BuzzSugar

Singer to Watch: Yoav

BuzzSugar — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 10:00:00 PST

If you happened to catch Tori Amos on tour last Fall, you may have been treated to a musician named Yoav. Since taking his guitar on the road with Ms. Amos, he's been building up a nice little fan base for himself, but it wasn't until this week that those fans could buy his album.

Charmed and Strange is the debut album from this singer-songwriter. Apparently, most of the beats and effects in his songs are done using only his acoustic guitar, which is probably pretty cool to see live. Raised in South Africa and Israel, he relocated to New York and recorded this album in Oxford and Montreal. His work reflects these global sounds that have influenced his life.

Most of what I've heard gives me the sense he has a keen ear for radio-friendly pop melodies, and his stuff seems ripe for club remixing. I'm still getting used to his sound, though, so to check out a music video for the single "Club Thing" and let me know what you think,

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!

From the Fit Community: Is Your Cycling Class Giving You Back Pain?

Fit Community — Mon, 16 May 2011 01:08:43 PDT

Do you find that you have back pain after spin class? FitSugar reader livingthin turns to an expert for an answer and posted it in our 10 Pounds DOWN! community group.

According to a recent stat published in Women’s Health Magazine, 58 percent of professional cyclists experience lower back pain and experts think it may be even more common among casual riders who tend to sit too high or too far back in the seat, reports the magazine. "Sitting on a bike can often cause stiffness in the lower back or pain after a prolonged bike ride," says Dr. Yoav Suprun, DPT, and owner of SoBe Spine in Miami.

"The discs in the lumbar spine move backward (posteriorly) when we slouch forward on the bike (either outdoor or in a spin class). This mechanical change in the resting position of the spine can often start the stiffness followed often by slight pain or discomfort," explains Suprun.

One way to help prevent lower back discomfort (in addition to insuring your bike seat is in the proper position by asking your instructor to set you up properly) is to bend backward before and after a bike ride to make sure the back isn't stiff, says Suprun. "If it is difficult or painful to bend backward once, try to do 10-15 repetitions into the stiffness. Often the stiffness will subside with repeated movements into extension of the back (back bends)."

And Suprun recommends this "slouch-over correct exercise" for during your ride: create as large of a hollow in the small of the back as possible by doing an anterior pelvic tilt (as if pushing the belly button forward) and relax. Do this 15-20 times. "You may feel stiffness or slight discomfort in the first 10 repetitions and then it often becomes easier to do with more repetitions. Once you spend 15-30 minutes on the bike, do 15-20 repetitions of this movement, hold for two to three seconds in the anterior tilt and relax. Repeat 20 times."

Do you have a nagging exercise question or have a stellar workout to share? Post it in our 10 Pounds DOWN! group in the FitSugar Community!