More factors that contribute to muscle cramps

Many sports injuries occur because people don't know how to prevent them. Here are some tips to help prevent injuries:

1. Always wear the correct gear. Players should always wear appropriate and properly fitted protective sports gear such as pads (neck, shoulder, elbow, chest, knee, shin), helmets, mouthpieces, face guards, protective cups, and/or eye wear.
2. Increase muscle strength.
3. Increase flexibility. Stretch!
4. Use the proper technique.
5. Take rests.
6. Follow the rules of your sport and play safe.
7. Stop the activity if there is pain.
8. Keep hydrated.

Sitting in office chairs for long periods of time not only affects your muscles but impacts the disks in your spine. In humans over 5 years of age, there is no direct blood supply to the jelly like nucleus of the intervertebral discs. The intervertebral discs therefore rely upon fluid inflow and outflow for their nutrition: when you lie down, the pressure comes off the discs and they expand, absorbing water and nutrients as they do so (rather like a sponge expanding and sopping up a spill on the floor). Unloaded Disc Filling with nutrient rich liquid When you stand up, the discs are compressed and their watery component is squeezed out, thus removing waste products at the same time. Loaded Discs Being Compressed Similar squeeze/expand cycles are occurring every time that we move, both day and night. This means you must move in order to “feed” your discs and keep them healthy. The disc squeeze/expand cycle is crucial to spinal health.  It is well proven that your degenerative disc "disease" progresses faster over time if your discs can't alternate compression with expansion.  As sitting more than half the time at work is associated with herniated discs (or slipped discs) and sciatic nerve pain in those older than 35, so try to get up and move as much as possible.

Mindfullness is very trendy right now because it is claimed to help you cope with anxiety and stress and build resilience.  But does it help you if you are depressed?  This is the question that researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine tried to answer in a recent study. During the study, 31 women most of whom had done nothing to help themselves to deal with their depression in the last 12 months, participated in an mindfullness group.  They practicied mindfullness meditation and yoga on average 150 minutes per week.  Before starting the study 45% said they had no experience of mediation and 71% said they had never tried yoga. The primary outcome, depression and secondary outcomes (stress, mindfulness, functioning, well-being and depression stigma) were assessed at start of the study and then again at weeks 8 and 16 weeks .  The depressive symptoms significantly decreased during the study, in addition the stigma of depression increased from the start of the study to 8 weeks and then significantly decreased between 8 to 16 weeks of the study.  A significant decrease in stress and significant increase in mindfulness was found at week 8 and the end of the study when compared to the start of the study.  In addition, the women reported increased sense of well-being including self-acceptance and growth. In conclusion mindfulness medication can reduce levels of depression and stress as much as powerful drugs and psychotherapy do. Reference I E Burnett-Zeigler, M D Satyshur, S Hong, A Yang et al, 2016, Mindfulness based stress reduction adapted for depressed disadvantaged women in an urban Federally Qualified Health Centre, Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice;  25; 59 - 67 see >> http://www.ctcpjournal.com/article/S1744-3881(16)30072-X/abstract