Here are some tips to handle temporal Arteritis (GC, Giant Cell Arteritis). Of course you should consult a doctor if any symptoms of the disease manifest. However, the following information can help. GCA is a condition wherein one or more arteries swell or are inflamed. [Read more…]
Archives for August 2012
Cause and Effect of Back Pain
Most Americans will have to deal with a back injury at least once in their life. Some of these injuries can become chronic (about 10%), and most of them will put a strain on everyday activities.
While some back injuries can occur because of an accident, most back injuries come from a long timeline of treating our backs poorly. Of course, no person would cause intentional harm to their back. In fact, most back injuries occur [Read more…]
How to Prevent Back Injuries When You Move
Moving can be tough on everyone in the family: emotional, physical, and mental labor are required to do it right. While no move is ever easy, you can make it easier on everyone by taking the necessary precautions to stay safe. Getting hurt while moving can make the entire process a million times more difficult.
In order to move without huge amounts of stress, be sure to know your limits and be prepared; doing both of these things will help you to stay safe while you are on the move. Below are a few easy things you can do to stay injury-free while you and your family are in transition.
Don’t Carry Too Much
Making two trips instead of one is always frustrating. When you are moving, you want the process to be as quick and painless as possible, even if it is just across town. However, sacrificing your health in order to save a few minutes is more of a sacrifice than you think. If you pull a muscle in your back, consider yourself absent from the moving process.
When you are packing up all of your things, make sure that you don’t make your boxes too heavy. A good maximum is 50 pounds, although you can alter that slightly depending upon how much you feel comfortable carrying. If you are not sure about how much you can carry, try this general rule: if you can lift the box without straining or growing unsteady on your feet, then you are fine. If you cannot lift the box without this happening, then you need to shift some things around so it is not so heavy.
You will also want to keep in mind the layouts of both your current and new homes. While carrying a box full of kitchen items out of your house might not be so difficult, it is probably much harder to carry it up the stairs to your upper level kitchen in your new home.
Remember: never, ever bend down to pick up a box, even if it is not very heavy. This is a surefire way to pull something in your back. Instead, bend your knees and lift with your whole body.
If you have to carry something that is particularly heavy, make sure that you have enough people to help you get it out of your old house and into your new one without any strain. It might be a good idea to practice lifting it before the actual move.
Use Correct Equipment
Even if you are making the move on your own, you can still move like the pros. Places like U-Haul and Budget will rent dollies and other moving materials to help make the process easier. Dollies are very useful in preventing pulled muscles and other injuries because they allow you to transport heavier items without strain to your back.
Watch for Hazards
You don’t have time to kick the garden hose out of the way when you are carrying a huge box out to the moving truck. In fact, you most likely won’t even be able to see what is at your feet. For this reason, you need to map out all of the potential hazards from the house to the moving truck.
Be sure to watch out for cracks in the pavement that you may overlook on a normal day. Tripping over a crack in the ground while carrying a big box will most likely cause a huge headache. If you cannot see below your feet, have someone guide you down the stairs.
If it is raining or there is a possibility that your floor might become slick during the move, put down a rug or a traction mat so you don’t have any nasty spills. Try to park the moving truck or cars as close as possible to the house so that you don’t have to walk as far. The closer you are, the less chances you have to injure yourself.
You will also want to pick out an outfit that won’t get in the way on moving day. Choose fitting clothes that won’t get stuck in between boxes or on doorknobs.
Plan to be Surprised
As much as you plan and look out for dangerous situations, something will probably go wrong. That’s just the nature of things. Keep the first aid kit handy!
Guest blogger Josh Flatebo works for a moving company in Tampa. He has been moving people across the country for the last 20 years. Avoiding injuries while on the job is a necessity!
5 Ways to Avoid Injuries When Exercising
Unfortunately, sports and injuries often go hand in hand and while some injuries are the unavoidable outcome of an accident there are times when injuries occur which could have been easily avoided if the correct precautions were taken beforehand. By following these 5 essential steps you can ensure that your body is fully prepared ensuring that you’ll spend more time on the field than on the treatment table.
Warming Up
The idea behind a warm up is to prepare both your mind and body for what awaits. When you start to warm up your heart rate will begin to gradually increase and oxygen will be sent to the muscles preparing them for exercise. When warming up it’s important to fully prepare the entire body and not just the main muscle groups that you’ll be using.
You should start by stretching and work your way from your head to your toes or vice versa. Once your body is fully stretched you should begin to perform the same activity or use the same equipment as you would for your main exercise at a lower level of intensity, gradually increasing the pace to bring it in line with how you’d expect to perform at your maximum level.
By the time you’ve completed your warm up you’ll be far less likely to suffer an injury as your muscles will be conditioned and ready for exercise.
Cooling Down
Cooling down following exercise is sometimes overlooked and is one of the main reasons why people feel tender the following day after a workout. Essentially, a cool down is the opposite of the warm up and your aim here is to slowly return your breathing, heart rate and blood pressure levels to normal and to flush out any waste products and prevent the build-up of lactic acid. To warm down effectively simply repeat the main exercise you’ve been performing at a lower level of intensity and combine this with some light stretching.
Understanding Technique
Mastering the correct technique will not only help your level of performance but it’ll considerably reduce the risk of sustaining an injury. Many people sustain injuries by being overzealous and attempting to bite off more than they can chew without taking the time to consider how the exercise should be performed.
In order to learn the right techniques for your given sport or exercise you should seek the assistance of a qualified professional. By taking the time out at the beginning to gain a comprehensive understanding of how to execute the exercise or movement properly you’ll reap the long term benefits of enhanced performance and less time recovering from injury.
Letting Your Body Recover
Arguably the most undervalued aspect of any training routine, rest is absolutely essential when it comes to allowing your body the time it needs to recover fully from the demands you put it under. Without periods of rest the microscopic damage that happens to your muscles during exercise will not be repaired and could lead to cumulative damage resulting in a weakened body that is far more likely to incur future injuries. Regardless of your levels of fitness you should include at least one full day of rest during each week.
The Importance of Good Nutrition
The saying you are what you eat couldn’t got be more accurate and you’ll only get out of your body what you put into it. A well throughout nutritional plan forms the foundations of any successful training routine and without it your body will become neglected and more likely to sustain injury or illness. You should aim to eat a well-balanced diet but you will require a larger intake of certain food group’s dependent on your given sport or exercise routine.
About the author:
This guest post was provided by The Academy Health Club who help people lead a fit and healthy life.
Healthy Living Tips for College Students
It can often be difficult for college students to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Hectic class and social schedules, combined with limited financial resources, often prevent students from eating right and getting the proper amount of exercise. Fortunately, there are easy and inexpensive options for students who want to stay healthy.
Eating right on a budget
Many days it can seem quicker, easier and maybe cheaper to eat fast food or other junk food rather than preparing a healthy, home cooked meal. This doesn’t have to be the case, and altering that mindset can go a long way to improving health.
*Make a schedule – Preparing even a tentative plan for the week’s meals can help a great deal. When time is short, having an idea of what will be cooked will eliminate the urge to simply go out for something. It can also help when it comes time to shop for groceries.
*Budget for shopping – Once the weekly plan is in place, make a list of ingredients that will be needed to prepare the meals. Check the flyers from local markets for deals and try to match them to what is needed. Buy ingredients that can serve a dual purpose. For example, look for vegetables that can be used on a sandwich as well as part of an entrée. Frozen fruits and vegetables can be more inexpensive than the fresh versions but contain the same nutrients and last longer.
*Cook extra – Making more than is needed at dinner will provide leftovers that can either be eaten at lunch in the next couple of days or used creatively as part of another meal. In some cases, it can be frozen for a future meal.
Exercising on a budget
Eating right is only half the battle. Exercising can improve health, make people feel better and increase concentration. Time and money do not need to be impediments.
*Walk or bike – Whenever possible, walk or bike to class rather than drive. Students who commute can park off campus or as far as possible from class and then walk.
*Play a sport – Grab several friends and join an intramural sports league offered through the college. These are usually free. Practices can also be scheduled around each other’s classes. This not only helps provide some exercise, but also gives friends a reason to enjoy some time together.
*Use the facilities – Many colleges have a recreation center available to students. Admission is often free for those students because they pay for it through tuition. These centers normally have gym equipment and sports courts.
Busy schedules and lack of funds may be the most common obstacles to good health for college students, but planning and creativity can help overcome these. Eating healthy and exercising doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. The benefits of making these changes will lead to a better life and help avoid problems in the future.
Jennifer Lewis writes for a site that helps minority female students get financial aid, including scholarships for Latino women and grants for black women in college.