To Your Health
December, 2011 (Vol. 05, Issue 12) |
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Falls from heights lead to greater impact trauma. Plan your intended task ahead of time so you are not caught off guard by unexpected surprises. When working with any electrical project, such as hanging lights or installing wired decorations, follow all safety and installation instructions.
Just because something went smoothly last year does not mean it will this time around. Don't drop your guard for a moment because you have become complacent by routine. This is the perfect time for accidents to happen.
Basic safety tips include the following: Wear proper footwear with non-slip soles. Face the ladder while ascending and descending. Don't carry tools in hand; use a window cleaner's tool belt or a belt designed for the ladder work to be accomplished. Keep at least three points of contact when working, i.e., your feet and one hand. Do not set up ladders in high-traffic areas. (Watch for kids running on or around the ladder or stool area, and never leave erected ladder unattended). Test stools, steps or chairs for stability and weight limits.
Holiday Stretches Under The Mistletoe
When you become more sedentary, you inherently become less flexible. Your muscles shorten and become weak from inactivity, and the connective tissue in your body, known as fascia, tightens up, making you prone to injury. You can make significant improvements in loosening and releasing tight fascia to increase the performance of your body. The better you move, the more resistant you become to injury. Muscles are wrapped in connective tissue fascia, so rather than stretch muscles, you are going to stretch fascial attachment points to positively affect muscle. There are four key areas to stretch fascia for maxim impact. Here's how to stretch/massage each area (talk to your doctor for more information):
- Bottom of the foot: Roll a golf ball or lacrosse ball on the bottom of your bare feet for three minutes a day. You will feel immediate positive changes.
- Outside edge of the buttock muscle near the hip: Lean against the wall with a lacrosse ball or tennis ball into the outside edge of each buttock muscle. This releases tension in the lower back. Note: This area can be very sensitive if it needs lots of work. Rest assured, it will get better with time.
- Bottom of the rib cage as it goes into low back. Roll the tennis ball along the lower rib cage and spinal muscles by leaning against a wall. Be careful not to press too hard against the ribs. Stay close to the larger muscles alongside the spine.
- Back of the head at top of the neck (known as the suboccipital): Massage the back of your head on either side by hand to relax tension.
Getting into the holiday spirit can sometimes be difficult. However, once you get there it seems that everything feels better. Spending time with family, friends and loved ones, and remembering what is really important in life, give you a new perspective on the world. Get into the health spirit this season, too, because without our health, we really have nothing. We don't miss it until it's gone. Treasure your body. Give the gift of health to yourself and others. Have a happy, healthy and injury-free holiday.
Extra Weight = Extra Risk
Extra weight puts more pressure on your low back and your heart. Ten pounds on your stomach is 100 on your lower back. Magnify everything by 10! That is a major impact on your body. Sometimes it's inevitable to put on a few pounds during the holiday season. However, there a few simple strategies that can make a big difference in just how few pounds you add. Below are five tips compliments of Dr. Mike Roussell, a PhD in clinical nutrition:
- Eat and eat again. Portion size is paramount. This rule says only eat as much food in one sitting that you could comfortably eat two hours later. For example, if you had a large meal, could you eat the same amount two hours later? If not, then cut down your portions.
- Go from barcodes to bags. Eat less processed foods that come in boxes with barcodes, and eat more fresh fruit and vegetables in bags.
- Remove empty calories such as soda and juice drinks.
- Eat a fruit-and-fat snack daily. Combine fruits with cheese or nuts to control insulin levels, which decrease fat storage hormones.
- Don't skip breakfast. Skipping breakfast slows your metabolism throughout the day and makes you more likely to snack-binge.
Perry Nickelston, DC, is clinical director of the Pain Laser Center in Ramsey, N.J., where he focuses on performance enhancement, corrective exercise and metabolic fitness nutrition To learn more about Dr. Nickelston, visit www.painlasercenter.com/Our_Practice.html.
