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Archive for January, 2010

Protect Your Back With Inversions

Posted in Health and Wellness, Yoga, tagged , , , , , , on January 17, 2010| 1 Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

For those with spinal conditions that cause lumbar vertebrae to compress your disks, one of the many things you an do to keep prevent your back from getting worse is to use inversions, or hang upside down, for a few minutes a few times a week. Years ago one of the chiropractors I worked with introduced me to a simple device that allows me to hang upside down (‘invert”), giving my spine some relief from gravity! I’ve been using my Invertrac for about years now and I find it really helps take  pressure off my spine caused by simply walking around upright against gravity all day.

Invertrac in motion!

Why Do Inversions?

Those of you that do yoga regularly know that inversions are part of a well rounded yoga practice. According to the Invertrac website, here are some of the benefits of doing inversions with Invertrac:

• Invertrac counters the degenerative effects of gravity.
• Invertrac allows for the benefits of spinal decompression without trauma to ankle, knee, or hip joints.
• Natural traction occurs in the lower back when subject is in bent leg position.
• The lumbar curve is flattened allowing this to more readily occur.
• Invertrac helps eliminate stress and tension by stretching spine and back muscles allowing complete relaxation.
• Enhances circulation.

And, according to the Total Health Yoga blog here,

Inverting your body in yoga can help you:
• Give your heart a break.
• Stimulate your endocrine system.
• Calm your mind.
• Strengthens your core.
• Enhance your ability to concentrate and remain focused.
• Increase body awareness.
• Help with circulation.
To include all of these gains to their fullest, you need to remain inverted 3-5 minutes (according to Yoko Yoshikawa at Yoga Journal).

Invertrac Features

Why Invertrac Versus the Inversion Tables or Boots?

According to my chiropractor friend, Dr. Richard Arrandt, of Arrandt Health Care, hanging by inversion boots can cause problems for the ligaments in your ankles. Your ankles and feet are not  designed to suspend your body weight. I’ve tried out the inversion tables myself and I find them to be pretty uncomfortable and they do put a lot of stress on my ankles and feet.

Are There Risks to Doing Inversions?

Inversions are NOT for everyone and there are a long list of contraindications to using the Invertrac or doing inversions here.

Keep in mind that when you are upside down, a lot of blood rushes to your head. So if you have blood pressure issues or eye pressure issues, the Invertrac may not be for you!  Check with your doctor or chiropractor and make sure you are a good candidate for the Invertrac before trying it out (or doing any inversions in yoga classes too!)

How Do I Get an Invertrac?

Unfortunately, consumers cannot buy an Invertrac directly, you must go through your chiropractor or health care provider.  Invertrac’s website provides ordering instructions here.

Note: Neither Working Well Massage nor I have affiliation with Invertrac.

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Warm Up With Indian Food You Learn to Make Yourself with Ranjana

Posted in Health and Wellness, Nutrition, tagged , , , , , on January 15, 2010| Leave a Comment »

somosa
Image by megpi via Flickr

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

It’s cold outside and soon many Chicagoans will be stir crazy.  What a fantastic time to learn how to cook spicy, tummy warming,  healthy food.  In Chicago, we are lucky enough to have a celebrity cook, Ranjana,  that teaches how to prepare traditional healthy Indian dishes at her home or your home or event.

Ranjana offers a variety of Indian cooking classes. All classes in her kitchen near Hyde Park are designed for 8 students in which you prepare 9 Indian dishes in 3 hours and then have a sit down dinner with the fruits (and vegetables) of your labor! A single class is only $75 (not bad for the instruction, fun, and tasty 9 dish meal meal!)

View a list of Ranjana’s upcoming classes here.

Sample Somosa recipe here.

Note: Working Well is not affiliated with Ranjana. I met her at a Building a Healthier Chicago Stakeholder meeting and thought her classes would be a great idea for many of our clients and blog readers!

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Surviving Loss…With the Help of a Paperback Friend

Posted in Health and Wellness, Stress Management, Workplace Wellness, tagged , , , , on January 14, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Certified Wellness Coach, Licensed Massage Therapist, ACSM Personal Trainer

How to Survive the Loss of a Love

In the past few weeks a few of my friends have lost loved ones to cancer and heart disease. Loss is never easy and grief take s a lot out of us emotionally and energywise. Losing a life partner, a parent or anyone close to us is like having major surgery ourselves. The funeral and wake may come and go quickly, but the grieving process takes much longer. And the stress of carrying on daily life while grieving can be stressful.

Years a go while I was grieving the loss of a loved one, a friend gave me a helpful little book and said to me “This book helped me get through my mother’s death. I am giving it to you. All I ask is that you pass it on to someone in need someday if it helps you.”  To date I have give away about 15 copies of the book to friends that have faced loss. And I am recommending it to you now if you ever lose a love one or are dealing with loss now. (Loss can also be a divorce or loss of a job, anything  that makes you feel grief.)

The book is called “How to Survive The Loss Of A Love,” by Peter McWilliams, Harold H. Bloomfield and Melba Colgrove.

It is available from Amazon here.

Reading one book won’t eliminate all grief and pain, but this book is easy to read, full of helpful tips to help you work through the grieving process and it’s only about $8.00 on Amazon. I hope it helps you as much as it’s helped me and others I know!

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Cold Weather Health Tip-Avoid Hypothermia!

Posted in Health and Wellness, tagged , , , on January 12, 2010| Leave a Comment »

RIO GRANDE CITY, TX - AUGUST 05: A patient ha...
Image by Getty Images via Daylife

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Certified Wellness Coach, Licensed Massage Therapist, ACSM Personal Trainer

Winter weather brings a host of health hazards. Aside from falling on ice (which I covered in this post, “Winter Ice Can be Not So Nice–Avoid Meeting the Pavement!” here), simply being too cold can be dangerous to your health. Staying warm isn’t merely about comfort. If your body is too cold for too long, you may develop hypothermia, a very dangerous, and sometimes fatal, condition. Read more to protect yourself and your loved ones from the cold!

Read what the Illinois Department of Public Health, HealthBeat website has to saw about hypothermia. Link to the website for more infomation here.

What is Hypothermia?

Hypothermia is a drop in body temperature to 95 degrees or less. It can be fatal if not detected promptly and treated properly. In the United States, about 700 deaths occur each year from hypothermia.

When the body temperature drops, the blood vessels near the surface of the body narrow to reduce heat loss. Muscles begin to tighten to make heat. If the body temperature continues to drop, the person will begin to shiver. The shivering continues until the temperature drops to about 90 degrees. Temperatures below 90 degrees create a life-threatening situation.

Who is Most At Risk for Hypothermia

While hypothermia can happen to anyone, the elderly run the highest risk because their bodies often do not adjust to changes in temperature quickly. Elderly people may be unaware that they are gradually getting colder. Hypothermia usually develops over a period of time, anywhere from a few days to several weeks, and even mildly cool indoor temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees can trigger it. If you have elderly relatives or friends who live alone, encourage them to set their thermostats above 65 degrees to avoid hypothermia.

What Are the Signs of Hypothermia?

Signs of hypothermia include:
• forgetfulness
• drowsiness
• slurred speech
• change in appearance (e.g., puffy face)
• weak pulse
• slow heartbeat
• and very slow and shallow breathing

If the body temperature drops to or below 86 degrees, a person may slip into a coma or have a death-like appearance.

What To Do If You Suspect Someone Has Hypothermia

1. If you notice symptoms of hypothermia in a person, take his or her temperature.
2. If it is 95 degrees or below, call a doctor or ambulance or take the victim directly to a hospital.
3. To prevent further heat loss, wrap the patient in a warm blanket.
4. Apply a hot water bottle or electric heating pad (set on low) to the person’s stomach.
5. If the victim is alert, give small quantities of warm food or drink.

What Not To Do To a Hypothermia Victim

There are several things you should not do to a hypothermia victim.
1. Do not give alcoholic beverages.
2. Do not give a hot shower or bath, since it could cause shock.
3. Generally, do not try to treat hypothermia at home. The condition should be treated in a hospital.

Tips for Staying Warm

These tips to keep you warm are from the New York City Office of Emergency Management. Link here.

Exposure to cold can cause life-threatening health conditions. Avoid serious conditions such as frostbite and hypothermia, by keeping warm.

  • Wear a hat, hood, or scarf, as most heat is lost through the head.
  • Wear layers, as they provide better insulation and warmth.
  • Keep fingertips, earlobes, and noses covered if you go outside.
  • Keep clothing dry; if a layer becomes wet, remove it.
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Avoid Injuries from Repetitive Motions at Work

Posted in Workplace Wellness, tagged , , , on January 11, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist,  Certified Wellness Coach and ACSM Personal Trainer

G2 Fitness Mouse Stretch Program

Do you work long hours at your computer? Performing the same tasks over and over can lead to muscle tension and injury. Michelle S. Jones, an eHow Contributing Writer, advises you to “Stand up and walk around if your job involves a lot of sitting. For every 20 minutes of work, take a two-minute break, which can be as simple as standing up and stretching,” in her article, Simple Steps to Take to Avoid Workplace Ergonomic Injuries,

OK, that’s pretty simple advice: Get up and stretch as often as possible. But how should you stretch? And what about your stretches for your hands? Now G2Fitness has a Mouse-Pad Stretch program that can help you out.

For the low price of $9.95, the Mouse Pad Stretch Program gives you:

  • 9 Simple and Effective Stretches
  • Offered in Black with Blue Coloring
  • Full Video instruction at g2fit.com
  • ECO Friendly (100% Recyclable)
  • Physician Certified Stretches
  • Bacteria Resistant
  • Washable Non-slip Surface
  • Long-lasting and Durable
  • Revolutionary Patented Material
  • Dimensions : 20cm x 25cm x 4mm
  • Material: 100% TPE

What’s the Story Behind G2 Fitness?

According to the G2 Fitness website, G2 Fitness CEO and founder Gasper Guarrasi has always enjoyed a fast-paced, competitive lifestyle. In his professional life, Mr. Guarrasi’s persistent focus, drive, and creativity were essential to his achievements as president of a $100 million company. On the playing field, Mr. Guarrasi was also known as a driven competitor, running up to 30 miles a week.

Towards the end of 2006, Gasper set a goal to play on the PGA tour and began the journey to play great golf. Through intensive training with top instructors and fitness experts, he discovered that the key element his game was missing was flexibility. He began a regime of specifically designed stretches which he performed every day and found that these not only improved his game but also made him feel better on a day—to—day basis. Today, his dedication to practicing and specifically stretching helped Mr. Guarrasi to become a scratch golfer with zero handicap who has had the honor of playing in qualifying events for the U.S. Open Championship and the Northern Trust Open.

While Mr. Guarrasi continues his love for the game of golf, the true passion that he takes from his experiences is his belief in the benefits of stretching. G2 Fitness combines Mr. Guarrasi’s sports and business acumen with his desire to help others live a healthier, fit life. The company is inspired to create powerful results for people in both health and sports.

Check out Celebrity Diet and Exercise Examiner, Fitz Koehler’s related post here.

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Winter Ice Can be Not So Nice–Avoid Meeting the Pavement!

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, tagged , , , , on January 10, 2010| 1 Comment »

Dont slip!
Image by Great Beyond via Flickr

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Last night I joined my fellow Chicagoans in a common winter “sport”: I fell on the ice. I was lucky that I was well padded and fell backwards onto my backpack on my outside stairs. I have a huge bruise on my thigh but overall, I am OK.

This time of year, not everyone is so lucky. Falls on ice can lead to broken bones in odd places: hips, elbows, even jaws if you fall forward and  your chin hits a cement curb. My brother is a radiologist and he tells me this time of year he sees far too many bone fractures due to slips and falls on the ice.

Protect Yourself On The Ice

How can you protect yourself from falling on the ice?  Here are some tips from Canadian Senior Years:

  • Wear boots or overshoes with soles. Avoid walking in shoes that have smooth surfaces, which increase the risk of slipping.
  • Walk consciously. Be alert to the possibility that you could quickly slip on an unseen patch of ice. Avoid the temptation to run to catch a bus or beat traffic when crossing a street.
  • Walk cautiously. Your arms help keep you balanced, so keep hands out of pockets and avoid carrying heavy loads that may cause you to become off balance.
  • Walk “small.” Avoid an erect, marching posture. Look to see ahead of where you step. When you step on icy areas, take short, shuffling steps, curl your toes under and walk as flatfooted as possible.
  • Remove snow immediately before it becomes packed or turns to ice. Keep your porch stoops, steps, walks and driveways free of ice by frequently applying ice melter granules. This is the best way to prevent formation of dangerous ice patches. Using a potassium-based melter, such as Safe Step, instead of salt will prevent damage to concrete, grass and other vegetation or to carpets and floors should you track in some.

    • If You Do Fall, How to Fall Safely

    But what if you fall anyway like I did? How can you lesson the damage that can be done by your fall? Sandra Gimpel, a 3rd degree black belt Karate instructor and Hollywood stunt woman who earns a living falling in movies and television commercials, has tips for safely falling. “It’s important to tuck your body, lift your head and avoid trying to break the fall with a hand, which can cause a wrist injury,” says Gimpel. “The idea is to make yourself as small as possible by rolling up into a ball.”

    Read Gimpel’s approach to practicing safe falls here.

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    Make Your Fitness Routine More Productive!

    Posted in Fitness, Workplace Wellness, tagged , , , , , , on January 9, 2010| Leave a Comment »

    By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, ACSM Personal Trainer, Certified Wellness Coach, Licensed Massage Therapist

    Digitlal Miniposters from Produtive Fitness

    I write a lot about increasing activity and fitness in and outside the workplace.  Companies can provide employees with education about fitness to help improve employee health. One easy way to give employees great information about stretching and weight training is to put up posters from Productive Fitness. At home, Productive Fitness provides mini versions of these posters via digital download.

    What’s So Great About Productive Fitness?

    Productive Fitness Products Inc. is the #1 supplier of fitness books to exercise equipment stores in North America. Mike Jespersen started Productive Fitness Products Inc. with the publication of The Great Dumbbell Handbook. The idea of publishing a book specific to dumbbells came when Mike was working at a local fitness equipment store in Vancouver, B.C. Many of the customers purchasing dumbbells also wanted a reference guide to performing the exercises. The book was an instant success and has now sold over 300,000 copies. This success has been expanded upon with The Great Body Ball Handbook now having sold over 300,000 copies, and The Great Handbook series having sales of over 1.2 million.

    Since Productive Fitness Products’ incorporation in 1998, it has continued to publish books, expanding on its series of “Great Books” which offer instruction on specific exercise topics such as the Body Ball, Stretch Tubing, and multi-station gyms.
    The “Great Books” are designed as quick-reference handbooks which allow readers to instantly access exercise descriptions for a particular body part. Each exercise description has a start and finish photo with clear, concise, step-by-step exercise descriptions.

    • See a sample of Productive Fitness videos on You Tube here.

    Who Writes and Reviews Productive Fitness Products?

    • Andre Noël Potvin is an internationally accredited author, fitness educator and medical exercise specialist with 24 years of leadership experience and clinical experience. Owner and operator of both a medical fitness clinic and school for fitness professionals, Andre is frequently invited to lecture at international public and professional conferences.
    Read more about Andre here.
    • James Talo has an extensive background in individual and team sports. His endeavors have ranged from track and field to lacrosse and the martial art, aikido. However, it wasn’t until Jim suffered a spinal injury in 1993 where his appreciation for the human body and how it should optimally move and function became apparent. This injury shifted his attention to the method of kettlebell lifting and the teachings of some of the world’s best coaches. He began his search for knowledge on this niche sport and obtained his first kettlebell certification in 2004.Jim’s coaching philosophy is one he shares with his students, clients and colleagues: “My purpose is to create an awareness… to educate coaches and their athletes on the merits of kettlebell lifting both as a training protocol and as a sport…I am here to serve, and to instruct technique that is safe and highly effective.”

    Read more about Jim here.

    Fitness Posters from Productive Fitness

    • Large Size Posters for the workplace

    Large Stretching Poster from Productive Fitness

    • Digital Download Posters (8.5 x 11) for home workouts.

    Disital Posters from Productive Fitness

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    Treat Your Skin To Soothing Lotion from Hugo’s Naturals

    Posted in Health and Wellness, Massage Therapy, tagged , , , , , on January 7, 2010| Leave a Comment »

    By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

    Hugo's Naturals lotion

    Each month at the Working Well Massage chair station inside the Lincoln Park Whole Foods Market, we feature a different body cream or lotion that is great for massage and your body! This month, our massage therapists are applying Vanilla and Sweet Orange lotion from Hugo’s Naturals during our massages.

    Hugo’s Naturals make great hand and body lotions. They are also good for relaxing or Swedish massage or even an at home back rub you give your partner or children.

    Hugo’s Naturals Scents

    • Vanilla & Sweet Orange Lotion

    • Shea Butter and Oatmeal

    • Unscented

    • Grapefruit

    • French lavender

    • Red Tea and Ylang Ylang

    • Sea Fennel and Passion Flower

    • Lemon Verbena and Bergamot

    • Spearmint

    • Geranium

    Who is Hugo and How Natural Are His Products?

    According to Hugo’s blog , Hugo Saavedra, founder of Hugo Naturals, has always been passionate about seeking out the best, most unusual ingredients and combining them in unique and exciting ways. His business career began at age 11, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A ship hand gave Hugo a branch of bananas at the port dock and on his way home, a woman stopped her car and asked how much they were. An entrepreneur was born.

    After years of running restaurants and supplying organic herbs and edible flowers from Argentina to the U.S., Hugo’s love of organic produce and exotic herbs spurred him on to his next venture — a line of exquisitely crafted soaps, which he sold at Farmer’s Markets along side his exotic produce. The demand for the soap was overwhelming, and soon outstripped his farming business. Hugo expanded the line to include lotions, body scrubs and bath salts. These products developed a large and intensely loyal following and Hugo expanded his sales beyond the United States into Asia, Canada and Europe.

    Hugo has taken great care to create the most beneficial products possible, while retaining a feel of luxury and comfort. All of Hugo’s products are earth-friendly and utilize organic ingredients. Using a cornucopia of natural ingredients, Hugo has created a banquet for the skin with the same sure hand that once created prize-winning culinary dishes. Hugo Naturals is a true expression of the creativity and integrity of its creator.

    Where Can I Buy Hugo Naturals’ Lotions?

    At Whole Foods Markets of course!  Right now a 12-ounce  bottle retails for $12.99 at Whole Foods Market. However, if you want to buy online, you will have to pay extra for shipping. Buy Hugo’s lotion from Amazon here.

    Read more about Hugo’s Naturals and Whole Foods body care products from Meg at her blog: Meg’s Makeup Reviews here.

    Note: Working Well Massage and Sue Shekut are not affiliated with Hugo’s Naturals nor do we get any advertising dollars from blogging about the products. We simply want to share a great product with our readers!

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    Massage and Prostitution-What’s the Difference?

    Posted in Health and Wellness, Massage Therapy, tagged , , , , , , , on January 6, 2010| 5 Comments »

    Massage in Frankfurt, Germany
    Image via Wikipedia

    By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

    Whilst researching around the internet, I found a link to a chat room thread that exemplifies one of the problems massage therapists face to this day: the misconception that massage therapy is a sexual service. In this thread,  a young man inquires how to go about getting sexual services from a “legitimate massage therapist.” Which is really an oxymoron.

    All too often, men (and some women) think that massage IS a sexual service and get confused as to what they are getting when they schedule a massage session. This makes it tough on those of us that are legitimate massage therapists. How do you know if your massage therapist or massage center is legit or a cover for prostitution?

    Massage is Not Prostitution, But Massage “Parlors” Are Often Fronts for Prostitution

    Because prostitution is illegal, prostitutes and massage parlor operators look for creative ways to mask the real intent of their product: Sex for hire. And what better way to conceal your true product than to market it under the name of a similar product or service: Call it “massage.”

    Massage parlors don’t typically use licensed massage therapists. Why bother? Licensing for massage therapy requires at least a year or so of schooling, including anatomy and kineseology, at a cost of about $10,000-$12,000. And in Illinois, massage therapists get fingerprinted and go through a criminal background check–tough to pass if her or she has a record of convictions for prostitution.

    Who Are Legitimate Massage Therapists?

    Which brings me to my point. How do you know the difference between a legitimate massage therapy center and a massage parlor? Let’s run through a legitimate massage therapist’s goals, training and ethics to demonstrate how we differ from massage parlor masseuses.

    Massage Therapy Goals

    Legitimate massage therapists are people that like to help other people, non-sexually. We aim to relieve muscle pain, relax your nervous system and give you a period of time in which you and your wellness is the focus (which is tough to find these days between work, family, fitness and social obligations).

    Legitimate massage therapy gives clients a safe space to relax. Licensed massage therapists are trained to respect client’ boundaries, be non-judgemental and compassionate.

    True, there is a wide range of skill levels between licensed massage therapists, and some are far better than others, but overall, legitimate massage therapists strive to provide a clean, safe and relaxing massage session for clients.

    Massage Therapy Ethics

    Legitimate massage therapists agree to abide by a code of ethics that prohibits sexual massage. In fact, if a legitimate massage therapist is convicted of giving sexual massages, aka prostitution, she/he can lose their massage therapy license, face disciplinary measures from their professional association and be barred from performing professional massage.

    Massage Therapy Training

    Licensed massage therapists train in massage techniques as well as proper draping techniques to ensure your genitals are never exposed during your massage. In massage therapy school, we learn about skin conditions and how to avoid contagion.We learn about good hygiene and general health conditions. We undergo extensive testing in each massage class as well as at the end of our training in order to obtain our massage therapy licenses.

    In Chicago, legitimate massage therapists must apply for and maintain current licenses with the State of Illinois. Any massage therapist that has been disciplined for performing sexual massage can have this license revoked. You can look up the validity of a massage therapists license online here. Your can also request that your massage therapists show you his or her state license. In addition, in Chicago, every Massage Therapy “Establishment,” from the Working Well Massage chair massage station at Whole Foods to the big spas, must have a Massage Establishment License.

    Where Do I Find a Legitimate Massage Therapist?

    You can find legitimate massage therapists on massage locater services such as ABMP, or Massage Today’s websites.  Link to my previous post, “How Do I Find a Good Massage Therapist?” here.

    A massage therapy session can be a wonderful, positive, relaxing experience. Or it can be a way to relieve muscle pain, heal from injury or help you better cope with stress. What it’s not is an open invitation to harass, proposition or fondle the massage therapist!

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    Where to Walk in Chicago

    Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, Stress Management, tagged , , , , on January 5, 2010| 2 Comments »

    Image representing Walk Score as depicted in C...
    Image via CrunchBase

    By Sue Shekut, Licensed Massage Therapist, ACSM Personal Trainer, Certified Wellness Coach, Owner, Working Well Massage

    Want to know where you can take a nice after dinner walk in Chicago?  I know it’s cold but if you bundle up, you can burn some calories and still see the bright lights and your neighbors holiday decorations as you stroll.   Check out this site dedicated to providing rankings on most walkable neighborhoods: Walk Score.com

    According to WalkScore’s website, “The top 8 neighborhoods in Chicago are Walkers’ Paradises. 66% of Chicago residents have a Walk Score of 70 or above. 96% have a Walk Score of at least 50—and 4% live in Car-Dependent neighborhoods.”

    Top  Cities for Walking

    The cities at the top of the Walk Score rankings have density, mixed use, transit, short blocks—and almost everything else on our walkability checklist. Most importantly, these cities have lots of destinations near each address, which is the strongest indicator of whether people walk.

    Least Walkable Cities

    It’s difficult to get by without a car (or even walk to a nearby restaurant) in these sprawling cities. More time in the car means more money at the pump, less exercise, and more pollution. But even the least walkable cities have walkable places. Read about these walking oases.
    Top 20 Most Walkable Chicago Neighborhoods according to WalkScore

    Neighborhood     Score
    1  Loop                       98
    2  Near North Side  97
    3  Lincoln Park        94
    4  Lake View             93
    5  Uptown                 92
    6  Edgewater            92
    7  Near South Side  90
    8  Rogers Park         90
    9  West Town           88
    10  Hyde Park          87
    11  Logan Square     86
    12  Lincoln Square  85
    13  Bridgeport          85
    14  Lower West Side 85
    15  Near West Side   84
    16  Albany Park        84
    17  North Center      83
    18  West Ridge         83
    19  North Park          81
    20  Irving Park         80
    Read more from the WalkScore website here.
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