Accident Prone: Don't Get Damaged Like the Stars

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HE'S SNORTED worms and vaulted into a ceiling fan — but what's making former "Jackass" star Steve-O (a.k.a. Stephen Glover) sore lately? The fox-trot.

As a contestant on "Dancing With the Stars," he's one of this season's many battered bold names. Knee injuries sidelined Jewel and Nancy O'Dell before the show's debut. Don't forget the voted-off Steve Wozniak (fractured foot, pulled hamstring) and Holly Madison (strained rib muscle). Steve-O is suffering from strained back muscles from a flip gone awry in rehearsals. Will the 34-year-old limp along much longer?

Only if he loosens up, says Adriane Morgan, artistic director of Bethesda's Dushor Dance Studios. "If you look at the stuff he did on 'Jackass,' his body is relaxed. He's used to being a trickster," she says. But he's not used to leading, and the result, she explains, is that the tense star stiffens his muscles (recall his wooden waltz), making himself even more susceptible to injury.

Plus, there's the issue of being fit. One needn't be an Olympian to excel (although it seems to help gymnast Shawn Johnson), but it's critical to have a solid base of strength when attempting such complicated steps so quickly. A regular routine — be it yoga or cycling — improves your timing, posture and balance. Luckily, regular folks aren't under the time constraints the celebs are and can (and should) work up to fancy footwork. "They need to be patient with themselves," Morgan says. Hear that, Steve-O?