Archive for the ‘Fitness’ Category
Real Simple Magazine outlined a great guide to protecting your bone health – and even broke it down by decades, so you know what you should be doing based on your age range.
There are some basic tips that everyone should be following in order to keep your bones strong and supportive throughout your life, and most of them you already know, and probably follow to help other areas of your health. They called it “Timeless Advice”, which I think is perfectly titled. No matter what age you are, you can begin following these guidelines to improve your bone health.
1 – Eat Right. Consuming a diet rich in fruits, veggies, and low fat dairy will ensure that you maintain your daily intake of vitamins and minerals – such as calcium, magnesium, and Vitamin D – which will boost the strength of your bones.
2- Exercise. Real Simple notes that “exercise can have a greater effect on bone strength than calcium consumption, according to recent research.” High impact exercises are recommended, such as running and weight training.
3- Drop the Cigarette. Smoking has been shown to reduce estrogen levels and cause an earlier onset of menopause, both of which contribute to a loss in bone density, making you susceptible to fractures and breaks.
4- Watch Salt & Alcohol. A high salt diet is associated with excess calcium excretion, and more than one alcohol drink a day could be harmful to estrogen levels. A fine example of a little bit can go a long way. Another staple in the American diet to stay away from? Caffeine.
One thing they don’t mention, that would be great no matter what your age? Chiropractic of course! Maintaining routine chiropractic adjustments will help you pain free, allowing you to enjoy an active lifestyle. An increase in activity will add more loading on bone mass, increasing your bone mass density.
Check out the rest of the article to see advice specifically targeted from your 20s all the way to your 50s.
When your boss shoots you an email with the details about your next office meeting, you might be surprised to see the location – a pair of treadmills? That’s right, “walking meetings”, as they have come to be called, are becoming popular in offices across the nation. These meetings take place on two treadmills that face each other – the true definition of multi-tasking, if you ask me – allowing co-workers to talk while they walk.
A recent blog post had peeked my curiosity – and with a little research, I found that this idea isn’t exactly new. New York Times had written about this a little over a year ago, mentioning a financing firm that had set up four treadmill desks for co-workers to utilize while they “take care of business.”
You might think to yourself, I workout out almost daily, doesn’t that negate elongated time spend sitting down? Not exactly. Research has shown that it isn’t the not exercising that is dangerous, it is simply the act of sitting itself. One study by the American Cancer Society showed that women and men who sat for six hours a day were 37 percent, and 18 percent, respectively, more likely to die by the end of the 13 year study period. Wow.
The Mayo Clinic also noted that increased hours of sitting, whether behind a desk or in front of a television, “increased the risk of events associated with cardiovascular disease, such as chest pain (angina) or heart attack” by 125 percent.
Those studies don’t even mention the more immediate side effects of long-term sitting. Hello Neck Pain! Welcome Back Pain! Ah, we meet again Headaches and Wrist Pain!
Don’t think your boss will spring for a couple of treadmills? Not to worry, the idea is still the same.When you have a chance, take the stairs, not the elevator. Instead of using intercom or instant messaging, get up and WALK to your co-worker to relay the message. Refill your water every hour – this will help encourage you to get up more frequently, as you will need to walk to both the water cooler and the bathroom.
Another great tip? GET UP. Even just a few 5 minute walking breaks, with a few stretches and deep breathing thrown in, can do wonders for your overall health.
What do you plan to do to make sure you keep moving throughout the work day?
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March is here! Woot, woot! With March comes a season change – SPRING – and warmer weather. Can you tell that we are a bit excited? It also means the end of running indoors for those of you that can’t bear the cold New Jersey winter. But before you lace up your sneakers, take a minute to see if you should be tying them a bit different.
I stumbled upon this awesome blog post – and had to share it with all of my springtime runners out there! Sure, I am young enough to know that there are different ways to tie your shoes, but I never realized there could be a really correlation between your lacing technique and feet problems.
For example, high instep? There is a way to lace your sneakers so that you have room in the midfoot area, which keeps you from feeling to tight across the arch of the foot.
Of course, this post comes with pictures to show you what she is describing.
Why am I blogging about this, you might ask? Well its all like the song says -
“The hip bone’s connected to the back bone, the back bone’s connected to the neck bone…”
Your stride, especially avid runners, can have a direct effect on your back and neck pain. I’m not saying that lacing your running shoes will make all the difference, but heck, it can’t hurt.
Here’s the blog post I have been referencing:
http://katierunsthis.com/2011/10/04/running-shoe-lacing-techniques/
Happy Running!
Here at Mecca Integrated Medical Center, we have our fair share of physical therapy patients visiting us for knee issues. Once outside our office, these patients can struggle to find cardiovascular activities that are easy on the knees. Not to worry, we are here to help offer some suggestions.
- Elliptical: Dr. Marina suggests this to most patients, due to the low impact nature this machine has on the joints. It is weight bearing, meaning that your bones are supporting your body weight, so it stimulates bone growth and strength, without the stress of running.
- Rope Work: Livestrong.com recommends rope work as a great way to get a cardio workout in without fear of knee pain. Most gyms now offer them – basically, they are heavy ropes that are wrapped around a stationary object and then moved in waves or slammed to the ground. I can personally attest this is one of those instances where it looks easier than it is.
- Swimming: Whether you use and indoor pool in the cooler months, or take advantage of a local town club during the summer, swimming is a great cardio workout that is low impact. Just consider avoiding the push off the edge of the pool, as that could cause aggravation.
- Kettle Bell Work: Swinging kettle bells or doing snatches will up your cardio quotient without relying on your knees. The plus side? Kettle bells are a great switch up to your normal routine.
- Rowing: This one surprised me a bit, but rowing can be a great option for several reasons. First, I hardly ever see anyone on it. Next, it is an amazing upper body workout. The finishing touch? Your legs provide low-impact support by pushing against the machine each time your stroke backwards.
Do you have one that isn’t listed? Comment below and let us know your favorite!
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Woohoo, we have progressed in our outlines of correct posture to running! Did everyone notice that we were gaining speed through the activites? I thought you would all like that.
Listen, when it comes to running, everyone has there own rhythm and stance. Everyone has seen the Friends episode where Phoebe schools Rachel in running like when she was kid, right? This blog isn’t meant to debunk all of your running style and what is most comfortable for you. Simply to point out that being aware of your running posture is most of the work. Once you make a note to notice it, it will become ingrained in your subconscious and become a habit.
During your run, make sure not to hunch your shoulders. You might notice that your shoulders play a pretty big role in your posture – since we have mentioned it in regards to your Sitting Posture, Standing Posture, and Walking Posture. Also, hit the ground with your foot midpoint, and roll forward towards your toes.
This is almost the end of our blog series- make sure to check out next week’s final one!
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This blog seems pretty straight forward -right? How to walk? I bet you are saying, come on – I have been walking for quite a long time, on my own no less, thank you very much. But here’s the thing. Besides the basic, put one foot in front of the other, there is actually a CORRECT way to walk. I’m not kidding, check out the picture above.
When it comes to proper posture and walking, you want to make sure you aren’t staring at the ground. This can cause some serious neck pain (not to mention you aren’t paying attention to what is ahead and you can ram into something). You also want to walk heel to toe.
If you are a latecomer to this series- and I know that some of you are, make sure to check out the Proper Posture Test, as well as quick tutorials about Correct Sitting Posture and Correct Standing Posture.
Next week, we gain some speed by going over the correct posture one should have while running.
Tell us, have you felt any difference in your back, neck, hip, or knee pain since you have been checking on your posture throughout the day? Let us know!
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