Exercise as a treatment for chronic low back pain

The Spine Center at New England Baptist Hospital studied exercise as a prescribed treatment for chronic low back pain.  They concluded that exercise was not harmful to an already injured back, but it can, indeed reduce back pain and create a healthy back again. I found the abstract for this study at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14749199

Of course, you may have already heard this message.  So why do so many people continue to suffer with it?  I believe it stems from 3 main reasons;

1. Lack of knowledge.  What exercises should I do?
2. Lack of motivation.  The “I am on the couch and I can’t get up” syndrome.
3. Waiting to be pain-free.  “I’ll start exercising on a good day.”

Lack of Knowledge;

I can’t tell you how poor of an excuse this one is!  There is SO MUCH information on what types of exercises help back problems that I hesitate to review them here.  Just go to U-Tube and search for “exercises for the back” and you will find hundreds of them.  Ok, so it can be a little overwhelming, I admit. So here is a good starting place;

•    Upper back problems are usually caused by a weakness in the muscles that surround the shoulder blades (scapula).
•    Lower back problems are usually caused by a weakness in the lower stomach (abdominal) muscles.

For pain in the upper back caused by weak Trapezius and Rhomboid muscles just pull your shoulder blades together 5-10 times, several times per day.  Later you can graduate to pulling the shoulder blades together, then “slide” those tight shoulder blades up and down the backbone (Thoracic Vertebrae).  Remember to perform these movements WITHOUT Arching your lower back, which can simply migrate your pain from the upper back to the lower back.

For pain in the lower back cause by weak lower Abdominal muscles, the “Pelvic Tilt” is the best tool in your arsenal.  Stand as straight as you can with your feet a comfortable distance apart.  Now slowly pull the bottom of your hips (pelvis) forward by tightening your lower abdominal muscles.  Think about tucking your tailbone under your body tilting the bottom of your hip bones forward.  That will feel in your body as if you are rounding the small of your back.  This puts your lower back into a strong position and can, alone, relieve much of your pain.  Repeat this motion every time you think about your back throughout the day.  Since this motion alone will not strengthen your abdominal muscles enough to relieve your chronic pain, perform the following exercises 3-4 times throughout the week; Pick-Pocket, Hip-Up, and leg lift.

To perform the “Pick-Pocket” movement, sit on the floor with your knees tucked to your chest and your feet 1-2 inches off the floor.  Touch both hands to the side of one hip as if reaching into your pocket, then move both hands to the other hip (to the pocket on the other side).  Continue to move your hands from one pocket to the other, back and forth touching both pockets at least ten (10) times each.  Begin with quick, brisk movements until you feel the abdominal muscles getting stronger.  This will take a few weeks.  Now slow the movement to about half speed, taking twice as long to touch each pocket.  The slower you do this movement, the more work you are doing.  This one is also very easy to get kids involved.  Just set each child next to you and instead of “picking” your own pocket, “pick” theirs instead.  They will soon understand the fun in trying to tickle you and each other in those brief moments.

To perform the “Hip-Up” movement, lay on your back on the floor or other flat, stable surface with your head down on the floor (or surface) and your feet up in the air bent at the waist and straight in the knees.  Now use your abdominal muscles to raise your hips up off the floor as high as you can in an explosive movement.  Repeat this 10 times, several days a week.

To perform the “Leg Lift” movement, begin by sitting in a stable chair that has arm rests but no rollers.  Sit with approximately 3-4 inches between your back and the back rest of the chair; you will not be using the back rest.  Perform a pelvic tilt (see above).  Your upper torso should be erect with the top of the head reaching up toward the ceiling.   Then, keep one leg on the floor for stability and lift the other knee as close to your chest as your body will allow while keeping your back erect.  Repeat this movement on the first leg 10 times, then 10 times with the other leg.  After this movement becomes easy and comfortable for you to perform, then try raising both legs at one time.  At this point most people need to counter-balance the leg-raise by leaning back.  This is fine but should be kept to a minimum.  The more you lean back, the less work your abdominal muscles have to do.  This is where the arms of the chair come in handy.  Use your hands on the arm rests to stabilize yourself.  Remember, there is a BIG JUMP from lifting one leg at a time to lifting both, so don’t become discouraged.   Just keep switching off between raising one leg and raising 2 legs until 10 repetitions are complete.  Later you will find you will be able to do more 2-legged raises and fewer single-leg raises in the set of 10.  When you can perform 10, 2-legged raises in a chair with relative ease, you may graduate to the same movement while sitting on the floor with your hands also on the floor.

Lack of motivation;

Don’t kick yourself or use lack of motivation as an excuse to give up on your exercise program.  You are BETTER than that! Lack of motivation happens to even the most dedicated of us.  Instead, try these helpful tips;

• Workout with a buddy.  Studies prove that people who work out together tend to work harder, longer, and more consistently.  No one wants to be the excuse for someone else not getting their workout so each buddy feels the responsibility to show up and not cancel unless a good reason can be provided.  Each buddy tries to “show off” or “prove themselves” to the other.  This stimulates each one to do their best every time.
• Keep the same routine.  When you skip a workout, your body will feel the change and stimulate action to get back to the normal routine.  It is also easier to fit it into your week when others around you know the routine and expect nothing else from you during that time.
• Do something enjoyable for the workout.  Even if you can’t play tennis yet due to your back trouble, you can make the workout fun.  Play your favorite music or even a TV show, create a contest with yourself to do more than the last time or do it with a fun flare,  wear funky clothes that make you feel energized (just. . . don’t go out in public!),  take your work out to the park where the air invigorates your senses (separate from wearing the funky clothes, like I said, don’t go out in public with them).  Do whatever you need to do to keep “exercise” from sounding like “work”.

Remember, “exercise” should never be a 4-letter word!

Waiting to be Pain-Free;

If you keep waiting to be free of your pain before starting your new exercise regimen, your muscles will continue to atrophy (reduce in size and in tone), the back pain will only get worse and you will never be free of its debilitating effects.  Instead, start at a low level today, right now! And you will see result faster than you will if you wait until a “good day” that may never come.  The longer you wait, the longer the positive results will take to be noticed.  It is best to start when you still have some muscle tone to work with. START NOW!

So, have I taken away all your excuses yet? If you can think of more excuses not to get started on your healthy road forward, please let me know the excuse you are currently using.  I would love to chop it to pieces!  Have I given you ideas to improve your torso and create a healthy back?  Please contact me if you would like more ideas.  Oh, by the way, if you have chronic back pain due to over-exertion, it might be caused by internal inflammation.  Try rubbing Calamine Lotion (yes, that old pink stuff your Grandparents used to use for bug bights) on the affected area.  It will draw the inflammation up, away from the muscles relieving some of the pressure on the bones and the nerves.

That is my last tip for this segment.  Enjoy your health!

Andra

What to do with unexpected changes in your schedule.

Life is full of change and detours. Can we stay dedicated to our health in the midst of unexpected change?
The answer is a resounding “YES!” . . . with FLEXIBILITY!
There are simple changes in schedule; children’s music lessons change to a new night, spouse decides to drop the bowling league and change to a book study group instead, there is a monthly volunteerism meeting on the same day you normally workout.
Then there are major changes or interruptions; you need to sit with a close friend in the Hospital, a family member dies leaving you executor of the Will, or you are involved in a car accident.
All these events can, and perhaps will, derail your attempts to stay healthy through proper nutrition and exercise. How can you out-wit these “hellions of health”? The answer is . . . drum roll, please! . . . . PERSISTENCE!
Yes you may slip here and there until you get back into your old routine or find a new normal, but keep your eye on the prize (better health to live a more active life) and you will return to a workout of which you can be proud. Final goals do not come to “good” people, or “bad” people, or the most “knowledgeable”, or even the most “educated”. The final goal always, ALWAYS, goes to the most persistent! Just like the Tortoise who won the race over the Hare, do not jump out of the gate at a full sprint and quickly get distracted or bored, but move slowly and steadily to your goal.
Remember, you do not have to dedicate a full hour to a really good workout if your schedule is in turmoil. Sometimes 5 pushups on a Hospital waiting room floor will have to do that day. But if you do those 5 pushups this hour, you may find that you can also do 10 sit-ups the next hour, and have an excuse to walk up 3 flights of stairs later in the day, and before you know it, you have fit in your entire workout. Slow but steady steps are all it takes.
The journey of a thousand miles is taken one step at a time.
How do you eat an elephant? . . . One bight at a time.
How do you get a workout in? . . . One Repetition at a time!
Just look for the opportunities to fit it in.

Now Certified as a Cancer Exercise Specialist

It has always been my belief that exercise can not only prevent various medical concerns, it can also be used to alleviate symptoms after diagnosed.  In accordance with that belief, I am now a Certified Cancer Exercise Specialist!

Cancer patients and survivors can experience many individualized complications such as Lymphedema, swelling at treatment sites, dizziness, pain, and increased risk of infection, just to name a few.  This Certification allows me to give body assessments designed specifically for these patients, design programs specifically for their needs, and work with them and their medical staff to improve their physical ability.  In other words, I can now help to get them back to their active lives!

I am so excited about this new Certification!  It lets me know that there are other like-minded people out there that KNOW that physical movement is important to everyone’s lifestyle and exercise can improve those lifestyles.

If you have a Medical or Physical Education degree, and are interested in obtaining this certification yourself, I highly recommend it!  Please look for information at this website; TheCancerSpecialist.com . I learned SO MUCH with Andrea Leonard, Founder of the Cancer Exercise Training Institute in Portland, OR.  This information has opened a whole world to me.   Andrea’s goal is to educate the general population about the continuing needs of Cancer patients and survivors;  some needs of which even Doctors are unaware since they do not study BioMechanic (the way the body moves and how all the body systems interact during that movement).

If you have ever had a diagnosis of Cancer, I urge you to work with a Certified Cancer Specialist near you, found on that web site; TheCancerSpecialist.com .  It can improve your entire outlook about life!

See you in the gym!

Andra

Colds/Flu How to avoid/reduce them

Here is a great article by Dr. Mercola about colds and flu that I will be sharing with my class tonight. Some of this information is new even to me. He also has a short video that is very informative!

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2012/03/16/how-to-fight-a-cold-with-exercise.aspx?np=true

Synopsis;

Something I have been telling people most of my career is that when you get sick it is best to KEEP to your workout routine but perform it at a reduced intensity. Do fewer repetitions and raise your heart rate only to about half of your normal workout.  Raising your body temperature helps to kill-off the offending virus and to circulate blood faster which will help the white blood cells to get to the infection faster.

Of course, if you don’t work out at all, now would not be the time to start. Simply stay as active as you feel able. The more you move the muscles, the more you will be moving your immune system into action.  For people with no scheduled workout routine, you might be better off controlling the symptoms with organic suppliments like Vitamin C (this doctor suggests using acerola for its added properties boosting the immune system), Vitamin D (of course there is no substitute for summer sunshine), and Zinc. Dr. Mercola also suggests using  (some of which are new to me) Oregano Oil, propolis, Olive leaf extract as an immune booster, and eliminating sugar of ALL types, even organic ones. Sugar feeds the “bad bacteria” and suppresses the immune system.

Also suggested in this article is to put drops of Hydrogen Peroxide (about 1/2 capful) in one ear allowing time for it to work for several minutes, then repeat in the other ear. There have been no studies suggesting that this will reduce your viral infection, but this doctor claims to have hundreds of cases of anecdotal evidence that it works. It is inexpensive and if you happen to have some at home, you might want to try it.

Mushrooms, as Dr. Mercela states, if used proactively (meaning before you get the infection) can be used as an immune booster.  As with all immune boosters, they should be taken BEFORE you get sick to ward off the infection as you get it and before you know you have it. Here he does not state which variety of Mushrooms he might be talking about, so I get the impression they all have similar properties. Please make sure you are obtaining them from a reliable source to avoid poisoning.

Stress is another leading factor that reduces your immune system allowing viruses the opportunity to multiply. Stress releases Cortesol which suppresses the immune response. Control stress by reducing the stressors, meditation,  or prayer. For example, if it is your job that is causing the stress, perhaps you should be looking for a different job; one that fulfills you rather than drains you. Meditation and prayer both reduce the body’s fight or flight response and allows it to rejuvenate. Exercise will also help to “burn off” (for lack of a better description) the fight or flight hormones produced by the body. But even this should not be thought of as a “cure for major stress”. The only “cure” is to make lifestyle changes to reduce the stress and use regular exercise and meditation/prayer to manage the daily stress we can’t change.

Please read the article at the link above. I found it very informative.

So get out the supplements, prioritize meditation, and get active!  Boost that immune system before you think you need it!

How to get started; Which Fitness Center should I join?

When choosing a fitness center, the 2 most important things to remember are convenience and offerings.

Under the subject of convenience, tour the centers between your work and your home. If you have to drive past it every day, guilt will set in when you decide to skip your workout. Also, if you decide to work out on a Saturday, or a day you don’t have to go into work, driving part way to work will not seem like a long trip because you are accustomed to driving a much longer distance every day.

If you cannot find a center between the 2, opt for one close to one or the other. If it is convenient to a place you go to daily, you will be less likely to talk yourself out of the workout.

Under the subject of offerings, look for a fitness center that offers the equipment or classes that inspire you the most. If it looks like fun, you will be more likely to look forward to the workout than to dread it. The center doesn’t even have to have the MOST equipment, or the largest number of classes, as long as what they do have appeals to you.

Cost can be a factor as well. However, I urge you to view your fitness membership as an investment in your health rather than a depletion of your wallet. An investment is designed to cost some now, but pay more in the long-run. Unless you pay for a membership without using it, the cost is not just a black hole, but a wonderful, long-term commitment for your future. That said, there can be a wide variety of membership costs. Weigh the costs against the offerings and choose a center accordingly.

Why choose a Fitness Center at all? Why not just plan to go for long walks outside?

That is certainly an option. Healthful fitness does not have to cost an arm and a leg (pardon the pun, I just couldn’t resist!). In fact, it doesn’t have to cost anything at all. However, if you tend to get bored with the same workout all the time or walking the same 3 routes, the variety of equipment and classes might be just the thing you need to keep going. In some regions/ neighborhoods, walking is prohibited by weather or safety concerns. In that respect, a locked facility where only members have a key can be more secure and keep the participants away from the elements.

So there you have my advice on fitness centers. There are as many types of centers are there are levels of income. Choose the one that makes the most sense to you, and go for it!

How to get started; How to set up a home gym

How to Get Started

Get Started

1. Get a check up and ask your doctor if you are healthy enough for physical activity. He/she might have ideas of the type of program that might be good for you.
2. Begin with a small class AND do your own simple workout in your home or walking in a safe neighborhood with a friend on the days the class does not meet.
3. Remember that just because the instructor and the class is doing it, does not make it right for you. If it hurts don’t do it! Just continue to move in a way that does not hurt until you can rejoin the class activity.
4. Start with small, simple movements and slowly work your way up to more difficult movements. Remember to patient with your progress.

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