Wendy’s Picks

Blister and Chafing Prevention Products

Friction plus moisture equals blisters or chafing. Walkers can prevent these problems by reducing either friction or moisture. The first step is to wear synthetic or wool socks that wick away sweat rather than cotton socks that hold sweat next to the skin. The next step is to use one of these products to keep your feet friction-free and dry, or to apply to areas that chafe such as underarms, breasts, thighs, and groin.

BodyGlide is a petroleum-free stick. Rub it on like a deodorant stick to prevent foot blisters and to prevent chafing in areas that chafe. It is odorless, non-greasy, and won’t stain your clothing. It is easy to carry with you on a walk and comes in a variety of sizes.

SportShield® is liquid silicone in a roll-on applicator. It is
non-toxic, odorless, and contains no animal products. It is effective in providing lubrication to prevent foot blisters and also to prevent chafing.
BlisterShield® creates an almost frictionless surface, reducing heat build-up and blister formation. The powder does not absorb moisture, rather repels it, keeping the skin relatively dry; similar to clothing made of “high-tech” synthetic fibers that wick water away from skin, rather than absorbing moisture like cotton.

Blist-O-Ban® does its job because of something called the Gliding Principle™. Each Blist-O-Ban® bandage is comprised of several laminated layers of breathable plastic film bonded together, except for a ”bubble” in the center, where the layers are free to glide across each other. When something rubs against the Blist-O-Ban®, these layers slide smoothly against each other, rather than on your tender skin.

Sportslick is high-tech petroleum jelly. It combines silicone, polymers, and petroleum jelly for long-lasting waterproof lubrication. Includes aloe, antioxidant vitamins, antifungal and antibacterial agents. It is scented. Like petroleum jelly it may be hard to get out of socks and other clothing.

Petroleum Jelly — Vaseline is cheap and it works. Plain old petroleum jelly can be applied lightly or thickly to prevent blisters and chafing. Doesn’t it make your feet feel goopy? No, try it, it feels just fine. The big drawback is that you will never get it out of your walking socks and your shoes will also attract dirt like a magnet. But if you are willing to live with dingy socks and dirty shoes, this is the cheap and effective alternative to higher priced lubricants.

—Wendy Bumgardner
walking.about.com

New Moms Can Get and Stay Fit at the Mall
Unaccommodating weather makes winter months synonymous with hibernating from your regular outdoor exercise routine. For a new mother wanting to shed the post-pregnancy pounds, the holiday season can lead to a bad case of the winter blues.

Stroller Strides, a total fitness program for new moms and their babies, offers a unique alternative to putting aerobic exercise on the back burner for the chillier times of the year. The one-hour group workout class that has swept the country is currently being offered in 41 malls nationwide from San Francisco to Buffalo. Locally Stroller Strides is offered at Washington Square Mall and Clackamas Town Center Mall.

“The weather often keeps moms from exercising, which we know can cause depression,” said Lisa Druxman, fitness expert, speaker, author, and founder of Stroller Strides. “The indoor Stroller Strides program gets moms out of the house, working out, and feeling good.”

Stroller Strides classes offered at mall locations boast the same great program as their outdoor counterparts. Certified instructors lead new mothers through a warm-up, a 50-minute power walk, and multiple body toning exercises with the use of resistance tubing and their children’s strollers.

Malls also provide a built-in setting for socialization. Being cooped up in the house with a new baby can be taxing not only on a new mother’s figure, but also on her ability to sustain adult relationships.

Due to the popularity of the indoor sites, Druxman is currently scouting malls nationwide for additional Stroller Strides class locations. She recently attended a conference with the International Council of Shopping Centers, and multiple malls showed excitement about the possibility of hosting the unique fitness program on their sites.

“It’s a win-win situation,” Druxman said of Stroller Strides’ partnerships with nationwide shopping centers. “We need indoor venues and they get shoppers.”

”I hope that joining the program will be a good New Year’s resolution for new mothers who want to expand their social circles and get their pre-baby bodies back.”

For local classes contact Rachel Heyer at rheyer@strollerstrides.net or view the greater Portland website for class locations and times.

For more information about Stroller Strides visit www.strollerstrides.com.

BOOK REVIEW
Walk Your Way
Through Menopause
By Maggie Spilner

Walk Your Way Through Menopause is for millions of women who are beginning to realize that taking a daily walk may be one of, if not the best, safest, most convenient and effective tool they have to combat the conditions associated with the withdrawal and eventual loss of estrogen. Walking can help combat the effect of aging.

Spilner is the former walking editor of Prevention Magazine, and the author of two previous books on walking. She offers a simple program of walking and yoga to relieve symptoms of menopause, fight midlife weight gain, strengthen bones, slow the aging process, and improve mental well being.

This is a must read no matter what your current fitness level and is available for $14.95/Fair Winds Press, ISBN: 1-59233-129-7.

For more information visit www.walkforallseasons.com