Eeek! I look pretty, but the Doc says “no!”

Fit Girl | Sep 22, 2009 | Comments 0

Ladies it would appear the the price we may be paying for fashion is a little bigger than one might would like! Dr. Shazia Khan of the Loyola University Health System says that “certain beauty and fashion trends can take their toll if we do not take steps to correct them.” Among the culprits, according to Khan, are large bags or purses, and high heels (didn’t she see our article the other week on heels?…doesn’t she know that the court shoe is the root of all evil?)

Large bags or purses (think Birkin hanging off Posh’s arm) are to blame for neck and back pain. When we carry bags laden with “essentials” weighing more than 10lbs we adapt our posture to compensate for the extra weight. Over time this tightens and or weakens our muscles resulting in neck and back pain and discomfort. Not to mention the bacteria that bags can attract when we put them down on the ground or counter surfaces that may carry bacteria.

So what to do? Toss your bag collection into the bin? Of course not! Take out the non-essentials, c’mon y’know they’re in there, whip ‘em out and lighten the load. Then of course, add a little upper-back strength to your regime so your muscles stay strong. And just be mindful of where you place your bag or purse. You’ll look like a bit of a nut job if you wipe down your bag handle with anti-bacterial wipes every 5 seconds, but a rub down once or twice a day will do you no harm!

Let’s take a dive down to the lower body to discover that high-heels may cause foot, ankle, knee and back pain, “High-heel put unnecessary pressure on the balls of the feet,” says Khan (cue Scholl gel cushions) leading to bunions (ouch) and plantar-fascitis. How do we prevent this? try the following:

-choose a wider, more stable heel

-choose a shoe that allows room for your toes

-only wear pointed toes that narrow well past the ball of the foot

-shop for shoes at the end of the day to allow for normal day swelling

The price of beauty ladies!!