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Beating Back Pain
The most common injury that I see on a regular basis are back injuries. Back injuries and pain can be avoided by following these top 6 tips for a pain free and strong and healthy back.
- Stay Flexible – lack of mobility is the most common cause of back pain. If you work in a sedentary job, get up every 20 – 30 minutes and stretch out for a few seconds or grab a drink of water to loosen up. See a qualified fitness or yoga instructor for some safe stretching routines.
- Stay Strong- Go swimming or try rowing or get an exercise rountine at your local gym to strengthen and tone those back muscles. Don’t forget to work your abdominal muscles as well as they provide support for the back.
- Watch your Weight – Putting on a lot of (fat) weight over a short period of time can place stress on the body by tilting the pelvis forwards and overloading the spine.
- Have a deep tissue massage. Tight muscles eventually lead into a state of fibrosis and scar tissue which cause knots in the muscle. When this happens the muscles are dysfunctional and immobile which then creates back pain. Deep tissue vs a lighter aromatherapy or spa massage will bring much better results.
- Stay Hydrated- The discs in your spine are fluid filled and provide protection between your spinal vertebrae. When properly hydrated you will find less back discomfort.
- Watch your posture and bend your knees. – Some of the biggest problems of back pain are because of a slouched posture and not bending your knees when picking up items. Bend first, then rotate after, and make sure you stand close to the load you are lifting.
Follow these 6 healthy back tips and you’ll have a much stronger and pain free back!!
The Benefits of Exercise
Regular physical activity is an important part of effective weight control, longevity and natural radiance and beauty. Exercise also helps prevent many diseases and improve your overall health. By making physical exercise a part of your daily routine you will maintain a youthful appearance and feel the benefits exercise has to offer.
The health benefits of regular exercise are:
- Heart Disease and stroke prevention – Daily physical activity can help prevent heart disease and stroke by strengthening your heart and raising your good cholesterol levels and lowering your bad cholesterol levels and improving blood flow throughout the body to provide a steady course of nutrients and oxygen.
- Reducing Blood Pressure – Regular exercise reduces blood pressure in people with high blood pressure and hypertension.
- Diabetes – By reducing body fat, physical activity can help to prevent and control type 2 diabetes.
- Back Pain – By increasing muscle strength and endurance and improving flexibility and posture, regular exercise provides balance and stability throughout the body.
- Osteoporosis – Regular weight bearing exercise promotes bone formation and may prevent many forms of breaks and falls from weakened bone structures.
On top of these great health benefits regular exercise may also help with: Continue reading
Understanding Fat Loss
Many of us are in search of optimal health while at the same time controlling our body fat percentages. This difficult two-part quandary must be addressed in two different ways. First and foremost you must recognize “ what are my eating patterns”?
Some of us become fat by over eating but most of us become fat by incorrect eating habits and choices. So what’s the first thing we do? Should I cut back on the amount of food that I eat in order to lose fat? Important: Unfortunately, when you restrict your calories below your required amount (like most diets or irregular meals accomplish), your body begins to produce an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase. This enzyme actually increases your ability to store fat (not want you want!). By starving yourself to lose weight, you are actually deteriorating lean muscle tissue on your body. The reason for this lies in our ‘evolution’. Our bodies were designed to store fat during the summer time when food was plentiful, so that we could live off our accumulated fat cells during the long harsh winters and during other bouts of famine. This is not a particularly effective system these days considering how plentiful our food supplies are at all times.
The other complicated variable is “ how can I exercise to burn the most amount of fat and build a reasonable amount of lean muscle tissue”?
You may not initially have a goal to build muscle tissue but here is the reality: one pound of muscle tissue can burn up to 70 calories a day. Since fat is burned inside the muscle cell, increasing the amount of muscle tissue on your body will ultimately increase the size of your fat burning furnace (your metabolism).
So by losing lean muscle tissue (by starving yourself), you can see how devastating this is to your bodies physiology if you are concerned about losing fat. Losing lean muscle tissue causes the fat burning furnace to slow down (your metabolism) and you are being detrimental to the cause. There is no other way around it: the key to long-term fat loss is to build lean muscle tissue.
You cannot build quality muscle without engaging in weight bearing (resistant) exercise. Muscle fibers must be stressed so that they increase in size and strength. In order for a muscle to recover and rebuild itself it must be in a positive nitrogen state (this means you have to eat properly post-exercise and during the day; this means you must be receiving the recommended daily amount (RDA) of protein). Having a steady flow of amino acids to the muscle creates this state of recovery and development. Muscle tissue is comprised of amino acids, and amino acids contain about 16% nitrogen. Amino acids are the ‘building blocks of protein’ and are the absolute essentials of life. Muscle tissue is best serviced by a constant trickle down of amino acids. Think of it this way; when you were a baby your mother fed you every 2 to 3 hours (6 feedings per day). If you applied these eating habits now you would enable your body’s metabolism to be at its optimal level.
In summation, exercise regularly (resistance and aerobic training) and eat well-portioned frequent meals. Other factors you will want to research are the amount of fat/ carbohydrates / proteins that you will want to intake during a day and at what times. Also, what are ‘smart or essential fats’; the best time to eat carbohydrates (relating to the glycemic index); and how much protein should I take during the course of a day for my type of training and body weight.
Exercise + Proper Nutrition = Maximum Results
Eating Right to Look and Feel Younger
Can your diet really determine how fast you age? Absoutely!
A recent study investigated how people grow old. While the researchers acknowledged that genetics plays a role, the study pinpoints three actions you can take to increase your chances of a vital old age: 1) Exercise regularly 2) Stay connected to other people 3) Get proper nutrition.
Here are some guidelines to follow:
- Drink plenty of fresh, clean water. It’s recommended you drink about 8 glasses per day.
- Include Good Fats in your diet. Your body can process all parts of a fat molecule except for the polyunsaturated fatty acids, which is why you need to include these fats in your diet. Fish oils, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds are good sources of unsaturated fat.
- Avoid too much salt. Rather than using salt on your food to add flavour, try using herbs instead.
- Choose healthy snacks. Before reaching for the potato crisps or cookies to snack on, try satisfying your hunger with something more healthy like fresh fruits or raw vegetables. You’ll get more nutrients this way, and you’ll avoid unhealthy fat, refined sugar, and food additives.
- Get plenty of fiber. A diet high in fiber will lower blood cholesterol, promote bowel health and reduce the risk of diabetes. The best way to get fiber is through unprocessed high fiber foods, such as whole grain rice, bran cereals, vegetables and fresh fruits especially apples, pears, apricots and blueberries.
- Eat a well-balanced diet with lots of variety. Your body requires many different nutrients, including 8 essential amino acids it can’t produce on its own. Make sure you’re getting all the nutrients you need by including a variety of fruits and vegetables, a little bit of meat or other protein source, whole grains, various types of fresh fish and poultry.
The typical Western diet could be making people age faster than they should. By following the suggested guidelines, you’ll give your body the proper nutrition to help you looking and feeling youthful….and remember to have Fun!