On the Go

Legs

Give your legs a hand for all that hard work they do

to keep you up and running!

Growing Pains

During puberty, you’re going to shoot up in height.

Your legs in particular are going to lengthen and

grow. For a period of time you may feel like your

body is all legs. This rapid growth may also cause

a tired, achy, cramped feeling in your legs. These

occasional growing pains usually go away after

puberty. And don’t worry if your legs seem out

of proportion for a while—the rest of you will

soon catch up!

And Growing Hair

About the time you start to grow hair under your

arms, you may notice that you’re sprouting more

hair on your legs, too. This hair is usually darker

and coarser below the knee than above it. Though

there’s no real reason to remove leg hair, many

girls prefer the look and feel of smooth shins.

But once you begin removing leg hair, it may feel

coarse and “stubbly” for a time as it grows back,

and it may be more noticeable during this phase.

So if you start shaving, you’ll want to make it

a regular part of your grooming routine from

now on.

If you think you’re ready to start

shaving your legs, talk it over

with a parent first.

Shave Where?

Most girls shave only the hair on their shins and

calves, south of the knees. The hair above the

knees is usually so fine that it’s not necessary

to remove it—and it’s an awful lot of leg to shave!

How to Shave

1 You’ll need to buy a razor with

replaceable blades or a supply

of disposable razors. Disposable

razors are easy to use but good

for only a few shaves. A razor

with replaceable blades is less

wasteful, but changing the

blades can be tricky.

2 Get your legs good and wet.

You’re more likely to nick your-

self if your skin and hair aren’t

thoroughly moistened. Lather

on a generous amount of soap

or shaving cream or gel.

3 Start at the bottom and

pull the razor slowly and gently

up your leg with long, smooth

strokes. Be careful around your

ankles and knees, where it’s

easy to nick yourself. If you do

cut yourself, rinse the cut with

cold water, dry it off, and put a

Band-Aid on it.

4 Stop to rinse your razor often

so it doesn’t get clogged with

hair. When you’re done shaving,

rinse the razor before storing it

away. Out of courtesy to other

family members, rinse out the

shower or tub, too.

5 After drying off, apply some

lotion to your legs to soothe

and moisturize the skin.

Feet

P.U.! Foot Odor

The best way to deal with foot

odor is to prevent it. Don’t go

sockless! Wear clean cotton

socks that absorb sweat, with

shoes made of natural materials

such as leather or canvas that

let feet breathe. Plastic and

other synthetic materials are

a recipe for smelly, sweaty feet.

To de-stink your shoes, sprinkle

baking soda in them and let

them sit overnight. Shake out

the baking soda—and the

smell—in the morning.

Ouch! Blisters

Blisters are sore spots that

develop where your shoes rub

against your skin. The friction

causes the skin to form a bub-

ble, which sometimes pops or

tears open. Don’t pop the blister

yourself. Place a Band-Aid over

it to protect it until the skin can

heal. You may want to remove

the Band-Aid at night to expose

the blister to air. This helps

speed the healing.

Itchy! Fungus

You don’t have to be an athlete

to get athlete’s foot, a fungus

that spreads in damp places

where people go barefoot, such

as locker rooms and pools. You

can prevent it by wearing flip-

flops or shower shoes. If you

notice itching and peeling on

the bottoms of your feet, especially around the toes, you may

have a case. Luckily, it’s easy

to treat with powders and sprays

available at the drugstore.

On Your Toes

To keep your toes in tip-top condition, give them a little extra attention.

When you shower or bathe, be sure to scrub between your toes. Use a nailbrush to scour under the nails.

Trim your toenails regularly after showering or bathing, when the nail is softest and easiest to cut. Use nail clippers to cut straight across. This helps prevent ingrown toenails, which occur when a sharp corner of the nail grows into the skin.

Give your toes room to wiggle! Never buy shoes that don’t fit, no matter how much you like them—you’ll be in too much pain to enjoy how you look. Always measure your feet before buying new shoes.

Fitness

Whether it’s skating or swimming, kickball or karate, find a fun way to stay fit. Pretty soon you’ll forget it’s good for you!

Active Girl = Healthy Girl

You already know that eating a balanced diet is essential to good health. But many girls forget that regular exercise is just as important. In addition to helping you look and feel shipshape, exercise strengthens your heart, gives you energy, helps you sleep better, makes your muscles stronger and more flexible, and builds self-confidence. So get up, get out, and get into gear!

How Much Is Enough?

Doctors and fitness experts recommend at least one hour of physical activity every day, including 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at least three times a week. Aerobic exercise is any activity that raises your heart rate and speeds up your breathing. How do you know if your body is working hard enough? Here’s a good rule of thumb: when you’re exercising or playing, if you’re breathing too hard to sing but you can talk fairly easily, you’re going at a good pace. Just remember that whatever type of exercise you choose, don’t get too hung up on counting minutes or monitoring your heart rate. The most important thing is to find fun activities that you love and to do them often.

You don’t have to be a superjock to stay in shape. Are you lousy at basketball and softball? Give bowling or strolling a try!

It Adds Up Do you take the escalator when you could climb the stairs? Do you bug your mom for a ride when you’re only going a few blocks? A few simple changes to your daily routine can make a difference.

❑ Ride your bike to the library instead of taking the bus.

❑ Volunteer for muscle-building chores, such as weeding the garden or raking leaves.

❑ Play a game of tag with your little sister or brother.

❑ Take the dog for a long walk

Sports Safety

Even the best athletes can get injured if they’re not careful. Play it smart! These simple strategies will help you stay in the game.

Warm Up, Cool Down

Whether you’re hiking, biking, or spiking a volleyball, always take time to stretch out your muscles and prepare them for the work they’re about to do. A proper warm-up eases your body into gear and helps prevent muscle pulls and tears. At the end of your workout, cool down with more gentle stretching. This reduces stiffness and soreness the next day.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H

Follow these stretching secrets to help prevent injuries and to build strength and flexibility.

❑ Stretch slowly. No matter how excited you are to get into the game or back to the locker room, don’t rush. The whole point is to ease your muscles carefully into or out of your workout, and that takes time.

❑ Don’t bounce. Bobbing up and down can damage your muscles. Once you strike your stretching position, hold the pose. But don’t forget to breathe!

❑ Hold it! Try to hold your stretch for a count of at least ten to be sure your muscles get the message.

❑ Stretch both sides. When limbering up your arms, legs, waist, or neck, be sure to give equal time to the front, back, left, and right sides.

Sprain Training

Whether you’re a ballet dancer or a soccer goalie, you’ll probably deal with injuries from time to time. One of the most common injuries is a sprain, a painful pull or tear in the tissue of a joint that causes the joint to swell up and turn black and blue. Fingers, wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles are easy targets. If you think you’ve sprained something, the first thing to do is to follow the first-aid rules of R.I.C.E., as shown below. Then get to a doctor as soon as you can to have it checked out.

R est. Avoid using the sprained joint or putting weight on it.

I ce. Apply an ice pack to help shrink swelling and ease the pain.

C ompression. Wrap the sprained area tightly in a stretchy Ace bandage to keep it stiff and to protect it from further injury.

E levation. Keep the sprained joint raised on a stack of pillows to help the swelling go down.

Wear the Right Gear

You probably already know how important it is to wear your helmet when biking or inline skating. But it might not occur to you to wear bright clothes so cars can see you coming! And don’t head out on skates without elbow, wrist, and knee guards. Other sports may call for a mouth guard or special padding—check with your coach to see what’s recommended. Always wear shoes and clothing that fit properly. High-tops that don’t fit snugly can lead to twisted ankles. Skates that are too small are an invitation for blisters.

Don’t Overdo It

Pay attention to how your body feels while you’re exercising or playing a sport. If you’re in pain, are getting dizzy or sick to your stomach, or are unable to catch your breath, stop immediately and rest. All of these are warning signs to slo-o-o-w down.

Drink LOTS of Water

When you’re active, your body keeps you cool by producing sweat. You need to replace the fluids your body is losing by drinking lots of water before, during, and after you exercise. Fill up a sports bottle before you get going, and refill it often.

Rest

To be healthy, your body needs plenty of rest. Sleep is your body’s way of recharging to meet the challenges of each new day.

Good Night!

What’s the secret to a sound night’s sleep? Develop sound sleeping habits. Getting enough rest helps you look and feel your very best.

Stick to a regular bedtime.

One of the best ways to ensure a good night’s sleep is to get up and go to bed at the same time every day. If you sleep late one morning, then get up early the next, you may feel tired and groggy all day and have trouble sleeping that night.

Develop a routine.

It’s a good idea to create a ritual, a special routine, that tells your body it’s time to go to sleep. Listen to gentle music, take a warm bath, read a book, or write in a journal. Try to repeat your ritual every night at the same time

Exercise.

Active girls who exercise regularly are often the soundest sleepers of all. Exercise helps release extra energy and tension that can interfere with sleep. But don’t exercise too close to bedtime or you may have trouble winding down!

Watch what you drink.

Many sodas—especially colas— contain a substance called caffeine that can make you feel jumpy and wide awake. Caffeine is also in coffee, tea, and chocolate. Avoid anything with caffeine at night, especially close to bedtime.

Don’t go to bed stuffed. A tummy that’s churning because it’s too full makes a bad bunkmate. If your stomach is growling from hunger, though, a glass of milk before bedtime is O.K.

How Many ZZZs?

Some girls need more sleep than others. Most girls your age need about nine hours of sleep a night. While your body is growing and changing, you may need even more. Aim to get the same amount of sleep each night, no matter what day of the week it is or what time of year.

Sleep Troubles

Do you dread going to bed? Is nighttime a nightmare for you? If so, you’re not alone. Lots of girls have problems that creep into their sleep

Bed-Wetting

Wetting the bed is a condition that doctors call enuresis (en-yer-EE-sis), and it’s much more common than you might think. Enuresis usually occurs when a girl’s bladder is too small to hold all of the urine her body produces in the night. If the girl doesn’t wake up in time to go to the bathroom, she wets the bed. The good news is that almost every girl with this condition outgrows it eventually. In the meantime, if you’re struggling with enuresis, talk to your doctor. There are several treatments you can try—from alarms that help you wake up, to nasal sprays that decrease the amount of urine your body produces.

Insomnia

“I’ve got insomnia” is a fancy way of saying “I can’t sleep.” Insomnia is often caused by having a lot on your mind. You may be so excited or worried about something that you can’t stop thinking about it. Insomnia can also be caused by caffeine and other chemicals in certain foods and medicines. Almost everyone has insomnia once in a while, but if you find yourself wide-awake night after night, talk to a parent or your doctor. In the meantime, try this relaxation trick. Close your eyes and lie on your back. Then relax your feet, relax your legs, and keep going until you’ve relaxed every muscle in your body. From head to toe, you’ll be ready to go—straight to sleep, that is!

To unwind your mind, try listening to relaxing music or to recordings of soothing sounds from nature

Nightmares

It’s normal to have a bad dream occasionally. Nightmares can seem very realistic, or they can make no sense at all. Either way, they’re usually about something real that’s bothering you. If scary dreams invade your sleep every night, talk to your parents or a counselor to help you find out what’s on your mind.

Body Talk

It’s hard to feel perky in the A.M. when you’ve got sleep problems that plague you in the P.M.!

Too Worried to Sleep

I have trouble sleeping. I try reading before bed and much more. My parents are getting a divorce, but I don’t like thinking about it. It hurts! Do you think deep in my mind I think about the divorce and it’s keeping me up?

Emotional upset and anxiety can definitely cause sleepless nights. Of course you feel scared and sad about your parents’ divorce—any girl would. But when your daytime worries start to haunt you at bedtime, you need to do more than toss and turn. You need to get help. Talk to your parents, a teacher, a counselor, or another adult you trust about how much you’re hurting. It’s hard to have sweet dreams when you’ve got a heavy heart.

Security Blanket

I am 11 years old and I still sleep with a “blankie.” I know a lot of girls do, but definitely not as old as me! Every time I go to a friend’s to sleep over, she says stuff like, “Did you bring your security blanket?” and then laughs her head off.

Have you considered taking just a piece of your bedtime buddy with you? Cut off a teeny corner of your blanket and pin it inside your sleeping bag—a secret place that only you know about. Or, if you can’t bear to cut up your blanket, maybe you can laugh along with your friend. When she asks about the blanket, say with a smile, “You know me, I never leave home without it!” And don’t worry, you’ll give up your blanket when you’re ready.

Bed Wetter

I’m almost 12 and I still wet my bed. My best friend doesn’t know and keeps inviting me to slumber parties. She feels sad when I say I can’t go. I would really like to sleep over to make my friend happy, but how can I do it without getting embarrassed?

Keeping your bed-wetting a secret only adds to the feeling that it’s something shameful—and it’s not. If your friend is kind and caring, you may find there’s relief in telling her the truth. You can still enjoy sleepovers with your friend by inviting her to your house. If she’s having a party, ask if you can go to the first half of the party and have your parents pick you up before bedtime. You’ll get to share in most of the fun. You’re sure to outgrow bed-wetting eventually. But in the meantime, talk to your doctor about solutions.

Night Fright

I’m afraid of the dark and I can’t sleep. What should I do?

For starters, you need to figure out exactly what it is about the dark that frightens you. Once you’ve identified what triggers your fright, ask your parents to help you brainstorm ways to banish your fears. Are there things in the room that scare you, such as the dark closet, the curtains flapping in the window, or other objects that cast scary shadows? Try placing a nightlight in your room so that you can see in all of the dark corners. Is it night noises that give you the heebie-jeebies? Investigate the source of the spooky sounds in the light of day. Once you know that “creakcreak” is coming from the furnace and not from phantoms, you’re sure to rest easier.