Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. Like a leak in your roof that won’t stop until you patched the source, pain won’t go away until the affected muscle is completely healed. The problem is that some aches and pains last for days, weeks, months, and even years even after treatment. That has led experts to believe that some types of pain may have a more serious cause than just injury or inflammation.
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The Link between Physical Exercise and Brain Health Explained
A study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience has shown that there’s a fascinating link between physical health and brain performance. It compares the pathological effects of prolonged motor deprivation on astronauts spending extended periods in space and debilitated patients undergoing treatment.
The result reveals that both participants, after exposure to equally movement-limiting situations, experience impact on both their motor and metabolic systems and their nervous system, altering neurogenesis and the interaction between motoneurons and muscle cells. Simply put, taking care of your physical health by having an active lifestyle can help maintain if not improve your mental health.
5 Activities You Should Do to Maintain Your Fitness over the Holidays
Despite temperate, New Zealand still enjoys warm summers. Temperatures can go as high as 30ºC and can be quite uncomfortable, especially to those whose lifestyles arepigeon-holed as “unhealthy”. They are the ones who don’t get enough sun and prefer stuffing and holing up in their rooms all day. Bad news for them—apart from missing out on all the fun summer brings, they can be at risk of various illnesses. If you are one of them, it’s about time you rethink your plans for the hot months.
Eat and Drink in Moderation
Have you been consuming more sugar than necessary? Then you’re in danger. Added sugar is no less than poison to your body. It can overload your liver with fructose, which leads to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or cause insulin resistance, which triggers diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Cut down on your sugar intake and incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet. Too much of anything, especially sugar, is dangerous. Survive the summer by eating a balanced diet.
Work Out Daily
Doing exercises on a regular basis in summer, such as pushups, stretches, jumps, and spine calisthenics, in addition to having a balanced diet, can keep your body in tip-top shape. To make it more exciting, why not get your family out into the garden or the park to play cricket or work out together? It would take away all your worries to know that all of your loved ones are taking good care of their health. Such a routine can also help strengthen your bond, so you’re practically hitting two birds with one stone.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep plays a crucial role in your health—that should be a no-brainer. Primarily, it’s involved in the repair and healing of the blood vessels. It also keeps the lungs strong, so having insufficient sleep means preventing the lungs from taking in enough oxygen, which the body needs to process its main energy source. In summer, daytime can be particularly scorching and nighttime cold, so getting a good night’s sleep may prove challenging. Learn the best practices that can help improve your sleep, such as getting regular exercise, quitting smoking, and avoiding heavy meals before bedtime.
Have Fun
Summer is a time to celebrate. Take your family to the beach or lake and enjoy the annual flocking of kiwis. Go surfing with your friends at Raglan, Northland or Mount Maunganui. If you’re the kind that loves the country’s heritage, then strolling the historic areas of Northland can be fun. There are a lot of other places to go and things to do to make the most out of summer. While you are trying to stay fit, don’t forget to have fun as well.
Prepare for the Twinges
Being active in summer has its fair share of risks. You can get injured while working out or trekking tough trails. Body pains are also common after a week-long trip to the beach or campsite. Prepare yourself for these scenarios so that you can get back on track the soonest. Visiting a physiotherapist from a trusted clinic like Institute of Sport Physio after each trip for rehabilitation can be a great idea.
Don’t let summer pass without fully enjoying its offerings. Staying fit and pain-free is one way to make all your plans happen. With a physio expert from Newmarket always ready to give you the aid you need in case of injury, you can kiss your anxieties goodbye and make the best of memories.
Sources:
How summer affects your health… for good or ill, DailyMail.co.uk
DISCOVER SUMMER IN NEW ZEALAND, NewZealand.com
Why sleep is important, APA.org
Physio Newmarket: 6 Tips for Marathon Endurance and Injury Prevention
It doesn’t matter what your occupation or age is—as long as you’re in good health, running a marathon is something you can always do. Even if you have a busy daily schedule, it’s possible to squeeze in time to train for a marathon. Preparation is the best defense, as they say, so whether you are training on your own or with a group of friends, sports injury treatment facilities like the Institute of Sport Physio would like to share with you six tips you can use to ensure you are physically and mentally ready for the race day.
Don’t Just Run
You need to complement your running with a strengthening program to enhance your endurance and speed while minimising your risk of injury. Core strength plays a critical role in keeping your body stabilised while running, which can delay fatigue and improve your running economy.
Wear the Proper Shoes
When choosing the shoes that you will use for running, make sure they are lightweight and provide good support. If you plan to wear different shoes for the marathon, break them in by running for 10 miles at marathon pace. If the shoes don’t feel good during this test run, you need to find yourself a better pair or get the Physiotherapist to check them out. He may recommend an orthotic to add stability to your feet.
Eat Well
Just because you’re burning a lot of calories training for a marathon doesn’t mean you can eat anything you want. You need to ‘fuel’ your body properly in order to maximise the results of your training, and eating healthy foods is the best way to do so. Best foods for marathon runners include oats, bananas, broccoli, yogurt, coffee, and whole grains. You can still indulge in your favorite foods of course, but take them in moderation. Taking sufficient fluid the night before the marathon is very important.
Visualize Your Success
Picturing yourself succeeding is a great motivator to help you achieve your goals. While you train, spend a few minutes a day picturing yourself running the perfect race. See yourself running strong, carrying out your gameplan to perfection, and crossing the finish line well within your goal time. Let that image be your inspiration to success.
Get a Sports Doctor and Sports Physiotherapist before Your Run
A sports physical can give the clean bill of health you need to proceed with your run. When you meet with the doctor, tell him how much and at what intensity you were training. Also inform your physician of the marathon distance and your goal time. This will give your physician an idea of what to look for and how to look at it. A Sports Physiotherapist can check out your spinal alignment, running shoes and flexibility.
Don’t Work through the Pain
You need to listen to your body and rest if training is starting to get painful. If pain persists, get a physical examination immediately so that you can receive the appropriate treatment and get back to running as soon as possible. If you ignore the pain, injury could set in and leave you sidelined for a lengthy period.
For the diagnosis and treatment of injuries resulting from your marathon training, don’t hesitate to visit the Grafton NewMarket physio clinic of Institute of Sport Physiotherapy.
Sources:
The 5 Requirements of Training for Your First Marathon, trainingpeaks.com