How to Prevent Running Injuries – Part 1
What we see in clinic all the time, is people coming in with running or training injuries that have blindsided them, they have no idea how it happened. Its like the injury came out of nowhere.
Injuries don’t come out of nowhere. Most running injuries produce signals
- aches
- soreness
- persistent pain
Its up to you not to ignore the signal and to take appropriate action. That doesn’t mean keep on running as you set yourself a goal and want to achieve it. I consider it crazy to run through pain – all you are doing in injuring yourself further. If you do push on regardless you will invariably end up with with more enforced rest needing more rehab than if you took immediate action. Any problems are just amplified the more miles you run.
One of they key factors that determines an athletes success is there ability to avoid injuries. If you look at Kenyan distance runners they are experts at listening to their bodies and knowing when to skip training if they are tired and how to nip injuries in the bud.
So if you get any of the above signals book a sports massage.
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My top exercise
My top exericse, is very underrated, it is walking, I love it. Here is why. 1. Walking is good for everyone. Doctors agree including the elderly, morbidy obese, arhritic and pregnant women. Walking is gentle enough for most people who have these conditions and the activity can help ease the pain of chronic illness. 2. Walking is free and easy - no expensive gym fees and no equipment needed! 3. Walking is linked to lower rates of obesity. People who walk to work are less likely to be obese, 30 minutes walking a day burns 150 calories.. A 2015 study found that even walking just 20 minutes a day can reduce your risk of premature death by 30%. 4. Walking prevents diabetes as it helps regulates blood sugar levels, which in turn keeps insulin levels low at diabetes at day. A 15 minute walk after a meal is all that is need to help regulate blood sugar levels. 5. Walking is good for year heart. A 2013 study found that walkers who cover the same mileage as runners enjoy comparable reductions in high blood pressure, high cholesterol and coronary heart disease. While it took twice as long for walkers to cover the distance, walking may be a more sustainable and accessible activity than running for most people, especially those who are new to exercise. 6. Walking helps you get a good nights sleep. Travel experts adivse when you arrive at a new city on the day you arrive to walk around. The reason is that you expose your body to sunlight and saying outside until it grows dark helps you to recalibarte the hormone melatonin to your new time zone. As melatonin rises so does feelings of sleepiness. 7. Walking improves your mood protecting you from both anxiety and depression. Moving your body is a well-known way to release endorphins, a set of feel-good chemicals that dull pain receptors in the brain, sedate you and even give you feelings of happiness and euphoria. That’s why exercise in general, and walking in particular, is recommended to help improve symptoms of mild to moderate depression. A 2005 study found that walking briskly for 35 minutes five times a week, or 60 minutes three times a week, had a significant influence on mild to moderate depression symptoms. References 2015 Study see >> https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/552048/Brisk-20-minute-walk-each-day-could-reduce-risk-early-death 2013 Study see >> http://time.com/3668654/exercise-obesity-walking-premature-death/ Exercise for depression study see >> https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/03/for-depression-prescribing-exercise-before-medication/284587/ and the 2005 study see >> https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/exercise-is-an-all-natural-treatment-to-fight-depression
Mundane superfoods – part 3
Continue my series (see part 1 and part 2) on swapping exotic superfoods for more readily available and cheaper but just as nutritious alternatives, this week I turn my attention to Wheatgrass.
Chickweed: The New Wheatgrass
As green as any grass you've ever seen, wheatgrass has been a main event in health food circles for decades. People will line up to pay big bucks for a small shot of the stuff, which tastes pretty much like you'd imagine, similar to the aroma of new-mown hay; as one company describes it, "unfamiliar, but not unpleasant." Several of this commodity's features include fighting aging by revitalizing skin cells, cleansing the blood and fighting tumors. Clinical studies show that it contains 90 minerals, 20 essential amino acids, 13 vitamins and 80 enzymes. But it's the 70 percent ratio of chlorophyll, structurally similar to red blood cells (hemoglobin), that makes it a superfood. World Lifestyle notes that once it's absorbed, it converts to hemoglobin, mimicking red blood cells and carrying oxygen to vital areas of your body, and may even kill off cancer cells because "cancer cells can't survive and thrive in oxygen-rich environments." But get this: Chickweed (Stellaria media) is a wild, edible plant growing prolifically in every area of the world other than those that are coldest, like Antarctica. Besides decreasing insect damage to other plants, it's chockfull of many vitamins, minerals and, like wheatgrass, chlorophyll. Chickweed stems and flowers can be used raw in salads and sandwiches, tossed into soups and stews or added to cooked dishes (but at the end as the stems and leaves are delicate). Frontier foragers learned that when they gathered chickweed, almost exclusively in the spring, it was useful as both food and medicine. As a food, Foraged Foodie observes, the raw form is covered with a fine layer of fibers, which are minimized when they're gently chopped and sautéed or wilted. Natural medicine expert Dr. Josh Axe notes:"Chickweed is taken by mouth to treat stomach problems, intestinal complaints such as constipation, disorders of the blood, arthritis, lung diseases including asthma, kidney disorders, inflammatory conditions of the urinary tract, rabies, and scurvy or vitamin C deficiency. It is also used to relieve extreme exhaustion. Chickweed is applied on the skin relieve various skin conditions such as skin wounds, ulcers, burns, arthritis pain and symptoms of eczema."
References Dynamic Greens 2017 World Lifestyle Foraged Foodie March 3, 2016 Dr. Axe February 10, 2014Difference Between Sports and Deep Tissue Massage
- Seated Acupressure Neck & Shoulder massage is a short focused massage to release tension in the Neck & Shoulders
- Choose Sports massage over deep tissue massage when you go to the gym with a specific sporting goal in mind, i.e. you are going for more than just generally keeping fit. Or you are really focused on your sport including actively taking part in competitions or you are keen to improve your performance or your training is solely focused on your sport and you do not cross train.
Sports Massage Deep Tissue Massage Incorporates Deep Pressure Yes Yes Similar massage stokes Yes Yes Releases muscle tension, pain, physical stress and stiffness while restoring flexibility Yes Yes Able to resolve common injuries and woes for inactive, desk bound people Yes Yes Incorporates a custom blend of oils and hot stones to relieve tension and anxiety No Yes Athlete orientated including - Focus on improving athletic performance - Incorporates stretching - Assessing injury risk - Rehabilitation after injury Yes No Knowledge of sport - Able to deliver specific pre-exercise treatment for any given sport - Able to deliver specific post-exercise treatment for any given sport - Able to deliver specific treatment during intense training for any given sport Yes No
