March 29, 2024

Listen to Your Body!

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Listen to your body!

How do you know when nagging soreness from exercise warrants a trip to the doctor? Soreness is part of working out sometimes. Discomfort is also part of working out sometimes. Pain is NOT part of working out. So here’s the bottom line: If a move, motion or exercise doesn’t “feel” right to your body, it probably isn’t. Unload the weight and stop the exercise. Revisit proper form without weight or resistance, and then try again. If it still doesn’t feel right, then adjust the range of motion, mode of exercise or consider modifications. This is a feeling you don’t want to push through. And if you have pain that results, here are few guidelines to know when to take it seriously:

When ice doesn’t make it feel better.

When you have loss of range of motion or mobility.

When pain wakes you up at night.

Any pain accompanied by swelling, change in appearance of joint or muscles, numbness or tingling.

When you’re unable to perform your usual workout because of pain or discomfort.

Your Fitness: When to say WHEN

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Calling it quits.

So, you’ve had a nagging pain here, a little pinch there. How do you know when you should push through the discomfort or back off and see your doctor? Do a body scan and differentiate between pain, muscle soreness or fatigue. Pain is an acute feeling. Pain stops you in your tracks or is a low grade constant ache. Pain can take your breath away.  Here are a few variables to determine when to say when in your fitness:

Pain for more than 3 months. If you’ve had consistent pain for 3 months or longer, see your doctor.

Numbness, tingling or radiating pain. Pain that travels through your body means a call to your doctor.

Night pain. If you have pain that is waking you up at night, consult your doctor.

Loss of range of motion or mobility. Painful or limited range of motion should be a red flag.

 

*Always consult your doctor to determine an appropriate course of action for your individual needs.

 

Is medical clearance really important? By Nicole Bryan

Is medical clearance to exercise really necessary?

“Obtain a doctors approval before beginning an exercise program.” We’ve all read this, heard this and seen this advisory many times, does it still need to be taken seriously? Yes. Absolutely. 100 percent. Why is medical clearance to exercise or activity in general so important? It’s important for several reasons:

Firstly, things change. We change. Bodies change. Our biology and body chemistry changes. Medical conditions change. It’s important to check in with your medical professional before beginning a new activity, as well as before increasing activity because our health (internal, as well as external health) status may have changed since our last visit. For most of the general population, it’s important to re-evaluate our health status at least once a year. For example, maybe your blood pressure was never an issue in the past. However, with a more sedentary job, higher daily stress and poor nutrition choices due to long work hours your blood pressure could now be elevated. High blood pressure is an example of compromised health that often goes undetected in the early stages, but is considered a serious health risk.

Secondly, generalizations are exactly that, generalizations. For example, youth does not automatically mean healthy. Skinny doesn’t always mean healthy. Another example; competitive athlete doesn’t always mean healthy. Likewise, an avid exerciser doesn’t always mean automatically healthy. Each individual should pursue and manage his or her health as an individual.

Thirdly, underlying conditions can be swept under the rug or disregarded as a symptom of mileage, hard workouts or heavy weights. Heavy exercisers may often feel fatigue, aches and soreness, so if something new arises there is less likely the chance the new symptom will be noticed and therefore tended to. For example, heavy lifting can make us sore in our upper back, neck and chest muscles. However, chest pain, neck and/or upper back pain can also be symptoms of cardiovascular issues.

Re-evaluating our health status is an important component of managing our overall wellness program. Doing so also allows us to tend to issues before they become serious. It’s not a matter of being paranoid; it’s a matter of simply being aware. If something feels off with your body, pursue it. Next time you see, read or hear the phrase “seek medical clearance before beginning an exercise program or activity” take it seriously. In fact, there’s no argument not to. Every smart exerciser is constantly re-evaluating how they feel and how their body is working. Checking in with medical professionals is just another way of managing our wellness.

Workout Burnout By Nicole Bryan

Too much of a good thing?

If some exercise is good, then lots of exercise is better right? Not always. If you’re constantly sore and have muscle pain, you may be over-training.

Television weight-loss programs and professional sports all influence our thinking that we need to push ourselves to exhaustion, to the point of almost passing out or vomiting. The bottom line is exercise should decrease stress in our bodies and minds, not add stress to our lives. Exercise should make us feel good, strong and empowered, not exhausted, sick and sore. True wellness is balanced, sustainable, suitable and appropriate long term adherence to healthy living. Avoid workout burnout by paying attention to the following:

Exercise Volume. There may also be a time when exercising volume builds. For example, training for an event where your running miles are up or total hours spent exercising during the week are rivaling that of your work schedule. Does this mean that all high volume exercise is bad? No, absolutely not! High volume should mean you’re training for an event or competition that is requiring exceptional hours of practice perfecting one mode of exercise. However, you must cycle your volume or else become injured or burn out physically and mentally.

Work in Periods. The key to prevent over training is to work in periods of time or weeks, months or such. Constantly manipulating your work and rest ratio prevents over training. For example, alternating weeks of high intensity workouts with restorative or meditative workouts, or if you’re training for a running event, three weeks building miles, followed by one week of half the miles allows your body to absorb the miles and training. Paying attention to how you’re feeling on a consistent basis is still paramount to safety, effectiveness and sustainability of your health and wellness program. So, how do you know when your work to rest ratio or intensity to rest ratio is out of sync?

If you’re constantly sore or feeling exhausted, it may be time to give your body (and just as importantly, your mind) a break. Have you been catching more colds than usual this year? Have you been suffering from lots of low grade and nagging injuries, pulls and tweaks here and there recently? If you’ve been feeling irritable or even a little depressed that’s not usually the case for your personality, time to reduce intensity, duration or frequency of your workout routine. According to the National Institute of Health, these are all physical and psychological signs of over-training.

Log Workouts! Tracking how you’re feeling is as easy as keeping a log of your workout progress of reps, sets, and weight amount, just simply add a symbol or notation if you’re feeling refreshed, exhausted, energized, drained, etc. If you’re seeing a trend of exhaustion, sickness, injury and fatigue, these are the warning signs that it’s time to re-evaluate your approach. Unfortunately, we’re often programmed to think all workouts have to be 100-percent all out, the highest intensity possible, the most volume your body can take until it’s shaking with borderline injury to be effective, but science (and common sense) tells us that’s not the case. Science also tells us that our body comes back stronger, more powerful and healthier with adequate rest. Be smart and listen to your body. You’ll be healthier and happier for it.

Your Kinesiology Taping Solution

If you suffer from muscle or joint pain, post-exercise fatigue or nagging injuries, there is help. Your answer is simply one click away. Meet Theratape.com!

Theratape is the leading online supplier of kinesiology tape, the colorful tape that can now be seen at virtually every major sporting event, as well as physical therapy clinics, chiropractic offices and training rooms. Since its debut at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, kinesiology tape has taken both the sports world and the therapy world by storm and is showing no signs of slowing down. This popularity is understandable when you consider that an expenditure of $10-$20 can purchase a product that can provide round-the-clock relief from pain and inflammation for up to 5 days, as well as accelerate the healing process.

Joanne Stapensea, M.Sc., an exercise physiologist and owner of Theratape.com says the benefits of kinesiology taping are many, with the user often experiencing relief and improved function almost immediately. Health and fitness experts agree. Using kinesiology tape can:

Speed Workout Recovery. Whether you work out a few times a week or participate in competitive multi-day athletic events, recovery is key! K-taping increases circulation to those working muscles, which means that more oxygen and nutrients are being delivered and more exercise byproducts like lactic acid are being removed.  The result? Less residual fatigue and muscle soreness and a faster return to peak performance levels.

Decrease Pain. Whether it’s a fresh injury or a chronic muscle or joint ache, kinesiology taping can help relieve the pain. The stretchy tape lifts the skin just enough to reduce pressure on sensitive pain receptors, providing drug-free relief the entire time it is worn.

Keep You Active. Because it provides pain relief and support without restricting range of motion, k-tape can allow people with injuries to continue to train and/or compete as they recover. What could be better than continuing in your sport and healing at the same time?

Correct Muscle Imbalances. Depending on the method of application, kinesiology taping can activate weak/poorly toned muscles or inhibit overactive muscles. This allows it to help correct muscle imbalances and dysfunctional postures that can lead to injuries or performance problems. Better posture means you’re decreasing risk of injury, and working at full functional power!

Wondering how kinesiology tape can do all that? For your own tutorial on how kinesiology tape works click here!

Theratape.com was born in the Spring of 2009. “I first saw Kinesio Tape at the 2008 Beijing Olympics on the US beach volleyball gold medalist” explains Joanne Stapensea, Theratape’s owner.  “I started searching for the tape online and had a very difficult time finding it. I realized that if I was having trouble finding it, there were probably thousands of other people in the same boat. That looked to me like a need just waiting to be filled!” she shares. “We now ship worldwide, supplying kinesiology tape to individuals, schools, clinics, hospitals and the military.”

Theratape.com is unique because it is the only source for all of the major kinesiology tape brands, varieties, accessories and educational materials. Among the many choices are:

Single Rolls – approximately 16 feet long, great for first aid kits, sports bags and personal use

Bulk Rolls – over 100 feet of tape, ideal for health professionals and athletic trainers

Precut Strips – varying widths and lengths of strips precut into X, Y, I or fan shapes

Precut Applications and Taping Kits – designed for specific body parts, these are perfect for traveling and on-the-go sporting events

Specialty Tapes – gentle or extra-strong adhesive, wide or narrow widths and more

With prices starting at just $8, you’ll find kinesiology taping is a cost-effective option. With so many choices available, there really is a type of tape for every athlete, every muscle and to support nearly every sport or fitness endeavor. However, if you don’t find what you’re looking for, simply drop Theratape an email via info@theratape.com.

File Theratape.com under extra-cool because they go the extra mile to inspire their customers. In addition to their wide selection of kinesiology tape and supplies, the Theratape Education Center goes one step further to educate health and fitness enthusiasts of the benefits of their products and how to use them correctly. “In the Education Center you can view hundreds of instructional videos and find printable application instructions, all organized by body part” offers Joanne. Especially useful to visitors is their YouTube channel highlighting taping applications for a wide variety of injuries and health conditions. One click and you’ll be a fan as you learn the basics in an easy to follow step-by-step format.

Are you a Health and Fitness Professional? Register in their database to secure your discount here. Order all of your patient supplies in one convenient spot, AND read reviews and reports to stay current on research all relevant to the taping world.

So if you’re looking to recover faster, decrease injuries and improve posture and muscle function, consider giving kinesiology tape from Theratape.com a try. Find all your kinesiology taping supplies and information in one easy to use online location. Join their Twitter and Facebook communities to discover why fellow athletes rave about the benefits of kinesiology tape. Make Theratape.com your kinesiology taping solution!