Health blog Category: exercise
Exercises to Strengthen Your Gluteal Muscles
Injuries of your lower back, hips and knees can prevent you from doing the activities you enjoy. Many lower back and lower body injuries can be prevented by maintaining good strength in some key muscle groups. One of the most important groups of muscles to focus on are your gluteal muscles.
These muscles help provide a stable base for your legs and trunk and also are one of the major muscle groups responsible for allowing you to walk, run and jump.
Water VS. Sports Drink Debate
You’ve been exercising for an hour and a half, your muscles are weak, your shirt is drenched, you’ve recently noticed a minor headache and you’re beyond thirsty. Do you reach for your water bottle filled with water or do you grab a bottle of one of those flavorful sports drinks?
The water versus sports drinks debate has been a topic of discussion for many years. There are a multitude of opinions because there are different circumstances in which one choice trumps the other.
No Movement, No Energy
Do you sometimes feel sluggish, tired, achy, sore or have low energy? Most of these problems can be caused by lack of movement. If you sit still for long hours in your car, at your job, or at home watching TV, you are hurting your body over time.
Without frequent movement, your muscles waste away, joints become stiff, and normal chemical processes in your body change. Your circulation and lymphatic systems slow down causing a backup of toxic wastes, such as cholesterol, that are normally produced and excreted by your body.
Manual Therapy VS. Massage
Manual Therapy VS. Massage, What’s The Difference?
At first glance it is easy to mistake manual therapy for a massage. However, there are significant differences between these two treatment methods. It is important for you to be able to understand these differences, in order to pick the appropriate treatment method.
Massages:
You most likely think of a massage then instantly think of laying on a table of a spa.
Where is Your Pain Coming From?
If you are suffering from aches or pains, it is important for you to be able to determine the root cause of the problem. Here are some important questions to ask yourself in order to determine the causes:
How long have you had your pain?
For example, acute low back pain may be from a muscle strain. Chronic low back pain is typical of restricted joints, tight muscle tissue and weakened muscle strength.
How Common are Hamstring Injuries…
While hamstring injuries can happen to an athlete during a practice or a game, it’s actually much more common for you to experience hamstring problems related to everyday activities.
How many times a week or even a day do you have to do any of these things?
- Bending at waist
- You have to reach down to pick up your child’s toy or put some documents in a lower filing cabinet drawer.
Physical Therapy Helps Reduce Arthritis Pain
You’ve probably been out somewhere and you, a friend, or family member say that they were stiff, or even heard them predict the weather because of how they were feeling. It’s pretty common from middle age and on to have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis involves the degeneration of the joints, more specifically the cartilage that lines a joint. When this smooth material is worn down, the joint no longer will move like it’s supposed to. This occurs because the bones that are a part of the joint are rubbing together.
SI Joints are Crucial to Enjoying Everyday Life
You probably take for granted being able to sit, stand, walk and roll over in bed. When you have problems with your sacroiliac joint, these everyday movements can become painful or even feel impossible.
What does your SI joint do?
Your sacroiliac (SI) joint connects your hip bones to the sacrum. When functioning properly, these hip joints absorb shock and allow you to bend and move smoothly. However, if something is disrupting your SI joints, these motions can become very painful and difficult.
Foot and Ankle Mechanics
The foot and ankle complex are one of the most important structures in our body. Our ankle and foot together provide a main weight bearing joint that supports your body weight, absorbs shock, and provides stability to your body. The foot and ankle complex is made up of:
- 28 bones, 33 joints
- 112 ligaments
Controlled by:
- 13 extrinsic muscles
- 21 intrinsic muscles
The extrinsic muscles are primarily comprised of the muscles starting from the lower leg that cross over the ankle joint and are responsible for ankle movements such as pointing your foot.
Read full blogHow to Prevent Injuries When Running
Whether you are pounding the pavement for a short jog or you’re a routine racer, running is great cardiovascular training. It is a gratifying way to maintain overall fitness. Although the act of running itself may initially seem daunting if you’re not an avid runner, you will reap the physical benefits within a few weeks.
The key is to start slowly and add distance incrementally to decrease the risk of injury.
Here are the top 10 health benefits of running:
- Improve Longevity
- Burn Fat
- Reduce Your Cancer Risk
- Strengthen Your Core
- Improve Your Sleep
- Reduce Your Risk of Osteoporosis
- Boost Your Mood
- Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes
- Reduce Your Risk of Blood Pressure and Heart Disease
- Boost Your Immunity
Preventing Injury: Running Ritual Musts and the Importance of Stretching
These tips are essential for optimizing your running dexterity, whether you’re an indoor treadmill devotee, an outdoor roadrunner or a trail running enthusiast.