Fri, Mar-23-07, 07:32
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Plan: Muscle Centric
Stats: 238/153/160
BF:
Progress: 109%
Location: UK
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by lisaz8605
Thanks for the all the support in my gym log, babes! I am unfortunately not feeling so well today (fighting cold, ovulation symptoms and/or a combination of all that exacerbated by stress due to personal issues) so I'm resting today. But tomorrow I hope to be back at the gym with a good workout. Stay strong everyone!
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For Lisa and anyone else who's not feeling well or is nursing an injury:
Quote:
Speedy recovery
Can yoga or Pilates help back pain? Should you go for the burn when you've got a cold? Peta Bee on how to exercise with an illness or injury
Gym junkies swear that working out is a hard-core cure-all - it keeps the blood circulating to areas that need healing and sweats out severe colds. Are they aware, however, that exercise-related injuries are on the increase?
According to figures from Bupa Sports Injury clinics, up to 50,000 people suffer some form of sports injury every day, while research at the University of Arkansas revealed that there has been a 35% rise in gym injuries since the 80s. And with the flu season now upon us, many of even the most enthusiastic exercisers will be deliberating whether or not to hit the treadmill.
In some cases, experts say, persevering with your workouts can enhance recovery from illness and injury; in others, it can hamper it.
How to negotiate this minefield? Professor Thomas Weidner, director of athletic training at Ball State university, Indiana and a leading researcher in the effect of exercise on colds (and vice versa), says a consistent gym programme "pumps the immune system" and keeps us from getting colds in the first place. But if you do get a bout of the sniffles, should you forgo your gym sessions until you recover? Weidner says the decision should initially depend on how poorly you are feeling and "always listen to your body".
A useful strategy is to assess the severity of your cold. If you have a runny nose, sneezing or a sore throat (what Weidner calls "above-the-neck" symptoms), it is probably safe to exercise at a low intensity - walking, cycling or yoga - and it may even boost the activity of illness-fighting white blood cells. If, however, you are suffering from extreme tiredness, muscle-aches or feverish symptoms (below-the-neck), stay at home with a hot-water bottle.
According to guidelines from the American Council on Exercise - a consumer watchdog on the fitness industry - allow at least two weeks for a full recovery if you have flu-like symptoms. Mild colds, though, are different. In various recent studies, Weidner and his colleagues inoculated subjects with rhinovirus and then asked them to follow either a moderate exercise regime (half-hour workouts at 70% of their maximum heart rates on treadmills, bikes or steppers for five days a week), or to remain mostly sedentary, except for a shortish walk to work. While the exercisers said they felt better after their gym sessions, there was no difference in symptoms between the groups.
"Nobody feels good when they have a head cold, but research says people can exercise," Weidner says. "It found that cold symptoms do not get worse after working out and that athletic performance does not suffer during light to moderate exercise. Neither the severity nor duration of symptoms seem to be affected."
Among the most common injuries to sporty types are pulled or torn leg muscles. Claire Small, a spokeswoman for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists, who specialises in treating musculoskeletal problems, says laying off workouts for a few days after pulling a muscle is essential: the healing process begins with an inflammatory response that can last for three to five days. "This is a crucial time during which rest - protection of the injured muscle is vital in order to prevent any further damage," Small says. "During the inflammatory reaction, the body produces chemicals and cells that remove dead muscle fibres and start the repair process."
After that, however, a gradual return to exercise is the best route to recovery. "A lot of people make the mistake of resting completely for four weeks if they get a sports injury, only to launch back into their fitness programme once they feel no more pain," says Ben Ashworth, a physiotherapist at the Olympic Medical Institute in Northwick Park Hospital. "Because the body's tissues harden themselves to activity over time, a sudden return can predispose someone to getting injured again." Instead, says Ashworth, they should consult a physiotherapist who will gently increase their exercise load. Pool-based sessions are often included because the water acts as a giant cushion for the joint and muscles.
"Swimming or aqua-jogging [using a buoyancy aid] is great for many injuries because it is no-impact and supports your body weight, while giving a good cardiovascular workout," Ashworth says. "From there, they could progress to walking on grass or a soft surface."
If you suffer from weak knees or ankles, a mini-trampoline or rebounder - as used by David Beckham - is a great buy. American researchers have found that the body has to work harder to run on a springy surface than on a treadmill, which means that you could burn more calories - around 100 for every eight to 10 minutes spent bouncing up and down. "Mini-trampolines encourage a little bit of assisted mobilisation," Ashworth says. "The elastic recoil of the bed affords some protection."
Yoga may be beneficial for some problems, although it should only be performed on the recommendation of a physiotherapist. A recent study into back pain published in the American College of Physicians' Annals of Internal Medicine, found that a gentle yoga class seemed a better alternative to general exercise or a self-help book for back pain. However, Dr Karen Sherman, who conducted the study, conceded that more vigorous types of yoga, and classes led by poorly qualified instructors, can potentially make problems worse. Matt Todman, consultant physiotherapist at the Sports & Spinal Clinic, Harley Street, agrees, saying "yoga is generally not good for back pain and a lot of its postures can compound the problem by loading pressure on the back".
Instead, Todman recommends Pilates classes, preferably run by a physiotherapist. Studies at Queensland University in Australia have shown that Pilates exercises can develop the core muscles in the trunk which support the back and help to prevent a range of leg injuries. "The importance of posture is massively underplayed," Todman says. "Poor posture is the most common cause of back ache and that links to other injuries. Activities like Pilates can help to correct that."
While flexibility is important in injury prevention, too much stretching as part of a rehabilitation programme, can do more harm than good. "Most normally active individuals only need to maintain a normal range of motion to function at a high level and to function safely," says Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist at Ace.
Too many people, however, don't stop there. "They think that if being able to touch your toes is considered normal, being able to touch four inches past your toes must be better," Bryant says. "There is evidence to suggest that hyper-mobility in some people can be a risk factor for further injury".
http://www.guardian.co.uk/health/st...1925653,00.html
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I've been back in the gym this week ... a lot of interval work on the treadmill and several UBWO sessions. I'm currently avoiding anything that could affect my wrist (i.e., anything that means I have to bend it back) and it seems to be fine. Planning on fitting in a LBWO this weekend, and if the weather is good, then I'll be out walking. If not, then I'm going to be bouncing on my rebounder 
Have a good one Babes!  |
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It's better again, so I'm back to trying to strengthen those muscles.
Can you come over here to help me move a bookcase? 
Muscle woman!! 
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