Archive for November, 2007

Why Exercise Causes and Prevents Lower Back Pain

About 80% of the population develops back problems at some time in their lives. Back pain can range from a dull, constant ache to a sudden, sharp pain that makes it hard to move.

Exercise may be a double edged sword for you when it comes to muscle induced lower back pain. It can cause it as well as prevent it.

Discovering the repetitive movement causing your particular lower back pain is the first step in prevention. The next step is to develop a fitness routine that strengthens your lower back without the associated pain causing strain.

For exercise induced lower back muscle pain there are two factors to consider. The first is the way your spine moves, or the way you feel when you move your spine in certain ways.

The second is sprains which are tears in the ligaments that support the spine, and they can occur from twisting or lifting. Your pain may be a result of the way your spine aligns and its associated muscle support system.

Practicing good posture and exercises that increase balance and strength might be good starting point. Although exercise is usually not advisable for acute back pain, proper exercise can help ease chronic pain and perhaps reduce its risk of returning.

Back pain is more common among people who are not physically fit. Weak back and abdominal muscles may not properly support the spine. If you go out and exercise a lot after being inactive you are more likely to suffer painful back injuries than those who make moderate physical activity a daily habit.

Keeping your back muscles strong is one of the best ways to minimize your risk, along with maintaining a healthy weight. Hot or cold packs may bring temporary relief, but doesn’t fix the cause.

Behavioral changes, such as learning to lift properly and exercising more, as well as getting more sleep and improving your diet, are all steps in right direction of prevention and away from causation.

A wide variety of factors can increase your risk of back problems:

  • getting older
  • having poor posture
  • being out of shape/overweight
  • disease/condition that causes back pain
  • having a job that requires lifting, pushing or pulling while twisting your spine

In most cases, it is not necessary to see a doctor for back pain because pain usually goes away with or without treatment. However, a trip to the doctor is probably a good idea if you have numbness or tingling, if your pain is severe and doesn’t improve with medications and rest, or if you have pain after a fall or an injury.

It is also important to see your doctor if you have pain along with any of the following problems:

  • fever
  • trouble urinating
  • unintentional weight loss
  • weakness, pain or numbness in legs

Such symptoms could signal a serious problem that requires treatment soon.

Protect your back from further injury by using Back Braces for Lower Back.

Why You May Feel Out of Breath During Exercise

Do you feel out of breath during exercising? If you’re just starting an exercise program, learning how to breathe properly can help you avoid shortness of breath. Your breathing problem during exercise may be resolved through a simple deliberate breathing technique.

Breathing air is essential to life. Because it comes naturally, you may not realize that deliberate breathing during increased physical activity may be necessary to provide an adequate source of oxygen to your body.

When you exert yourself you will notice an increase in breathing rate. This is your respiratory system’s response to increased energy demand. What also increases simultaneously with this demand for oxygen is an increased output of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a natural by product of energy production and it is excreted out of your body during the exhale phase of breathing.

Carbon dioxide can build up in your lungs during exercise if your breathing out is not adequate enough to excrete it. A build up carbon dioxide gets in the way of the air coming in. However, the demand for air is increased due to the increased activity level and as a result you try to breath in more.

Instead what you should be doing during your exercise period is routinely and deliberately exhale. This exhaling technique excretes the building up of carbon dioxide thus allowing more room in your lungs for the increased demand of oxygen.

Whenever you start feeling short of breath consciously exhale slowly and deliberately a couple of times. During this exhaling deliberation do not strenuously inhale. Allow you lungs to fill naturally. After two to three deliberate exhales go back to breathing naturally. During your work out repeat this process every couple of minutes throughout its entire duration.

There are many health issues associated with shortness of breath. Check with your health care professional if you continue to suffer from shortness of breath.

Keep in mind that more air flowing in and out of our lungs increases your exposure to air pollution. As a result you are more vulnerable to the unhealthy impacts of air pollution. During episodes of unhealthy levels of air pollution reduce vigorous outdoor activities.

Try it and reap the reward of oxygen delivery efficiency. Don’t let carbon dioxide get in your way of living a healthy lifestyle.

Why Some People Die During Exercise

Are you forgoing any type of exercise regime because you believe it might kill you? The problem with this line of thinking is that your lack of exercise might actually be a conduit for death later on. Understanding why some people do die during exercise and the signs to be aware of may help reduce your fears.

Let there be no mistake that people have died while exercising. Most of these deaths are caused by overexertion in people who already had some type of heart condition.

When the death is a person under age 30 the fatal heart condition is usually congenital heart defects (heart defects present at birth). For the over 40 death the heart condition is usually coronary artery disease (the buildup of deposits of fats in the heart’s blood vessels).

Many of the deaths during exercise have been preceded by warning signs such as;

  • fainting
  • chest pain
  • lightheartedness
  • shortness of breath

These are symptoms that should not be ignored and immediately brought to the attention of a doctor.

Some of the deaths that occur during exercise are not caused by the physical effort itself. Death can occur at any time and during any kind of activity – eating, sleeping, lifting. This does not necessarily mean that a particular activity caused the death – only that the two events happened at the same time.

No research studies have shown that physically active people are more likely to have a sudden, fatal heart attack. In fact, a number of studies have shown there is a reduced risk of sudden death for people who are physically active.

However, exercising too hard is not beneficial for anyone, especially the strenuous stuff for out-of-shape, middle-aged or older folks. It is very important to gradually increase difficulty during their exercise program.

If you consider the time your body may have been out of shape, it is only natural that it will take time to get it back into good condition. A gradual approach will help you maximize your benefits and minimize your risks.

Reduce your risk of dying early and get moving.

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