Author: melissa

If you work out on a regular basis, odds are good that you’re already stretching before and after your workout routine.  If you’re not, you should be, because stretching offers a raft of benefits.

Even if you don’t work out at regular intervals, daily stretching is still important, and in fact, offers the same benefits as it does to those who exercise often.  Here are a few of them:

• Less Pain and Stiffness – If you suffer from chronic pain (whether or not you work out), a daily stretching routine will help keep your body limber and reduce stiffness throughout the day. Even better, you don’t have to limit yourself to just once a day stretching.  Any time you feel stiffness encroaching, spend a few minutes stretching!
• Less Stress – The mind and body are connected. If you’re feeling stressed out and anxious, spending a few minutes stretching will not only provide physical benefits, but mental ones as well.  Studies have shown that as little as five minutes spent stretching can reduce cortisol levels in your body.  Since cortisol is the “stress hormone,” reducing it reduces your stress level.
• Less Chance of Injury – Stretching before you engage in any strenuous physical activity will improve your body’s mechanics and functioning, reducing the chance of injury as you set about the day’s activities. Stretching again when you’re finished for the day will help keep muscle pain to a minimum.
• Better Overall Health – Stretching increases and improves blood flow. Blood, of course, transports oxygen to every cell in your body.  More oxygen equals better health.  As a side bonus, stretching also helps your body pump more oxygen to your brain, so you’re likely to notice an improvement in your level of concentration.

All that to say, if you’re not already stretching on a daily basis, there’s no time like the present!

 

There’s a lively debate between walking and running fanatics about which one’s better, with people arguing passionately on both sides of the issue.

While there’s evidence supporting both arguments, we like James O’Keefe’s opinion.  It matters because he’s done both, and having tried both, has ultimately settled on the walking side of the debate.

O’Keefe is a cardiologist and a self-described exercise enthusiast, who used to spend several hours a day running and working out.  After a period of intensive research on the long-term effects of intense physical activity on the heart and body, he decided to trade in his running shoes for a comfortable pair of walking shoes.

Studies show that running doesn’t actually improve your mortality rate, while walking 1-2.5 hours a week can lower your risk of death by up to 25 percent.

As O’keefe explains:

“We’re not meant for sustained levels of exercise for long periods of time.  After 60 minutes of intense physical activity, like running, the chambers of your heart begin to stretch and overwhelm the muscle’s ability to adapt.”

It gets worse.  Over the longer terms, intense training can permanently damage your heart, because the increased blood flow to your heart leads to microtears.  If you only run occasionally, that’s not a huge deal, because they heal after a few days. If you do it repeatedly and over a long period of time, it can cause scarring in the heart that can accelerate aging.

Not only that, but excessive endurance training can also short circuit your immune system, making it more likely that you’ll get sick.  It sounds counterintuitive, but it’s true!

The bottom line is, while there’s no doubt that exercise is good for you, too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing.  As ever, moderation is the key.

Medical science is divided on whether the physical act of our bodies growing can cause pain.

There doesn’t seem to be any scientific basis for the claim, but the reality is that lots of kids between the ages of five and thirteen experience pain, primarily in their legs, and that pain stops when they get a bit older and stop growing.

Even if there’s ultimately some other cause, and the growth process itself isn’t responsible, it seems clear enough that there’s a connection. So for our purposes, we’re going to say yes, growing pains are real.

If you’re a parent, this probably comes as no surprise, as you’ve likely been kept up at night by your child, who’s whimpering or crying because their legs hurt.

Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do beyond treating the immediate symptom, and we’ll give you three tips for doing that next.

• Massage – The pain your child is feeling is centered in their muscles, not their bones or joints. So, standard massage techniques will do a lot to help reduce the pain.
• Alternate Ice and Heat – As with any other form of muscle strain, alternating between ice and heat will help reduce swelling and alleviate the pain.
• Encourage Stretching – This one might be a bit harder to pull off, depending on how much pain your child is in. It could be the case that they’re hurting too much to engage in any kind of stretching, but if you can coax them into it, it will definitely help.

The good news is that even if your child experiences growing pains during the night, they’ll pass by morning.  Even so, it’s never pleasant to watch your child suffering.  Fortunately, there are a few simple things you can do that will help ease their pain.

School’s out and it’s time for summertime fun!

What kid (big or little) doesn’t love summertime?  From a child’s perspective, it’s the perfect time of year.  No school.  Relaxed rules.  Relaxed schedules.  What’s not to like?

Unfortunately, it’s easy to take things too far, and that can have detrimental effects on your child’s health.  Here are a few simple tips to keep your kids of all ages healthy during the long, lazy days of summer:

Scheduling Matters

It’s fine to have one (or several) goof off days during the summer.  That is, after all, part of the charm of the season.  You don’t have to be a killjoy to impose a little structure on the long break from school.  We don’t recommend waking your kids up at the crack of dawn like a drill Sargent.  Let them sleep in a little (you could probably use a bit of that too!).

At the same time though, do try and keep your children on a schedule.  It’s fine if there’s a bit more slack in it, but growing bodies need plenty of sleep, and sticking close to regular bedtimes, even if it’s on a “relaxed, summer schedule” will go a long way toward making sure they get the rest they need.

Limit The Junk Food At Home

While it’s true that kids at home all day do a lot more “grazing,” and it’s true that their preferred snacks aren’t at all healthy, you can easily mix in some healthy-ish alternatives with the pure junk food, and every little bit will help.  The less junk they eat during the summer, the fewer health and weight problems they’re likely to have.

Pack Snacks When You Go On The Road

It’s all too easy when you’re traveling for vacation to stop at the local Dairy Queen or burger joint for some food on the go.  That’s fine once in a while as a treat, but the better approach is to plan ahead and pack your own healthier snacks.  It’s an “on the go” version of the idea we mentioned above.

Planned Activities

Too often these days, kids are inclined to stay indoors – don’t let them!  Encourage and plan a variety of activities that see them spending lots of time in the great outdoors, romping and having fun.  That’s good, and healthy for everyone!

Staying healthy during the summer months doesn’t have to be boring.  With a bit of applied creativity, everybody will have a great time, and avoid developing unhealthy habits at the same time.  That’s win-win!

Most professionals will tell you that building muscle strength (especially in your core) is one of the keys to minimizing back pain.

After all, a strong, healthy and well-developed core gives you the strength you need to carry your weight.

As long as you’re mindful of how you move your body, it will help minimize your chance of injury.

Most people talk about your “core” as if it were one singular thing but it’s not. In fact, your core actually contains sixteen different groups of muscles, and they’re all important.  Unfortunately, too many people rely on one or two simple exercises designed to target their core and call it done.  Crunches are one of the most common exercises used to tone muscles in that area, and that’s a problem.

There are a couple of different issues with crunches, and an overreliance on them might be doing as much harm as good.

While it’s true that any form of exercise (crunches included) is of at least some benefit, crunches are a bit outdated and they only focus on your abdominals.  While your abdominals are an important part of your core musculature, they’re only one of the aforementioned sixteen muscle groups.

The real issue then, is that if you develop and define one specific muscle group, but don’t pay attention to the others surrounding it, you’re asking for trouble.

Those muscle groups don’t operate independently of each other, but are designed to work as a cohesive whole.  If the other surrounding muscle groups are significantly weaker and less-developed, they’re not going to be up to the same rigors that your abs can handle, and that’s going to cause muscle strain, and sometimes sprains.

In addition to that, it’s going to impact the way you move your body in subtle ways, which can see you twisting or turning incorrectly, which can easily cause or exacerbate back pain.  Not a happy situation.

By all means, exercise!  Just when you do so, be sure you’re paying attention to all your major muscle groups.

“It’s not the fall that kills you, it’s the abrupt stop at the end.”

You’ve probably heard that phrase before, and the same thing basically holds true of whiplash, which is one of the most common injuries people suffer in an automobile accident.

In the case of whiplash, it’s not the collision itself that hurts you, but the abrupt stop and rapid change in motion or direction that happens as a result of the collision.  Often (but not always) it’s the result of a rear end collision that sees you tossed about in the car, with your head being moved rapidly and unexpectedly back and forth.

When this happens, it causes the muscles and ligaments in your neck to stretch and extend, in addition to causing damage to the joints that are located between your vertebrae.  What makes matters worse is the fact that immediately following an accident that tosses you about like this, you may not feel any pain.  Some people do, but often, there will be a delay of 24 to 72 hours before the pain starts setting in.

Common symptoms of whiplash include:

• Back, neck and shoulder pain
• Stiffness and swelling
• Headaches and bouts of dizziness
• In some cases, burning sensations or numbness in the hands and arms

Those symptoms often lead to a raft of others, including an inability to concentrate or sleep, feelings of fatigue and irritability, and in some cases, problems with memory or depression.  Given the delay, many people try to “walk it off,” telling themselves that it can’t be all that serious, because it didn’t hurt immediately after the accident occurred.

That’s a mistake, and if you experience any of the symptoms described above in the days following an accident, you should see your doctor or chiropractor (or both) immediately.  Don’t suffer in pain needlessly, and don’t fail to get those symptoms checked out.  They could be signs pointing to an even more serious problem.

 

 

 

Theme and amusement parks are a popular summertime destination, and why not?  The carnival smell, the decadent foods and of course the rides!  What’s not to like?

As fun as those things are though, it pays to be mindful. This is especially true if you already suffer from chronic back or neck pain or if you have arthritis. Many of the rides at amusement parks (looking at you, roller coasters) can cause old injuries to flare up, or even create new ones.

It’s not good and it’s certainly not fun to think about, but there are some simple things you can do to keep your risks at a minimum.  These include:

Strengthening

You don’t have to go crazy here.  We’re not talking about a highly regimented “training program” to get you ready for a day at the amusement park.  What we are talking about is a regular focus on strengthening your core with low-impact exercises. These are not only good for your health in general, but those stronger muscles will make it less likely that being tossed about on a ride for a few minutes will result in injury.

Stretching

Before you head to the park of your choice, start the day by warming up.  Give your body a good stretch, which will loosen your muscles and make you more relaxed.  This gives you the same benefits that stretching before exercise provides, and is always a good idea, especially if you have a history of back or neck pain.

Keep Ice Handy

If it’s not practical to keep ice physically with you, at least be mindful of where the nearest snack stations are.  That way, if you do suffer an injury while out having fun, you can give it a quick ice treatment to help keep the swelling down.

By all means, go out, have fun and enjoy the park and all your favorite rides.  Just be sure to take a few basic precautions so that an unexpected injury doesn’t put a damper on the day.

There’s a lot of misinformation in the health and nutrition industry, and a significant percentage of the products that are marketed as “healthy” are anything but.  Below you’ll find a few examples.  These are foods you may currently think of as being good for you, and if so, prepare to be disappointed.

Smoothies

Ask just about anyone and they’ll tell you that smoothies are really good for you.  After all, they’re made of fruit, and websites all over the internet say that most fruits are superfoods, so how could smoothies be bad for you?

The first thing to do is to check the food label and see how many carbs your favorite smoothie has.  If it’s got more than 15 grams of carbs per serving, consider it to be a non-starter.

Gluten-Free Anything

Grains cause inflammation in a staggering percentage of the population, which is why the phrase “gluten-free” has gotten so popular in recent years.  The problem is that when you remove the gluten from any given product, you take away the thing that provides the food’s delicious, chewy texture.  If manufacturers want their product to sell (and of course they do), they have to replace it with something equally attractive, which usually means sugar.  The result?  Most gluten-free snacks on the market today wind up having more calories than the snacks they’re replacing.  It’s just not a good trade.

Protein Bars

This is a big one because many people who are serious about dieting rely heavily on protein bars.  Unfortunately, if you compare food labels, you’ll quickly discover that most of the ones being sold today have as much sugar in them as most candy bars.  True, you are getting a few healthy ingredients in addition to that, but much of their benefit is blunted by all that sugar.

 

There are plenty of other “healthy” foods that actually aren’t.  The biggest favor you can do for yourself is to avoid processed foods altogether, be aware of sugar content, and eat mostly fresh fruits and veggies.  If you insist on eating processed foods, become an avid food label reader.

 

Are you interested in participating in a 5k run this year?  If so, good for you!  It’s a challenging undertaking, but one that will make you feel great when you complete it.

As with anything sports related though, there’s always the risk of injury.

Here are a few things to keep in mind to minimize your risks and help you improve your odds of reaching the finishing line.

Start Training Right Away

This is a big one, and sadly, it’s often overlooked.  Most people don’t fully appreciate how daunting a challenge a 5k run can be until they’ve attempted it.  It’s not a challenge to be taken lightly, and your preparation should begin several weeks before the run itself.

Start by walking a 5k route to get a feel for it. Then, over time, build up to jogging intermittently, and then finally run the full distance.  Don’t be surprised if you can’t finish the run on your first try.

A Good Warm-Up Is Crucial

As with any form of exercise, warming up before the main event is crucial. This benefits you mentally and physically, prepares you for the challenge ahead, and limbers up your body so it’s up to the task.  If you forego a good warmup, you’re more than three times as likely to hurt yourself.  This is easy to prevent!

Shoes (and Socks) Matter

Running is like any other sport.  To do it well, you need the right equipment.  In this case, the right equipment comes down to shoes and socks.  Be sure you’ve got a great pair of running shoes that fit you properly and have plenty of support.  Make sure your socks fit snugly, but not too snugly.  You don’t want them to feel tight on your feet as this could cause problems ranging from blisters to athlete’s foot, or worse.

Don’t let a needless injury sideline you.  Take sensible precautions before and during your 5k run, then go out and conquer it!

Americans lead increasingly sedentary lifestyles. They often spend the greater portion of each day sitting hunched over a computer, whether in the office or at home.  If we’re not hunched over our computers, we’re hunched over our smartphones.

 

Either way, the result is the same.  All those hours tend to take their toll.  Fortunately, there are a few simple things you can do to spare yourself the back and neck pain that accompanies those long hours spent hunched over.  Most of these things apply to PC users, but the first applies to both PC and smartphone users.

Mindfulness

This is probably the single biggest thing you can do.  Pay attention to your posture, whether looking at your smartphone or your PC.  Sit up straight and don’t angle your neck downward.  If you’re using a smartphone, simply hold the phone higher so you’re looking at it straight on.

Redesign Your Workspace

Since you can use your smartphone anywhere, this one applies specifically to PC users.  Sadly, the way you’ve got your workspace arranged can foster bad posture habits.  Make sure that your monitor is sitting high enough that you don’t have to crane your neck to see it, and angle it upwards slightly if needs be.

In some cases, users may have the opposite problem, where their monitor is too high.  In this case, lowering it may not be possible, but even then, most monitors have an angle adjustment feature which you can use to angle it down.

Also make sure that your keyboard is placed for maximum comfort, and if need be, install a padded wrist protector.

Your Chair

Being mindful of your posture will help, but if at all possible, get an ergonomic chair for your desk (both at the office and at work).  This isn’t a direct substitute for mindfulness, but a properly designed chair will not only increase your comfort, but also foster better sitting habits.

The bottom line is, spending hours each day working on a PC or your phone doesn’t mean you’re destined to have to live with back or neck pain.  There are things you can do to mitigate that!