Finding the positive and looking at the brighter side of things can have an incredibly positive effect on pain management.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120426104343.htm
2 Comments
As we age we become increasingly more likely to fracture, break or strain something in our bodies from normal every day activities. Proper nutrition and exercise can help prevent such events. Women who reach early menopause are at an even higher risk for these injuries. Beginning a strength training program or improving upon the one you have immediately, will significantly help balance hormones and strength bones, muscles, and connective tissue, no matter where you are starting from. Check out this article from the New York Times.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/26/early-menopause-linked-to-bone-fracture-risk/?ref=health All those high volume, lowerintensity workouts can lead to the same response in muscle growth as low volume, high intensity workouts can... check out this article from science daily. There may even be added benefits to doing more repititions....
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120426110252.htm Some of the most important nutritional components of optimal athletic performance as well as recreational activity are water and micronutrients. Water and micronutrients help the body optimize the energy found in carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Many people have heard at some point in their life that water makes up some large percentage of their total body weight. The truth is, water is the body’s most abundant nutrient and vital to all of the body’s functions and processes. As many of us know, one of the body’s most important functions is to keep us cool. Slight dehydration of even one percent can demonstrate itself as a decrease in performance. The human body must have the right combination of water and nutrients at all times to perform at an optimal level. Everyone wants to know exactly how much water is enough…. should we drink 8 glasses of water or our body weight divided in half, in ounces? The truth is, there is no single standard for everyone. It depends on a variety of factors, such as bodyweight, activity level, climate, etc. The simplest and most effective way to know if you are getting enough water is to measure the color of your urine. It should be a pale yellow color, resembling fresh squeezed lemon juice. It should have no odor either. If your urine is darker in color or it has a strong odor, you are dehydrated. There is one exception to this, when vitamin and other supplement levels are high, they can turn the urine a bright yellow or brownish yellow in addition to causing a strong odor. You will need to cut back on vitamin intake to access your urine properly. It is recommended for many athletes to do weigh-ins before and after workouts, to see how much water an athlete is losing in any given session. Remember that even a 1% decrease in body water levels will decrease performance. In a 125 pound athlete this would be equal to about 2.5 pound water weight loss. Quick body-weight loss is due primarily to water loss. Thus, checking body-weight levels before and after training and competitions is an accurate way to check body water loss. The recreational exerciser as well as the weight-loss participant can use the same methods to more accurately measure their success. Remember that thirst is not a good indicator of proper hydration. By the time you begin to feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrated. You may be able to drink enough water to satisfy your thirst, more often than not, you body will still be dehydrated. This is why it is important to drink water continuously throughout the day. In addition to drinking water throughout the day, here are some guidelines to follow for water and other fluid intake before, during, and after exercise. Before one begins exercise they should consider consuming 2 cups (16-20 ounces) of water about 2 hours beforehand. Additionally they should consume another 2 cups of water or other cool fluid about 15-20 minutes before they start. Drinking water or other cool fluids at these specified times can avoid or delay dehydration during physical activity, help maintain muscular strength, endurance, and coordination as well as decrease the probability of muscle cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Recently it has been shown that the consumption of water 60 minutes prior to exercise helps the body work more efficiently improving heat regulation and exercise performance. Now that the body has properly been prepped for exercise, what should one drink during exercise to keep the body moving at an optimal speed? It is believed that in order to replace all of the fluids lost through sweat; one should consume 6-12 ounces of fluids every 15-20 minutes during exercise. This will result in drinking between 2 ½-6 cups of fluid for each hour of exercise. When exercising for an hour or less, water is an appropriate fluid replacement. When exercising for longer than an hour, a combination of a sport drink containing a 6-8% carbohydrate concentration as well as water is recommended. The combination is recommended because as the duration of exercise increases our bodies begin to lose important vitamins and minerals through sweat. Additionally our energy stores become depleted and the carbohydrates provide important instant energy to the body. Sport drinks also contain electrolytes that help aid in the absorption of water into the system. Those who exercise in high temperatures or humid conditions should consider consuming a sport drink after 30-45 minutes of exercise due to the increased stress placed on the body while exercising in such conditions. One should be careful when choosing a sport drink. It is important that it contains 6-8% carbohydrate concentration because, levels higher than that can cause fluid absorption into the body to slow down tremendously. The goal is to replenish all the lost fluids, minerals, and vitamins. You should also be away of the sodium content in a sport drink, because sodium is one of the first minerals to be depleted through sweating and exercise. One should look for a sport drink with 0.5-0.7 grams of sodium per liter of fluid. There is one exception to the above mentioned guidelines, intermittent exercise, such as soccer, basketball, football, volleyball, etc can include brief, intense bursts of exercise that last for anywhere between less than one hour to more than three hours. While water is traditionally recommended for short duration, intermittent exercise, research supports athletic performance improvements when a carbohydrate/electrolyte beverage is consumed in combination with water. After exercise, if one weighed themselves before and after they should consume 3 cups (24 ounces) of water for each pound of weight lost during exercise. Ideally one would strive to achieve pre-workout or competition weight. If no weighing was done, then one should aim to consume a minimum of 3-4 cups of water (24-32 ounces). Water will continue to be lost through urination during the post-exercise recovery period. If you are anything like a large percentage of the world’s population, the following question crosses your mind more often than not, “What can I do to be healthier?” There are a million responses to this question. Some will say, exercise, do yoga, meditate, don’t eat carbohydrates, walk to work, watch less TV, do crossword puzzles, travel, hang out with friends, etc. The possibilities really are limitless. One thing that is limited is our time. There are only so many hours in the day, so we find ourselves saying, what is just ONE simple thing I can do to be healthier, that is quick and easy? There are numerous things, but the number one thing I recommend to my clients is to start blending their greens.
We have all heard of the infamous wheat grass shot, we know it is good for us, but it sure tastes like we imagine fresh cut grass after mowing our lawn would. This is based on the same principles but a tad tastier. Blend greens into a smoothie once a day. Add everything you would normally to a smoothie, and then throw in a handful of spinach, kale, or collard greens. Greens are however a little bit bitter by nature and some are even spicy. When you are blending, try to have a 60/40 ratio. That is 60% ripe fruit to 40% greens. The ripe fruit will sweeten the drink to make it palatable to even the tiniest family members. I encourage you to stay away from the spicy greens as their flavor tends overpower the fruit with which it is blended and when in doubt add a banana, it makes everything just a little bit sweeter. Why greens you may ask? “A molecule of chlorophyll closely resembles a molecule of human blood. According to teachings of Dr. Ann Wigmore, "consuming chlorophyll is like receiving a healthy blood transfusion". Many people do not consume enough greens, even those who stay on a raw food diet. By drinking two or three cups of green smoothies daily you will consume enough greens for the day to nourish your body, and all of the beneficial nutrients will be well assimilated.” ~ Victoria Boutenko Author of “Green for Life” Greens support detoxification in the body all the way to the genetic level. They have been linked to lowering cholesterol, lowering the risk for 5+ variations of cancer, reduced inflammation, and improved complexion. By blending the greens, the individual chlorophyll molecules are ruptured or broken, making the nutrients immediately digestible and easy to absorb. The body can then go to work; using the nutrients in the thousands of daily processes that occur. So, do something quick and easy for you and your family, make a smoothie and add a little green. Basic Balance Victoria Boutenko 1 mango 1 cup kale 1 cup water Yields 1 quart Rocket Fuel Smoothie Victoria Boutenko 2 cups green or red seedless grapes 3 golden kiwis, peeled 1 ripe orange, peeled, seeds removed 1 small leaf of aloe vera, with skin 5 leaves red leaf lettuce 2 cups water Yields 2 quarts Morning Zing Smoothie Victoria Boutenko ½ bunch dandelion greens 2 stalks celery ½ inch fresh ginger root 2 peaches ½ pineapple Yields 2 quarts Parsley Passion Smoothie Sergei Boutenko 1 bunch fresh parsley 1 cucumber, peeled 1 Fuji apple 1 ripe banana 1–2 cups water Yields 2 quarts Being a parent or a student is tough. Every day we are challenged by time, schedules, practice, homework, work, nutrition, and so many other things. We barely have time to relax and we certainly don’t have time to do research on whether or not strength training for our kids or ourselves is safe and beneficial or dangerous and detrimental. To make life a little easier, here are the top 5 advantages to youth resistance training. Lower Injury Risk: Research done by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) indicated that youth that participate in regular supervised resistance training programs were as much as 50% less likely to sustain an injury. Lower Obesity Rate: Resistance training may be particularly beneficial for overweight youth who are often discouraged and turned away by more intense aerobic forms of exercise. As they build more muscle and rev their metabolism, they will notice an increase in energy. More energy means their likelihood of participating in other athletic activities greatly improves as does the possibility for weight loss. Enhanced Muscular Strength and Endurance: Youth resistance training has the ability to improve the preparedness of aspiring young athletes for the demands of sports participation. This gives some youth the “edge” over their counterparts that do not participate in resistance training. Those youth not participating in athletic programs were said to have greater overall physical endurance and a noticeable positive change in muscle tone and definition. Bone Density: The greatest gains in bone density are believed to be produced by sports that combine weight-bearing with repetitive impact loading. By continually changing the lifts being performed and the ways in which load is being placed on the body, one substantially reduces their potential for osteoporosis risk later in life. Increased Confidence and Self Esteem: Regular resistance training provides an opportunity for participants to learn about their bodies and feel good while challenging themselves to reach new heights mentally and physically. While there are countless benefits to youth resistance training, one should always remember participation in an unsupervised resistance training program can increase the risk of injury. Regardless of age or experience, it is best to always be under the supervision of a trained professional. Whether you are looking to help your child lose weight, get an athletic scholarship, or encourage a healthier way of living, resistance training can help you. With countless methods, tools, and resistance training resources available, one is sure to find something that fits their specific needs. Run, Bike, Swim, Elliptical…Boring! Why not change up your normal routine by dancing! There are many benefits to dancing, whether you take a formal dance class, spend Friday night at a local music venue, or dance in your living room. Metabolism Boost: It is no secret; all exercise can train both your bones and muscles. However, many professionals believe that dancing is one of the most efficient forms of exercise when it comes to boosting your metabolism. Dance, uses every part of our bodies in endless ways and combinations. Our bodies constantly have to accommodate to the new stresses we throw at it, allowing us to always get the maximum benefits from dance. Flexibility: An asset of both quick and slower dances from ballet to ballroom. You will increase mobility in trained joints. Hips, arms and abs are the main target of the bending, turns and swinging of most dances. Increased Heart Rate: The ultimate condition for successful weight loss exercise is an increased heart rate. Keeping it elevated will guarantee an exhausting and spectacular workout. Body fat is best burned when our muscles need additional fuel to complete the rest of the workout. Body Toning: Weight loss is not the only asset of dance lessons or a night of spontaneous dancing. This type of exercise will reveal a toned body with strong muscles and a worth-admiring silhouette. •Salsa: This is one of the most passionate dances; it not only provides us with a reviving energy boost but also improves our coordination through various muscle groups. Burning more than 420 calories per hour is one of the most promising attractions of this popular partner dance. •Belly Dancing: Popular among those who are keen to explore the secrets of seductive hip moves. Professionals guarantee a 380 calorie loss with only one session. Those who rely on their flexibility rather than strength should opt for this dance style with great confidence. •Ballet is a classic and sophisticated dance that is practiced from an early age. One of the main advantages of this workout is its stress releasing quality. Those who are mesmerized by the fabulous music and are keen to challenge their mobility will be welcomed to experiment with a ballet lesson. 300 calories per hour is the guarantee for the spotless look. •Zumba Dancing: Are you more of an energy-bomb? Dance down your extra-pounds with an exhausting and extremely healthy Zumba session. With 540 calories burned it leads the list of favorite dance workouts. Next time you are dreading your run or spin class, head to a local dance class or dance your heart away in your living room! The more passionate we are about the music and the dancing, the more fun we will have, and the more calories we will burn! |
Author# 1 Trainer in Oakland and the East Bay, sharing health, fitness, and lifestyle information. Archives
April 2023
Categories
All
|