. No stats were available on what percentage of those belonging to health clubs actually go to them.
Water World
It’s a big world. There are lots of problems. But one you might not have to put up with anymore is the horror and shame of water rings. (Hold your horses . . . we’re getting to the health part of this item.) The round, wet devils are the result of a nationwide craze of office workers trying to keep themselves hydrated, according to the concerned folks at Thirsty Business. But fear not, the firm has developed a “No Sweat” 20-ounce bottle-within-a-bottle, which keeps condensation off your desk, paperwork and computer equipment. Information: (800) DRY-DESK.
