Archive for December, 2007

Carpal Tunnel Cause of Tingling and Numbness in Your Wrist

If you are experiencing tingling or numbness in your hand and wrist you most likely have carpal tunnel syndrome. It is a painful progressive condition caused by compression of a key nerve in the wrist.

Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist. This nerve runs from the forearm into the hand, and it controls sensations to the palm side of the thumb and fingers, as well as impulses to some small muscles in the hand that allow the fingers and thumb to move.

The carpal tunnel is a narrow passage at the base of your hand. Sometimes irritated tendons or other swelling narrows the tunnel and causes the median nerve to be compressed.

Although your painful sensation may be something else, carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common cause. Symptoms usually start gradually, with frequent burning, tingling, or itching numbness.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is often the result of a combination of factors that increase pressure on the median nerve and tendons in the carpal tunnel, rather than a problem with the nerve itself.

Women are three times more likely than men to develop carpal tunnel syndrome, perhaps because the carpal tunnel itself may be smaller in women than in men. The dominant hand is usually affected first and produces the most severe pain.

Treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome should begin as early as possible, generally involves resting the affected hand and wrist for at least 2 weeks. If there is inflammation, applying cool packs can help reduce swelling.

Aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonprescription pain relievers may ease pain. Wrist braces immobilizes to allow for healing and preventing further injury.

There are additional remedies available for those who do not get restful relief. Visit your health care professional for those opportunities.

Health Benefits from Regular Physical Fitness Activity

Regular physical fitness activity benefits all your organ systems, and as a result it helps to prevent many health problems and diseases. Although the benefits of physical activity increase with more frequent or more intense activity, substantial benefits are evident even with moderate levels of activity.

Physical activity at any age produces three major health benefits:

  • improve ability to function and stay independent
  • reduces risk of developing chronic diseases ~ heart disease
  • aid in managing high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol

These benefits of physical activity are especially important for aging men and women, because of the increased likelihood to develop chronic diseases and conditions that can affect physical function, for example arthritis.

Regular physical activity has beneficial effects that are supported by consistent scientific evidence are:

  • lower risk of obesity
  • lower risk of diabetes
  • lower risk of colon cancer
  • lower risk of falls and injury
  • improved function in persons with arthritis
  • improved quality of life and improved functioning
  • improved mood and relief of symptoms of depression
  • lower overall mortality ~ greatest among the most active persons, but were also evident for moderate activity
  • lower risk of coronary heart disease ~ cardiac risk of being inactive is comparable to the risk from smoking cigarettes
  • lower risk of developing high blood pressure ~ exercise also lowers blood pressure in individuals who already have hypertension

Additional possible benefits of physical activity (research is less consistent) include:

  • improved sleep quality
  • lower risk of depression
  • lower risk of breast cancer
  • bone loss and fracture prevention post-menopause

The benefits of regular physical fitness activity are “downright” too big to pass up. And it doesn’t cost anything. Just get moving!

3 Reasons for Getting Older Physical Fitness Activity

You may think that growing older means that your life will get worse. Guess what. There are three good reasons why you don’t have to make it so.

If you think that getting older equates to an inevitable loss of strength, energy, and fitness, you really should think again. The frail health and loss of function associated with aging is in large part due to lack of physical activity. When it comes to our muscles and physical fitness, use it or lose it.

Try these three reasons to change your mind and get you moving.

First, it’s never too late to become physically active. You are not too old to enjoy the benefits of regular physical activity. You actually have more to gain than younger people by becoming more active. Getting older puts you at a higher risk for the health problems that being active can prevent.

Next, physical activity can help in the management of problems you may already have, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or elevated cholesterol.

Finally, physical activity can improve the ability to function well and remain independent in spite of your health problems.

A physically active lifestyle is a major contributor to successful aging. Invest a bit of time on fitness and produce big dividends in better health.

Unless trends in the lack of physical activity change, the impact care costs is likely to grow as a result of an aging population. Don’t be a contributor to this cause.

Resolution for Fitness Success

Whether its a new year, mid year or end of year, your resolution is the ticket to success. With ticket in hand, climb aboard the fitness train and never get off. Ride it all the way.

Resolution on this train equates to a firm determination to improve your fitness. It is a steadfast or unwavering commitment to move your body.

Parts of your journey will not be pleasant causing you temptation to jump off at the next station. When that “want to get off” feeling strikes take a moment and contemplate what you might be missing should you chose to bail out.

Fitness improvement goes far beyond the next stop. It is a manner of living that reaps minute rewards as well as long term benefits. The lifestyle incorporates routine movement for its own sake.

The quest does not end. Its success is not time based. Achievement is acknowledge each stop along the way, but creating a new horizon that pushes you out of the station toward a new leg of your resolution journey is challenge.

The secret to success in a resolution of fitness improvement is a series of challenges and achievements. Challenge, then achieve, new challenge, then achieve.

There are three trains you can chose from. The short term resolution train goes from where you are to the next stop and ends there. The boredom resolution train goes from where you are to the next stop, however the next stop is miles down the track. And the fitness resolution train goes from where you are and never ends, only passes through many challenge stations along its way.

The choice is up to you the moment you enter the fitness resolution station. It is all comes down to which ticket you buy at the outset. You will get what you commit to.

May your fitness resolution choice be steadfast or unwavering versus bail at the next opportunity. Come on board, we would love to have you share in this success.

Itching Between Toes Caused by Athletes Foot

Athlete’s foot is a common infection caused by a fungus. It is not serious.

You can get athletes foot by touching an infected person, from damp surfaces such as shower floors, or even from a pet.

Between your toes symptoms include:

  • itching
  • burning
  • scaly skin
  • cracked skin

Athletes foot fungus grows best in damp, dark and warm places. That’s why its outbreak is most often between your toes. It can spread to your toenails, as well, making them thick and crumbly.

To help prevent an outbreak, wash and dry between your toes daily. Over-the-counter antifungal creams works to relieve that “driven you crazy” itch between your toes, and helps in healing in most cases.

Highly, and I mean highly, recommend Desenex powder spray.

Exercise at Any Size

Larger sized individuals face unique challenges in an effort to be active. You may not be able to bend or move in the same way that other people can.

It may be hard to find clothes and equipment for exercising. You may feel self-conscious being active around other people.

Facing these challenges is hard, but it can be done!

If your feet or joints hurt when you stand, non-weight-bearing activities, such as water workouts, may be best until some weight is lost.

If you can’t do an activity, don’t be hard on yourself. It may be easier the next time, so keep trying!

Appreciate what you can do, even if you think it’s not much. Just moving any part of your body will make you healthier.

How Body Heals Sports Injury Sprain, Strain or Tear

From the moment of a sprain, strain or tear sports injury your body immediately sends its damage repair chemical team to the site. This team commences your injury healing process.

The initial chemical team is located on site in cells, which trigger a process called inflammation. Blood vessels surrounding the injury site open up for a blood flow increase. This widens the doors for the necessary incoming army of nutrients.

Within a matter of hours, white blood cells (leukocytes) arrive via the bloodstream to begin their process of tearing down and removing damaged tissue. This allows for other cells to start their specialized job of developing scar tissue.

The amount of scarring depends on the nature of the injury as evidenced by the amount of swelling, inflammation or bleeding at the injury location. Amazingly, over the course of the next few weeks, your sprain, strain or tear will regain a great deal of strength. All the while scar tissue continues to form.

Figure about a month post sprain, strain or tear for your injury protective scar tissue to start to shrink, bringing damaged, torn or separated tissues back together.

Precautions should be taken, because some of those “pesky” sports injuries may take a couple months or more before healing is complete. Re-injury of sprains, strains or tears are the result of previously injured area feeling good, yet not quite back to 100%.

Listen to Your Body During Exercise

Always listen to your body, especially during exercise.

When you start an exercise program, you may have some sore muscles and discomfort at first. However, this should not be painful or last more than 48 hours. If it does, you may be working too hard and need to ease up.

Always, always, always STOP exercising if you have any chest pain or discomfort, and see your health care provider before you think about another session.

If you have low bone density, you need to protect your spine. Avoiding exercises or activities that flex, bend, or twist it. Also, avoid high-impact exercise in order to lower the risk of a bone breaking.

Every body is different and responds to human movement according to its own unique design. Listening to how your body responds to repetitive movement offers clues for adjustment. Not every body was meant to run far or fast.

Discover what your body is meant to handle when you listen to its complaints. Some may come at you loud and clear, while others may be a bit more subtle.

Fitness Exercises for Healthy Bones and Prevention of Osteoporosis

No matter your age, fitness for healthy bones is important for treating and preventing osteoporosis.

The reason you should get moving is that bone is living tissue that responds to repetitive stimulus by becoming stronger. The best movement type for your bones is of the weight-bearing kind. Another way to put it is the ones that forces you to work against gravity.

Some examples of weight-bearing exercises include:

Examples of exercises that are not weight-bearing include swimming and bicycling. While these activities help build and maintain strong muscles and have excellent cardiovascular benefits, they are not the best way to exercise your bones.

You will achieve greater peak bone mass, maximum bone density and strength, if you exercise regularly when you are young. Bone mass generally peaks during your third decade of life.

Beyond healthy bones, movement also increases muscle strength, coordination, and balance. And leads to better overall health.

Remember, exercise is only one part. A diet rich in calcium and vitamin D is vital also.

Healthy Living in Movement

Regular movement is a critical part of staying healthy. People who are active live longer and feel better. A couple of healthy benefits of movement is help you to maintain a healthy weight, and delay or prevent diabetes, some cancers and heart problems. Not a bad deal for a bit of nature intended moving.

Most adults need at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five days per week. Some moderate moving examples are walking briskly, dancing, swimming or bicycling. Always remember that health benefit of movement doesn’t have to involve a title. Any move is better than no move.

Stretching and weight training also strengthen your body and improve your fitness level, so weave these into your daily routine of moving as well.

The key is to find the right movement for you. You are more likely to stay motivated when having fun while you move. Try moving while in the presence of a friend, joining a class or plan a group events around movement. Do whatever it takes and get moving!

Use the sensible approach by starting out slowly after you’ve been inactive for awhile.

Carbon Monoxide and Nitrogen Dioxide Effects During Exercise

Carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide are colorless, odorless gases. And both can be present as pollutants in the air. Which is what you breath quite a bit more of during exercise.

The effects of carbon monoxide is that it interferes with the delivery of oxygen during exercise. It has the potential to cause unconsciousness, and even death, at a high concentrations.

Lower concentrations may cause:

  • nausea
  • dizziness
  • weakness
  • confusion
  • headaches
  • disorientation

Relatively healthy people may complain of fatigue, while those with heart disease may experience increased episodes of chest pain. And carbon monoxide poisoning is sometimes confused with the flu or food poisoning.

The effects of nitrogen dioxide is it irritates the mucous membranes in the eye, nose, and throat. And causes shortness of breath after exposure to high concentrations. Which is why you may feel out of breath during exercise in a highly polluted environment.

High concentrations, or continued exposure to low levels, of nitrogen dioxide may increase your risk of respiratory infections. Or developing a lung disease, such as emphysema.

When you exercise, you’re likely breathing in either of these air pollutants substantially deeper into you lungs. So check the air out before you go out.

Spinal Stenosis Causes Back Ache or Pain Symptoms for Treatment

Are you having back aches or experiencing back pain for no apparent reason? And these aches and pains seem to have come on gradually. Well, if you’re around age 50 or older you may suffering from spinal stenosis.

Spinal stenosis causes narrowing in your spine. The narrowing can occur at the center of your spine, in the canals branching off your spine and/or between the bones of the spine.

This narrowing puts pressure on your nerves and spinal cord and can cause pain. Some symptoms of this stenosis may be pain in your neck or back, numbness, weakness or pain in your arms or legs, and/or foot problems.

Not to mention that when one part of your spine fails, it usually places increased stress on other parts. Osteoarthritis may also add to your back pain pot.

In the absence of severe or progressive nerve involvement, initial back problem treatment usually include:

  • back braces
  • medications
  • hot/cold packs
  • physical therapy/exercises

Chiropractic treatments and acupuncture may also offer some relief.

In many cases, the conditions causing spinal stenosis cannot be permanently altered by nonsurgical treatment, even though these measures may relieve pain for a period of time.

And yes, there’s always back surgery as the last resort. All surgeries carry risks. The most common complications of spinal stenosis surgeries are:

  • infection
  • blood clot that forms in the veins
  • tearing the membrane covering the spinal cord at the site of the operation

The presence of other diseases and the physical condition are also significant factors to consider when making decisions about surgery.

When Arthritis Becomes a Pain in the Knee

The symptoms of arthritis are different for the different forms, but for most your knee will be painfully stiff.

There are literally too many different forms of arthritis, rheumatic diseases and related conditions to go into here. Yet, virtually all of them have some painful affect on your knee.

The most common painful knee problems have a form of arthritis called osteoarthritis. If you are suffering from this arthralgia causing disease, the cartilage gradually wears away and changes occur in the adjacent bone.

Osteoarthritis may be caused by joint injury or being overweight. It is associated with aging and most typically begins in people age 50 years or older.

A young person who develops osteoarthritis typically has had an injury to the knee or may have an inherited form of the disease.

Infectious arthritis is a form of arthritis that is caused by infectious pathogens, such as bacteria or viruses. Prompt medical attention is essential to treat the infection and minimize damage to joints, particularly if fever is present.

If arthritis causes serious damage to a knee or there is incapacitating pain or loss of use of the knee from arthritis, joint surgery may be considered. Total knee replacement may be a surgery of the past as newer surgical procedures are continuously being developed that include resurfacing or replacing only the damaged cartilage surfaces while leaving the rest of the joint intact.

Like the symptoms, treatment varies depending on the form of arthritis affecting your knee. For osteoarthritis, treatment is targeted at relieving symptoms and may include pain relieving drugs, like aspirin or acetaminophen, NSAIDs or cortisone injection directly into your knee joint.

Other treatments for the pain of the knee osteoarthritis include injections of hyaluronic acid substitutes and the nutritional supplements glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate.

People with any type of arthritis may benefit from exercises to strengthen the muscles that support the knee and weight loss, if needed, to relieve excess stress on the joints.

Rheumatoid arthritis, which generally affects people at a younger age than osteoarthritis, is an autoimmune disease. It occurs as a result of the immune system attacking components of the body.

In rheumatoid arthritis, the primary site of the immune system attack is the synovium, the membrane that lines the joint. This autoimmune disorder causes inflammation of your joint. It can lead to destruction of the cartilage and bone and, in some cases, muscles, tendons and ligaments as well.

Other rheumatic diseases include:

Gout – an acute and intensely painful form of arthritis that occurs when crystals of the bodily waste product uric acid are deposited in the joints.

Lupus – an autoimmune disease characterized by destructive inflammation of the skin, internal organs and other body systems, as well as the joints.

Ankylosing Spondylitis – an inflammatory form of arthritis that primarily affects the spine, leading to stiffening and in some cases fusing into a stooped position.

Psoriatic arthritis – a condition in which inflamed joints produce symptoms of arthritis for those who have or will develop psoriasis.

Diagnostic Knee Tests for Determining Nature of Painful Injury

If you experience chronic pain in your knee resulting from movement then you may need a medical procedure for this pain’s relief.

Several diagnostic tests are available to pinpoint your painful knee cause. Depending on the your description of pain and a physical exam by your medical care provider will make a difference as to which test will best evaluate the nature of your knee problem.

Some of the more commonly used tests include:

X-Ray is a procedure to produce a two dimensional picture of the bones.

CAT scan is a painless procedure in which a computer combines individual images to give a three-dimensional view of the knee. CAT scan images show soft tissue such as ligaments or muscles more clearly than conventional x rays.
Bone scan is a technique for creating images of bones. A harmless radioactive material is injected into your bloodstream that collects in your bones, particularly in abnormal areas of the bones which is detected by a scanner.

MRI is a procedure using a powerful magnet linked to a computer to create pictures of areas inside the knee. An MRI is particularly useful for detecting soft tissue damage.

Arthroscopy is a surgical technique in which an arthroscope is inserted into the joint through a small incision in the knee for projecting images of the inside of the knee joint.

Joint aspiration is a procedure that uses a syringe to remove fluid buildup in a joint, and can reduce swelling and relieve pressure. This fluid is analyzed to determine the presence of a fracture, an infection or an inflammatory response.

Biopsy is the examination of a piece of tissue under the microscope.

So there you have it. Various ways to get to bottom of your pain. Now for some common and uncommon causes of your knee pain.

Determine Cause of Knee Pain With Structure

Understanding the structure of your knee may help you determine the cause of its pain.

Your knee is an intersection of three bones: the femur (thigh bone or upper leg bone), the tibia (shin bone or larger bone of the lower leg), and the patella (knee cap).

The patella sits over the intersection of the two other bones at the front of the knee joint. Its main purpose is to protect this joint and give leverage to surrounding muscles.

These knee bones are covered with articular cartilage on their ends. This cartilage is a tough, elastic material that is meant to absorb shock and allow for smooth joint movement.

Separating the bones in your knee are pads of connective tissue called menisci. There are two crescent-shaped menisci between your tibia and femur bones on the outer and inner sides of each knee. They also act as shock absorbers by cushioning your lower leg from the huge weight of the rest of the body. And they offer an additional benefit of enhancing your knees’ stability.

Your have two groups of muscles at your knee which involve movement. Your quadriceps muscles located on the front of your thigh work to straighten the knee from a bent position. Your hamstring muscles, running along the back of your thigh from hip to just below your knee, help bend your knee.

Pay close attention here because this is where many knees run into injury problems.

Your quadriceps are connected to the patella via a tendon which provides the power to straighten the knee.

Your femur and tibia connect via four ligaments which provide the joint strength and stability. These four ligaments are identified as follows:

  • The medial collateral ligament, runs along the inside of the knee joint, provides stability to the inner (medial) part of the knee.
  • The lateral collateral ligament, runs along the outside of the knee joint, provides stability to the outer (lateral) part of the knee.
  • The anterior cruciate ligament, in the center of the knee, limits rotation and the forward movement of the tibia.
  • The posterior cruciate ligament, also in the center of the knee, limits backward movement of the tibia.

Many painful knee injuries involve one or more of these 4 ligaments and tendon. Diagnostic tests are used to determine the nature of an injury.

Causes of Knee Pain While Running

Are you experiencing knee pain whenever you run, or maybe only sometimes when you run? Well, there are two causes for your pain in the knee. One is disease and the other injury.

There are various diseases that can cause knee pain, but the most common is arthritis. Arthritis literally means “joint inflammation.” However, there are many different diseases that affect your joints that are oftentimes lumped into the arthritic cause category.

As to any knee injury, it might have occurred from a direct blow, a sudden movement beyond your knee’s range of motion or in some cases becomes injured slowly over time from running.

An example of a slow injury is if you have a problem with a hip or foot and your walking funny may throw your knee out of alignment to the point of permanent damage. Also, your knee problem could be the result of normal wear and tear, simply wearing out over time.

Understanding how your knee is structured may help you pinpoint exactly what is going on to help determine whether your pain requires medical attention or perhaps just a much needed rest.

Fitness Equipment: Evaluate Before You Buy

One doesn’t have to look far to find some revolutionary fitness equipment that claims usage will transform us all into the human specimen of our dreams. Gosh, if it was only that simple.

There are some performance claims you need to be leery of, especially if the product offers a quick, easy way to shape up, keep fit, and lose weight. The truth is, there’s no such thing as a no-work way to a healthy, toned body.

For most people, easy or effortless results is simply not possible. The claim that equipment helps you burn more calories or lose weight faster requires muscle work on your part.

In general, exercise equipment that works the whole body or major muscles probably helps you burn more calories than devices that work only one part or smaller muscles. And yes, the more you use the equipment, the more calories you’ll burn.

That’s why you should select equipment that suits you and your lifestyle. A study might show that one type of equipment burns more calories per hour than another type. But if the exercise is uncomfortable or hard for you to use, then it likely will gather dust instead of help you burn calories.

Be especially wary of claims for “spot” reduction, such as hip and abdominal trimmers. Your body does not lose fat in a particular spot because you happen to work the muscles under your extra fat.

Toning and losing weight in one particular area of the body requires whole body exercise. Increasing your physical activity helps you burn extra calories, and when calories out is greater than calories in, the result is fat loss.

Be sure to read the fine print. You may find that the advertised results are based on more than just the use of the machine and the fine print may reveal this.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that diet and exercise together are much more effective for achieving a healthy, toned body.

As to those before-and-after pictures from “satisfied” customers ~ just because one person had success with the equipment doesn’t mean you will, too. Buyer Beware!

How to Decide Which Fitness or Health Gyms to Join

So you’ve decided it is time to join a health spa, fitness center, gym or sports club to help you improve your physical condition. Nearly 33 million people find that joining some type of gym is a great place to get in shape.

However, there are a couple things you need to know and decide before you join. Your effort to avoid various problems, such as high-pressure sales tactics, misrepresentations of facilities and services, broken cancellation and refund clauses, and lost membership fees as a result of spas going out of business, requires you to look closely at the spa’s fees, contractual requirements and gym facilities FIRST.

Spa Inspection

Check out the gyms you are considering during the hours you would normally use them with your eyes on overcrowding. Also, make note of whether the facility is clean and that the equipment is well-maintained.

Ask gym management and members about:

  • Free trial periods to give you time to sample the services and equipment.
  • Inquire as to whether they set a membership limit. May not be crowded when you visit, could end up being packed during peak hours or after a membership drive.
  • Hours of operation and any use restrictions. Some spas restrict men’s use to certain days and women’s to others. Others may limit lower-cost memberships to certain hours.
  • Fin out about the instructors and trainers. Some spas hire trainers and instructors who have special qualifications, and their longevity.

Always Read the Entire Contract Before Signing

Some spas ask you to join and pay on your first time visit, and may offer incentives like special rates to entice you to sign on the spot. Resist, never a good idea with any contractual relationship. Take the contract home and read it carefully. Best practice is to wait a few days before deciding.

Before you sign, ask yourself:

  • Is everything that the salesperson promised written in the contract? If a problem arises after you join, the contract probably will govern the dispute. And if something is not written in the contract, it’s going to be difficult to prove your case.
  • Is there a “cooling-off” period? Some spas give customers several days to reconsider after they’ve signed the contract.
  • Could you get a refund for the unused portion of your membership if you had to cancel? What if you simply stopped using the spa? Will the spa refund your money? Knowing the spa’s cancellation policies is especially important if you choose a long-term membership.
  • Can you join for a short time only? It may be to your advantage to join on a trial basis, say, for a few months, even if it costs a little more each month. If you’re not enjoying the membership or using it as much as you had planned, you won’t be committed to years of payments.
  • Can you afford the payments? Consider the finance charges and annual percentage rates when you calculate the total cost of your membership. Break down the cost to weekly and even daily figures to get a better idea of what it really will cost to use the facility.

Finally, check into the gym’s history before you join. A couple of ways to do this is by contacting your local consumer protection office, state Attorney General or Better Business Bureau to find out whether they have received any complaints.

Nothing wrong with becoming a “gym rat”, so long as you end up in better shape.

Exercise: How Overtraining Leads to Physical Exhaustion

Moderation is the key to success when it comes to exercise and fitness. Resting your body to give it time for recovery needs to be an integral part of everybody’s training or exercise program.

If you are training for an upcoming event, such as a marathon, your overtraining may cause physical exhaustion to a point of negatively affecting your performance on race day.

It is important to recognize when your body needs to rest, before it reaches physical exhaustion. Don’t try to keep up with somebody else’s program. You should always exercise at your own pace, based on your own fitness level.

Pay attention to signs from your body telling you when it’s had enough. Here are some common signs of overtraining leading to physical exhaustion:

  • irritability
  • headaches
  • depression
  • muscle soreness
  • digestive problems
  • poor concentration
  • loss of coordination
  • appetite, weight loss
  • elevated morning heart rate
  • lowered ability to fight infection
  • prolonged period of recovery after exercise

If you have any of these physical exhaustion symptoms, stop exercising for a day or so to allow your body time to rest and recover. Sometimes decreasing your activity level in duration and frequency may be all it takes for your body to recover.

Exercising beyond the point of exhaustion, when injured, or to the exclusion of other activities and life interests can be signs of exercise addiction. This addiction can be counterproductive.

Human movement is encouraged to enhance your life and not be your life.

Exercise: What to Do for Sports Related Injuries

Exercise or sports related injuries most often occur from overuse of a muscle, tendon, ligament or joint. Conditions such as arthritis can also be aggravated by exercise.

When you experience pain, or injure yourself, stop. Do not try to “work through” the pain because you can make your injury worse. Instead, stop exercising for a few days and follow the routine described below.

The standard first-aid routine for most strains, sprains, and pulls caused by overuse during exercise is rest, ice, compression and elevation.

  • Rest: Stop exercising immediately. Don’t put any weight on the affected area for 24 hours.
  • Ice: Apply an ice pack to the affected area to reduce swelling. Repeat ice for 20 minutes every hour during the first 24 to 48 hours while awake.
  • Compression: Wrap an elastic bandage around the area, being careful not to wrap it so tightly as to interfere with blood flow. Compression also helps control swelling.
  • Elevation: Raise the affected joint or limb higher than your heart so that gravity can help prevent blood and other body fluids from collecting at the injury site.

You may want take aspirin or ibuprofen for your pain and help in reducing inflammation. Begin gently stretching the injured area after a couple of days. Be careful not to stretch to the point which it becomes painful, or you could damage the muscle again.

Stop exercising immediately and call 911 if you have any symptoms of a heart attack such as the following:

  • A feeling of pressure or fullness, a squeezing sensation or crushing pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than just a few minutes, and is not relieved by rest
  • Chest pain that spreads to the shoulders, neck, jaw or arms
  • Chest discomfort accompanied by light-headedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or vomiting, cold or clammy skin, or shortness of breath

If you think your injury is serious, or it does not heal after several days with use of the above first-aide, might want to consider having it checked out by your doctor.

Take Charge of Your Health with Risk Avoidance

Take Charge of Your Health by Choosing a Healthy Lifestyle. A good way to start is to set small goals you will be able to meet, instead of large ones you won’t.

If you are not of the nature to take charge of your health for the sake of how you feel today (fitness), try taking charge for the sake of reducing your risk for heart disease.

Overall, you can reduce your risk for heart disease if you:

  • eat right
  • stay physically active
  • maintain a healthy weight
  • if you have diabetes, control your disease
  • control your blood pressure and cholesterol levels

We all are successfully motivated through varying stimulus. If you are a risk avoider, perhaps taking charge of your own healthy lifestyle requires a present risk you can avoid. Is heart disease, the number one killer, enough of a risk for you to avoid?

Endorphins: Natural Pain Killer for Survival of Severe Injury

Your brain produces endorphins which play a role in pain relief. If you are injured and need to escape a harmful situation, it would be difficult to do so while experiencing severe pain.

However, endorphins released immediately following your injury provides pain relief to allow for escape. Natural pain killers for survival.

Later, when survival is no longer at issue, your endorphin level decreases. This is also an important survival mechanism. Experiencing pain helps prevents you from causing further injury.

Movement stimulates production of endorphins which promotes pain relief and an overall feeling of wellbeing. Although you may be experiencing pain it’s crucial to be as physically active as possible.

Also, a good laugh releases endorphines.

The Cost of Living the Good Life is a Lifetime of Fitness

Your personal cost of living the good life is managing your own lifetime of fitness. That’s it. Learning how to manage your own unique fitness is more a matter of time than money. You can have all the money in the world and still not live the good life if you have a insufficient fitness level.

To begin your quest toward living the good life you must first understand what fitness really is. Fitness is a state of being. Your state of being this moment will be different the next. It is not a static state. It is a state that is in constant flux with a single goal. A steady state aka the good life.

Managing your steady state of being for the good life means preparing your body beyond minimal life sustaining requirements. Think of it as a savings account of fitness that provides a cushion to all life’s stresses. The time you contribute preparing for the future keeps the good life going during times of difficulty.

Living your life with a saving account of fitness means the good life is maintained no matter what comes your way. In the event you give little time and consideration to your level of fitness you more likely than not will find yourself in debt to stress. The good life has no inclusion for fitness debt. It is a bit snobby that way.

Take advantage of your opportunity to live a good life by paying the cost through a lifetime of fitness before something arrives to plunge you into an unsteady “fitness debt” state.

Do You Feel Tired or Lack Energy All the Time

Absent other physiological issues, your feeling tired and lacking energy may be the result of your preparing your body for a sedentary lifestyle. The human body has the amazing ability to adapt to a broad range of stimuli. Inactivity is one.

If your lifestyle includes very little activity your body prepares by adapting to this level inactivity. In the event of an increased demand for energy your body is not prepared for this request. As a result you feel tired or without the energy to meet the additional energy request.

In other words you have done an awesome job in training your body to minimally prepare. Congratulations that took some time to train your body to a readiness level for just about nothing.

Your body is dragging itself around day after day because that is about all it is prepared to do. Prepared for existence rather than living.

If you desire to simply exist then you have prepared well. However, if you want to live you will need to physically prepare your body to live. This means movement, and not irregularly. Adaptation responds to consistent overload.

Therefore you will need to push through that tired and lack of energy feeling to get your body to respond to your increased energy preparedness lifestyle. Movement overload doesn’t have to be significant to start feeling the adaptive energy benefits. Just moving beyond what you have been doing on a regular basis is an excellent start out of existence and into living.

Stop your tired and lack of energy existence and start vigorously living with consistent physical activity.

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