Most of us are reactionary when it comes to our health, meaning we do not do much
to prevent issues before they arise. That said, a typical run of the mill health checkup
usually entails, blood pressure, height, weight, a quick listen to the heart and lungs,
maybe a blood test, and if all checks out normal, you are sent off with your badge of
health. When we think of our health the first thing that comes to mind is what is
happening on the insides: heart, lungs, eyes, ears, liver, etc. Of course we want these
systems working well and for most of us, they do. They get the job done.
However, one aspect of health that most people do not consider is how we move.
Movement is necessary for life, but if you move incorrectly, in time, you begin
to have aches and pains. Move fast or play sports you compound the issue even
more and likely speed up the progression of injury.
The new year is here and with that comes New Year’s resolutions. Unless things have changed,I would say that weight loss is at the top of many lists. When deciding how to go about this endeavor most people know that eating better coupled with exercise is the sensible and lasting approach.
In addition to diet, cardiovascular exercise is typically how most people attempt to lose weight. You hit the gym to get on the elliptical, exercise bike, treadmill or perhaps you start running. A few months later, if you have managed to get past two weeks, and you are lucky, you may have dropped five pounds. Determined, you figure that you probably just need to do more. So now you are doing cardio five times a week for one hour a day. A month later you are only down that initial five pounds and in fact, it seems the scale is heading upward a little. Do more cardio, right? I’d say no. And here is why. (more…)
by Megan Zetter
WHY STRETCH?
To stretch or not to stretch has become quite the controversy in the sports and rehab arena. Some sources say stretching is good, but only at certain times and some say never stretch. Dynamic stretching is better than static. Don’t do it before you exercise. And then there is yoga, which is heavily based on stretching. Additionally, pilates touts that it lengthens muscles. So the million dollar question is, “Who is right?”. Unfortunately, as with most things in life, the answer lies somewhere in the mix of, do stretch, don’t stretch, do yoga, don’t, do, yes, no. I don’t know!! Lets shed some light on why muscles get tight and from there I think the answer, for you, will be more evident. (more…)
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Authors
- Andrea Jarzomek-Holt
(1) - Brian Donnelly (1)
- Desiree Marek (1)
- Karl Meltzer (15)
- Megan Zetter (2)
- Paul Nelson (9)
- Todd Janssen
- Yassine Diboun (2)