If you’re aware of an injury you’ve had recently, or you’re particularly sore from some activity, then you might experience cramping in the days following. These cramps could be from muscle strain or overuse. There are a few things you can do for this.
If you think your cramp might be the result of dehydration, then it’s important to remedy that part of your nutrition. Dehydration can cause many more issues besides cramping, as water is vital for countless processes within your body.
If you have trouble remembering to drink enough fluids throughout the day, you can make this easier by carrying around a water bottle, especially one with measurements on it, to help you track your fluid intake.
Don’t be fooled by dehydrating drinks! Drinks like soda, coffee, and tea can dehydrate you especially if they contain caffeine as caffeine works as a diuretic, pulling water out of your body. You can either limit the amount of non-water drinks you consume, or drink water first as a way to make sure you’re getting proper hydration.
If you get cramps and your daily activities have you sitting in the same position all day such as seated in an office chair, driving for prolong periods of time, or any other activity with limited mobility then you might consider finding ways to move around and stretch out.
If none of these tips help you avoid cramps and you think your muscle spasms might be the result of a medical condition or medicine, then you should consult with your doctor.
And regardless of muscle cramps, resting, moving, and staying hydrated are great ways to promote overall health and keep you moving and feeling better!
1) https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/muscle-cramp/symptoms-causes/syc-20350820
]]>
The Thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland on the front part of the neck which wraps around the trachea. The thyroid is a gland, which means it creates and secretes subtances (hormones in this case) that are used by your body.
The thyroid’s main role in the body is to help regulate your digestive system. It does this through several different hormones. If any one of these hormones is not being produced in the proper amounts, it can lead to a variety of side effects.
Thyroid issues are incredibly common, affecting an estimated 20 Million Americans. Thyroid issues are also found among people of all ages, gender, and race.
Symptoms of an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) can include:
Symptoms of an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) can include:
To read the rest about Jared Ward's experience with thyroid issues and professional Marathon running, you can read the entire Runner's World article by Cindy Kuzma that we shared a portion of at the top of this blog.
If you're concerned that you might have thyroid issues, you should consult with your doctor.
Sources:
1) https://www.runnersworld.com/health-injuries/a39445076/thyroid-disease/
2) https://www.endocrineweb.com/endocrinology/overview-thyroid
3) https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8541-thyroid-disease
]]>"Drink 8 glasses of water a day”
“Drink your bodyweight in ounces”
“Drink a cup of water for every soda”
We all know we need water, but why? And how much should we actually be drinking?
It’s a fairly simple question, but the answer depends on a few factors. How much you weigh, the climate where you live, and how active you are.
How Much Do You Weigh?
It’s no surprise that the bigger your body is, the more water you need. That’s because water is a vital molecule in the millions and billions of chemical reactions that are taking place in your body all the time! Every time you breathe, digest food, or do any other number of unconscious activities.
A good rule of thumb is generally between .5 and 1oz for every pound of body weight.(1) That means if you weigh 200lbs, you should be drinking between 100-200oz of water daily.
Where Do You Live?
The climate you live in has a very large impact on your water intake needs. If you live in an area with low humidity, or if the area you live in has lower humidity during the winter months, then you might consider adding extra water to your intake.
Many people find that running a humidifier in their home is a great way to lessen the amount of water they lose through breathing.
What is Your Activity Level?
We’re all familiar with sports performance drinks that claim to rehydrate you after a tough workout, but the reality is that most of what you need is just water. Unless you’re working out in intense heat or exercising at a high intensity for more than 60 minutes, you’ll be better off with water than sports drinks like Gatorade.(2)
The amount of water you should drink after exercise is actually pretty simple. If you’re able to weigh yourself before and after exercise, then you simply drink the amount of water lost during exercise. If you lose 1lb through sweat, then you should drink at least 1lb, or 16oz of water. If you don’t have a scale convenient, then you can generally drink 8-16oz of water after a moderate 30-45 minute workout.
Don’t forget to hydrate before you workout! While replacing water is important, it’s also important to plan ahead. Drinking an extra 16oz of water a few hours before your workout, and another 8oz up to 30 minutes before starting, is generally accepted as a good way to prepare for exercise.(3)
Listen to Your Body
While there is all this math available to figure out how much water you need, you should also listen to your body. If you’re thirsty, you should be sure to drink water and rehydrate. It’s always better to have a steady intake of water throughout the day so as not to drink too much at once and overwhelm your body. As always, remember to discuss any issues or major changes with your physician.
Everything was going great. Our Kickstarter campaign had raked in over $117k in funds, barely halfway through and momentum was just picking up! Aaaaand then Kickstarter canceled our campaign. Yep, that’s $117k down the drain, not to mention all the time and money we put INTO the campaign. We were devastated to say the least, but also VERY confused.
Kickstarter suspended our campaign for the METEOR MINI with very little explanation as to why.
We received a notice 48 hours before that our campaign was flagged for violating Kickstarter's terms and conditions and that we needed to make some changes, or the campaign would be suspended. After trying to communicate with Kickstarter multiple times, they gave us no additional information on what needed to change. We did everything we could and went back through our campaign multiple times to make sure there was nothing that was violating any of Kickstarter's terms and conditions.
After a couple of hours, the "flag" on our campaign was no longer visible to us, so we assumed we were in the clear, but we still had no communication from Kickstarter to confirm this. At 3 p.m. MDT, shockingly to us, our campaign was suspended.
Our best guess of what went wrong was from the first notice we received from Kickstarter that they believed we were making claims that our product will cure, treat, or prevent an illness or condition. Here is the excerpt from the first email we received from Kickstarter:
"We’re writing because a recent review found that your project is in violation of our Rules, specifically our Prohibited Item against health claims. Projects that imply or claim that they can diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent an illness or condition (whether via a device, app, book, nutritional supplement, or other means) are not allowed on Kickstarter...
..Please remove any claims, implied or explicit, that your product can remove/eliminate bacteria and viruses, in your description or in images."
However, at MyoStorm we are highly aware of these types of terms and conditions because they apply on many advertisings and sales platforms. We are always careful in stating that our products can be used to "help relieve pain" and the only times we bring up specific conditions like fibromyalgia, plantar fasciitis or arthritis pain is in conjunction with relief from pain associated with the symptoms of those conditions which is different than "treating, curing or diagnosing" the conditions themselves.
There have been many other Kickstarter campaigns that have made bolder claims than we do on treating specific health conditions. We actually did quite a bit of research and found dozens of campaigns that made these types of claims, so we were very unclear as to what exactly we were saying/doing that Kickstarter deemed as a violation. We are also extremely careful to never make false claims or propagate information that is not true, as honesty and integrity are a core value of our brand as well as every member of our team. Typically, if anyone believes we are violating these types of conditions it has always been a very easy fix or misunderstanding that is very easily and quickly resolved.
After the suspension all of our backers would have received the following explanation of why our campaign was suspended from Kickstarter:
“A thorough review of your project uncovered one or more of the following violations:
Inability to demonstrate a project’s core claims or obscuring the current state of a project
Insufficient design and development documentation illustrating the evolution of a prototype
Projects focused on the creation of a prototype while offering that prototype as a reward”
First of all, this explanation was completely different from what Kickstarter originally said they flagged our account for and we are very confident that we were not violating any of these conditions. That being said, we were more than happy to make any necessary changes that Kickstarter wanted us to make in order to abide by their guidelines, but after several attempts of communication we were never given any more information or instruction on what to change to no longer be in "violation."
We respect Kickstarter's ability to make these types of choices in order to protect the community and keep the platform safe, healthy and vibrant. However, in this situation we were disappointed in the outcome as we want nothing more than to contribute to the safety, integrity and wholesome community of innovation that Kickstarter has created and are very sorry that we were not able to fully abide by the community guidelines in the way that they interpreted them or intended them.
Again, this was all quite the blow to us as we invested a significant amount of funds in advertising, promoting and preparing for this campaign which we thought at the time was all completely lost.
However, after the suspension, we received an overwhelming amount of support from backers, past customers and friends and family continuing to express their support and belief in our products and campaign. We are still humbled and extremely grateful for all of you who have supported us and believed in our brand and products enough to back our campaign! Because of this, we were still determined to make sure that we could deliver on the METEOR MINI and all of our accessories to those of you who still believe in it.
So, we kept pushing for communication with Kickstarter to figure out what we could do to get the METEOR Mini campaign back on track. After a little bit more back and forth with Kickstarter, they confirmed that the campaign was suspended for being in violation of making health claims but never really gave us any more information as to how exactly we were violating it. They still didn’t seem too interested in explaining “the why”, but after a review of what happened they determined that, although they couldn’t reinstate our previously suspended campaign, we were eligible to re-launch the campaign.
At first, we were not overly excited at this solution because it still does not “undo” the damage that was done by losing all of our previous backers with no way to contact any of them. However, after some serious strategizing with the whole MyoStorm team, we determined that this may actually be the best thing that could have happened!
We picked up quite a bit of traction on our first campaign, but throughout the campaign we were able learn a TON and make several changes that were getting the campaign even more momentum. With a second chance to relaunch our campaign from the beginning we would have a rare opportunity to give even better deals, improve our rewards, make an even better campaign page and have several more days to really spread the word!
So we are now VERY excited to be relaunching the campaign for the METEOR MINI with an expected Launch date of July 27th. We are confident we can make this even bigger than the first campaign! But in order to make up for some of the damage done from the suspension of the first campaign, we now REALLY need your help and support. Whether or not you backed our first campaign for the METEOR MINI, we need your help to pledge on this next campaign and spread the word to as many people as possible! As an incentive to get you to either come check out the campaign or to get you to come back and pledge we’re offering a SUPER EARLY-BIRD discount- bigger than any of the deals from our first campaign!
But this discount will be available on the first day of the campaign only!
So in order to make sure you make it back to the campaign DAY 1 to take advantage of one of the biggest discounts in MyoStorm’s history, make sure you sign up for our text message notification list, it is the fastest way to get notified the second our Kickstarter campaign goes live. You can sign up for our text list here:
Thank you again for all the overwhelming support!
Shoulder injuries are extremely common — they are one of those things that you or someone you know has likely experienced. They typically vary in degree of seriousness, but if any shoulder injury is left untreated, it can lead to more and more problems. When it comes to shoulder injuries and injuries in general, it can be hard to determine what the core problem is. The shoulder as a joint is extremely mobile, it goes in a lot of different directions. The downside with the mobility is that it will be less strong making it more susceptible to injury. Let’s take a look at where those issues can reside, the top three shoulder injuries, and how to alleviate the pain.
Finding the Issue: tests and location of pain
The problem with the shoulders is, despite the size, there are many different locations where that pain could originate. There is the rotator cuff, which is composed of four fairly small muscles; the Acromioclavicular Joint (AC joint); the Sternoclavicular (SC joint); and the other ligaments and tendons holding everything together. All of these examples are common locations for injury.
The big question is, “How serious is the problem?” You might be feeling a little pain or discomfort, or it might be more severe. There are ways that you can assess the injury on your own, or you can go into a physical therapy office where they will perform similar tests. If you don’t feel comfortable doing these assessments yourself, it is recommended that you go to a trained physician who is qualified to help.
Top three shoulder injuries and their tests
Listed below are three of the top shoulder injuries that we’ve seen people deal with. Now, this may differ on the person depending on their individual activity level. If someone is involved in an intense workout routine, they might experience more serious symptoms or injuries. Let’s jump right in!
Rotator Cuff Injuries: When one has a rotator cuff injury it can be described as a dull ache deep within the shoulder which can be accompanied by arm weakness, and over-head movement can be difficult or extremely painful.(1) Tests that can be done to identify this injury are the following: the Empty can test, the Gerber’s Lift Off Test, and others found online.(2)
Impingement syndrome: A shoulder impingement can range in severity. You’ll usually find difficulty in reaching up behind the back, pain with overhead use of the arm, and overall weakness of the shoulder muscles.(3) If left untreated it can cause even more damage to a tendon and result in a torn tendon. Two tests that can be done to assess this injury type are the Neer’s Test and Hawkins-Kennedy Test.(2)
SLAP tear (labrum tear): This is a tear to the ring of cartilage (labrum) that surrounds your shoulder's socket. A SLAP tear tends to develop over time from repetitive overhead movements.(4) Symptoms of a SLAP tear can result in “A catching, locking, or grinding feeling, an unstable feeling in the shoulder, loss of strength, and low range of motion.”(5) A few tests that can be done to assess this injury are the O’Brian’s Test and the Crank’s Test.(2)
Fixing the Pain
As mentioned before, if you are experiencing a lot of pain or aren’t comfortable doing these assessments on your own, see a doctor. It is common that they will also refer you to a physical therapist or shoulder specialist. After identifying the injury, you will most likely undergo at least 1 or all 4 of these steps on the road to recovery:
Sources
1) https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rotator-cuff-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20350225
2) https://stanfordmedicine25.stanford.edu/the25/shoulder.html
3) https://www.webmd.com/arthritis/impingement-syndrome#2-6
4) https://www.sports-health.com/blog/3-common-shoulder-sports-injuries
5) https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/labrum-slap-tear#2-4
Many Americans set resolutions each year, and setting New Year’s resolutions can be a great thing to prompt mindfulness in choices and setting expectations for the new year. Unfortunately, up to 80% of resolutions will fail by February! Studies continue to show the trend of failing resolutions. Many of these failing resolutions are related to health, weight loss, or diet.
So why are people failing at their resolutions? And how can you set a realistic resolution for yourself?
Think of a resolution as a goal, but bigger. Your New Year's resolution will set the tone for your mindset, routines, and goals in the new year. You can make your New Year's resolution as specific as you see fit.
Step One: Reflect on the last year
To stick to your resolution, you’ll want it to be something you are passionate about. What went right in the last year? What went wrong? What do you wish you would have done differently?
Step Two: Limit yourself to 1-3 resolutions
When you look back you might think of a few things you’d like to change in the new year. Be careful to not overload yourself. Set a few resolutions and do them to the best of your ability.
Step Three: Be sure your resolution is realistic and measurable
One way to narrow down on the right resolution is to make sure you’re being realistic with yourself and life in general. Also, you’ll want it to be measurable. What does “success” mean for you with your resolution? How will you know if you reach your goals?
Step Four: Decide how you’ll stay accountable and measure progress
Staying accountable is the time you can lean on others or outside help. Depending on your resolution, is there someone who can do it by your side? Is there someone who can check-in on you or ask how things are going every so often? Another way to stay accountable is to measure your progress. If you’re able to record your progress (whether that be checking off days or measuring something like weight loss), this will also keep you going and accountable to keep up your records!
Step Five: Plan ahead for setbacks and lack of motivation
Before getting started you must be ready to face struggles during the journey. Unfortunately, struggle is inevitable. There will be days you don’t feel motivated, you are discouraged, or aren’t seeing progress. Plan ahead for how you’ll handle this! Some ideas are: Turn to your accountability partner, write a letter to yourself about why it matters to you, and allow yourself to take a break when needed.
If you’re interested in beating the odds and reaching a health-related resolution, we’re rooting for you! As we mentioned in our steps, you’ll want to make a resolution that means something to you and is attainable.
This means, setting a resolution to lose 100 pounds might not be feasible, but how about a resolution to work out 4 times per week? Think of how your resolution can get you to a goal you have but is more measurable and realistic.
It’s also so important to approach any diet, weight loss, and health-related resolutions carefully. Your health (mentally and physically) is priority one!
Here is a list of realistic, healthy resolutions that you can do:
Again, these resolutions should be as specific and as measurable as possible to help you succeed. Here is an example of a resolution we recommend that is specific, measurable, and has accountability built-in:
Get to the gym at least 3 times per week, keep track with an apple watch, and have a gym buddy!
Many Americans will fail at their resolutions, but that’s because they haven’t thought them through enough or cared enough in the first place. Set yourself up for success by choosing a resolution you’ll have motivation for year-round, and anticipate the days you’re not feeling up to the challenge. Above all, be sure you’re staying healthy and are being realistic with what is attainable for you.
Resolutions don’t have to be made on only January 1st! The most important part is that you start and that you stick with it every day! Happy New Year!
]]>“Healthy” means different things to each person, but we’re going to talk broadly about how you can stay healthy during the holidays, which can be personalized for your specific goals and habits.
Even in the year of social distancing, you’ll be facing the shift in diet and exercise. While perhaps you’ve downsized your holiday parties or opted not to travel, comfort food, holiday cookies, cold weather, and everything else can still throw your routines for a loop.
But don’t worry! You can both maintain your health and enjoy the holidays.
Holiday Season Nutrition
What comes to mind when you think about food during the holidays? Probably… Cookies, candy, hot chocolate, comfort food. Meaning, a lot of things that aren’t normally on the menu for you.
Instead of telling yourself you can’t indulge and enjoy these foods, consider being mindful instead.
This is a practice called Intuitive Eating (1):
“Intuitive Eating is a self-care eating framework, which integrates instinct, emotion, and rational thought and was created by two dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in 1995. Intuitive Eating is a weight-inclusive, evidence-based model with a validated assessment scale and over 100 studies to date.”
While intuitive eating is a popular practice for many all times of the year, it can be a great way to keep your health goals in mind by relying on yourself instead of counting calories or restricting your diet (2).
Another way to stick to a healthy diet during the holiday season is to keep up with your normal eating habits to the best of your ability. Consistency is key, and by following a routine you can avoid overeating.
If you’re planning on going to a holiday party for a meal, drinks, and snacks, do what you can to stay “on-track” during the day. Meaning: Just because you’re not going to be eating clean later on, doesn’t mean the whole day has to be out of your routine.
Lastly, don’t forget to stay hydrated! Keeping yourself hydrated from the moment you wake up is crucial to your health. Your body needs water to regulate your body temperature, lubricate joints, maintain organs, as well as to help you manage cravings and keep from overeating or excessive snacking (3).
Holiday Season Exercise
The chilly holiday season brings a cozy home environment with toasty heat, warm blankets, and holiday movies to fill your day on TV.
While this makes the motivation and ability to work out more difficult, it can and should be done! It’s easy to “fall off the wagon” that is your exercise regimen, but if you change your expectations and set small goals, it will be much easier.
Perhaps instead of your 2-mile outdoor walk, you switch to a 20-minute youtube guided workout! If you’re feeling too busy for a workout, take a look at your schedule and priorities and determine where you can squeeze in a quick workout. It’s always better to do a little than nothing at
We’ve talked about it before, exercise is important enough to fit into your busy schedule!
Some barriers to working out during the holidays might be cold weather, a busy schedule, travel, or stress/low motivation.
These tips might be helpful for you:
Your workout regimen is going to take a hit during the holidays, but it’s the way you react and handle that change that matters. Don’t push yourself too hard, but know it’s possible to keep up with everything even during the stress and excitement of the holiday season!
5 Tips For Staying Healthy Through the Holidays!
Along with the tips mentioned above, there are a few more things to keep in mind over the holidays that will help you meet your goals and remain healthy!
Mental health plays a huge role in your ability to eat and work out the way you want to. The stress of the holidays can cause anxiety, depression, low mood, and low motivation. By prioritizing your mental health, you will set yourself up for success otherwise.
Keep in mind the holidays are supposed to be a fun time! Do your best to avoid stressors and take the pressure off a bit. It’s okay to eat the cookies and it’s okay to miss a workout if it means enjoying yourself.
Alongside mental health comes self-care. Many of us put others first especially during the holidays, but this isn’t a healthy option if it means sacrificing your own health. Make sure you’re well rested and taken care of, so you can get the most from your selfless acts.
Make time for what you need, whether that be a nap, time to read a book, or the ability to indulge in a delicious meal.
Thankfully there are tons of options available when cooking and baking. If you’re in charge of a meal or appetizer, you can swap out some ingredients to a healthier or cleaner option.
Some common substitutes include:
Cinnamon tea instead of egg nog or hot chocolate
Fruit instead of candy
Avocado instead of heavy cream
Dark chocolate instead of white or milk chocolate
Sometimes the healthy option is to simply eat less of whatever sweet treat you have on your plate. It’s okay to eat sugars and fats and filling up on the real food can help you from going overboard at the dessert table.
Holiday shopping? Take the stairs.
Babysitting the nephews? Walk around the block.
Working from home? Set a timer to get up and move, or opt for a standing desk.
The little things add up, and if you can move instead of sitting, that’s always the better option!
Yes, again, set small goals! You are allowed to enjoy the holiday season and ease up on your otherwise year-round grind.
Setting goals will help you stay accountable and ready to keep your routine as close to normal as possible while making it simple to achieve.
Instead of goals like:
Workout 5 times per week, you may opt for goals each day that may sound like: Move somehow for 30 minutes.
Keeping Holidays Healthy
By now, you should see the ability to create the healthy holiday season you are looking for. You may need to make a few tweaks to your usual, but with the help of mindfulness, goal setting, and holistic health in mind, you’re well on your way!
SOURCES
1 https://www.intuitiveeating.org/definition-of-intuitive-eating/
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3511603/
3 https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/the-importance-of-hydration/#:~:text=Drinking%20enough%20water%20each%20day,quality%2C%20cognition%2C%20and%20mood.Have you ever heard the sentiment, “if it was easy, everyone would do it.”? That applies here. Now, before you get defensive and list off your very real and difficult barriers to exercise, we want to recognize that we know and we get it! Many people do have legitimate barriers to working out, but if it’s a priority in your life, you can make it happen.
The most important part about overcoming barriers is determining if it’s something you truly want no matter what it takes. If you’re ready to drop the excuses and find alternative ways to prioritize your work out schedule, read on.
Not Enough Time in the Day
We can all relate to this one. Unfortunately, there are only 24 hours in the day, and between the million other things going on, it can often be difficult to squeeze in a workout.
Thankfully, time doesn’t have to be a barrier anymore when you consider a few key things:
Studies show you don’t need to be in the gym or on a run 7 days a week to get the benefits of working out. In fact, it can be much less. One study showed that those who worked out three days a week saw the same strength-building results as those who exercised six days per week (1).
To overcome the barrier of time, it helps to know your goals and be realistic about how much time you are able to dedicate to working out. Find workouts you love, and allot a short amount of time regularly. Working out a little is much better than not at all!
Lack of Resources
No gym? No problem! It can appear “easier” to make the most of your workout at a fully stocked gym, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a great workout without a gym. Don’t fall victim to the misconception that results can only come from a gym membership or a trainer. Studies show great results from body-weight workouts (2). For many people, cutting out the complexity of learning machines and complex workouts can actually simplify the exercise process.
Once you settle on your goals, you can find exercises to do at home to get where you want to be. Your at-home work out can be successful with or without the equipment.
Your body weight is enough to get you an effective workout (3)! The key here is to do bodyweight exercises for as long as you feel difficulty, and then you can make changes or add weight to continue seeing results.
One example of an effective at-home body weight workout is push-ups. There are plenty of ways to get a variety by changing hand placements, adding a heavy backpack to your back for weight, or using a chair (4). Get creative!
Walking doesn’t require any equipment and can be done while you multi-task on a work call or listening to your audiobook. Studies show the benefits of “walking with a purpose,” citing those who walked more had higher self-reported health assessments (5).
Don’t worry about that 10,000 step “rule,” studies show great benefits starting at as low as 4,400 steps per day. Stay consistent and walk when you can to see the pay off from this free and easy exercise (6).
Walking is the simplest and easiest way to improve your lung capacity, strengthen your heart, and fight off many morbidities.
Exercise mat
Stability ball
Dumbbells
Ankle weights
No Motivation
Motivation is key in working out consistently. A common barrier to working out, is a lack of motivation, so how can you overcome this?
You may have noticed a pattern of goal setting. That’s because, without goals, you’re going to be lost and lack motivation. We recommend setting small goals to show yourself the results you’re looking for, and provide motivation to keep going.
Oftentimes, motivation follows action. This means that once you get moving, you will have a greater drive to keep moving. Set goals to just workout for a few minutes, or just do a few push ups and you’ll find yourself motivated to do more in no time!
Focus on one goal at a time
Make it measurable
Be realistic
Record your progress!
It’s hard to find motivation when your track record for exercise is starting and quitting every few weeks. By creating a workout schedule that is realistic, and you enjoy doing, you won’t be as tempted to give up. Focus on creating a workout regimen you look forward to and adheres to your goals.
Motivation can feel contagious! Call on your spouse, friend, or work-out buddy to stay accountable
Is Your Barrier Just an Excuse?
Sometimes it’s hard to hear we can be doing the things we want to be if we stopped throwing around excuses. There are very real and legitimate barriers to exercise, but we promise you with goal setting and commitment, you can push through the barriers and find ways to make the success in your fitness journey. Get started working out today!
SOURCES
https://environhealthprevmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12199-018-0693-4
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16095413/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214140520301055?via%3Dihub
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2734709
First of all, props to you for getting up and moving! Whether you’re just starting to work out, or are a well seasoned exercise veteran and gym-enthusiast, you need to be familiar with the signs you’re doing the wrong exercise. Not every workout is for everyone, it all depends on your body, goals, and physical ability. Exercise is a tool used to accomplish a goal. As the saying goes “when the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail”. A 400m sprinter and a Powerlifter aren’t going to have the same training program.
If you’re exercising without a trainer, and you’re on your own to weed through the overwhelming information available on the internet, we’re hoping we can offer some guidance. There are warning signs to look out for that signal that something might not be entirely right. You may be not doing the right exercises or you could even be working against yourself if you’re not careful.
You’re feeling it in the wrong spots
It is so important to listen to your body before, during, and after your workout. To avoid injury or overworking a particular muscle group, you want to be in tune with where you’re “feeling” the work from your exercise.
It’s normal to feel challenged, but if you’re feeling pain or discomfort, you might need to recalibrate.
Squats: Bad form can lead to knee or low back pain. Don’t be afraid to go parallel or further with your squats, studies show this doesn’t hurt your knees (1). The squat is a great movement that can be dissected in great detail. Until we cover the squat, you can find great examples from Olympic Weightlifters and Powerlifters. (note how the knees move forward and the hips move back. The squat isn’t a perfect up/down movement)
Bench Press: Feeling it in your shoulders? Your elbow placement is likely the culprit. Keep your elbows close to your ribcage, and at a 45 degree angle at minimum as opposed to flaring your shoulders straight out.
Push-ups: Feeling pain or soreness in your neck when doing push-ups is common with a simple solution. Be mindful of how your head is positioned. In a push-up, you should be looking at the ground.
Continue to be vigilant of where you’re “feeling” it even after your workout. Soreness in your muscles, even for 2-3 days, is normal and healthy, but if you feel pain in your joints then you might need to have your form checked.
With any exercise, such as the bench or squat, you want to master the movement without added weight before moving up. If something doesn’t feel right, then fix it before increasing the weight or intensity. Assuming the problem will go away or “fix itself” is a dangerous slope to go follow.
You don’t feel good after your workout
After a workout, you should feel rejuvenated! If you’re feeling worse, that can be a sign you’re not on the right track with your exercise plan. Keep in mind, exercise shouldn’t be a punishment or feel like a chore. Be careful to not push yourself too hard when you’re starting out. If you’re too sore to workout for the rest of the week, you’ll actually slow yourself down in the long run.
Once you’ve found the right exercise for you, you’ll recognize the good feeling it brings.
Increased energy levels
Quality Sleep
Mood improvement
Confidence
Try different workouts and see what gets you excited to get moving! The best workout is the one you look forward to doing!
You aren’t seeing results
Your reason for working out is going to be different from the person next to you at the gym. Some people are hoping to lose weight, others exercise to improve their mental health and some people will be there for the sleep and energy benefits.
Studies show an impressive correlation between regular exercise and energy level and sleep quality. You should notice an improvement to these within 2 weeks of regular exercise (2,3).
If you’re going for weight loss or other visible results, experts say it depends on each person and their exercise regimen, but results will show faster for those new to fitness, even within a few days (4). Exercise veterans will take some more time to see results, from a few weeks to a month.
If a month goes by with regular exercise and you don’t see the changes you’re looking for, you should take this as a sign you’re not doing the best for your body, goals, or ability. You might need to increase intensity, frequency, or some other variable.
You’re in pain days after your workout
Your body will experience soreness and fatigue post-workout as part of its recovery, but noticing a difference between expected recovery and something else is crucial.
DOMS (Delayed onset muscle soreness) is normal part of exercise and it can take time for your body to heal and grow. But keep in mind, this soreness shouldn’t last longer than 48 to 72 hours post-workout. If you find yourself significantly sore for more than 3 days, or if your soreness prevents you from accomplishing your daily tasks then you may need to cut back.
Pain or aches more than 72 hours after workout
Sharp pains, especially in the joints
Impaired range of motion
To speed up this recovery process, and tend to sore muscles, consider using the Meteor!
It feels easy
When we say it feels easy, we mean that it feels too easy. There’s always that person at the gym lifting weights or using the leg press at a rapid speed like it’s nothing. While it might look impressive, a workout that is that simple for you isn’t doing you any favors.
If your exercise isn’t a challenge, you need to switch the exercise or increase the difficulty. This doesn’t mean you need to breach exhaustion every time that you workout, but you should feel tired after a workout at least a couple times a week to help increase your aerobic and strength capacities.
Add more weight or reps
Increase time (for cardio)
Increase speed (for sprints or power exercises)
Add resistance in other ways (ankle weights, bands, chains or vests)
Try a new type of workout or class
Pay Attention for the Best Results
You’re not doing the best for your body if you’re mindlessly working out each day. To get the best results and decrease the risk of injury, you need to be in tune with how you’re feeling before, during, and after your workout. These are just a few signs your workout might not be the best for you and your goals, but anytime you feel discomfort or aren’t excited to workout should prompt a reflection on how you’re exercising.
We reach our goals when we not only set them, but when we regularly record and report our training progress. Seeing your improvement written out not only keeps you accountable, but it can motivate you to reach further and dig deeper!
So what’s the science here? Let’s get into what exact caffeine is and does for the body, and how it can aid in weight loss.
Like most things, caffeine has pros and cons, and each person should make an independent decision regarding the safety, amount, and efficacy of caffeine in their diet. Caffeine is actually the most commonly used ingredient in the world (1). It’s a natural stimulant found in a slew of natural plants, tea, coffee, soda and medications. People will turn to caffeine to get ready for an early morning shift or through an overnight shift.
Caffeine works for people because it stops the brain from registering signals of exhaustion. Once you consume caffeine, it’s quickly absorbed by the gut and goes into the bloodstream. It then goes to the liver for further digestion, but the main effects are felt by the brain. The caffeine will block the effects of adenosine, which is what makes you feel tired. Instead of building up, caffeine blocks it and helps you stay awake and alert by ensuring the adenosine isn’t activated (2).
Remaining alert and devoid of fatigue will benefit your sports activity, studies have shown it can help you improve exercise performance by 11-12% on average (3).
Now that we understand the basis of caffeine, we can discuss its effect on your weight loss. The claims that caffeine can suppress appetite and increase calorie burning need more research, but some studies show some promising results in that area.
The resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the rate at which you burn calories at rest. This is sometimes referred to as basal metabolic rate (BMR). Studies show that caffeine increases RMR by 3-11% (4). This will vary depending on weight, but is a promising way to burn more calories at rest. Another study by the Harvard School of Public Health showed consuming roughly 400mg of caffeine (the equivalent of 4 cups of coffee) daily could reduce body fat by 4% (5).
One of the major concerns is the long-term effects of caffeine on the body. The more caffeine you consume, and the more often you consume it, the less effective it can be.
Others use caffeine as an appetite suppressant in an effort to consume less calories and lose weight. Studies are inconsistent here, with some showing evidence of appetite suppression in men and not women, and other studies showing neither having an appetite suppressing effect at all (6,7).
Caffeine could be a good option for you, but whenever you consider making changes that could impact your health, consulting your doctor or a dietician is the best option. Instead of trying to lose weight or increase energy with caffeinated drinks that come along with sugars, and other potentially harmful ingredients, consider alternatives like:
Prioritize your sleep
Increase the vitamins and minerals in your diet with fruits and vegetables
Exercise consistently (Take a walk outside)
Get at least 30 minutes of sunlight a day
Have a consistent night and morning routine
Stay hydrated
Fun Fact: Some researchers recommend eating an apple in the morning. Apples help wake you up, are full of great nutrients, and are a healthier alternative to a cup of coffee! (8)
Caffeine may help you in some ways but not someone else, and long-term, caffeine will not continue to bring you the same positive effects. Caffeine can often be a short term solution, but chronic fatigue or weight loss require deeper solutions. Also keep in mind, while you may feel tired after a long day of work, it doesn’t mean you are unable to work out. Often we may feel tired as a result of doing nothing (or sitting in a desk all day), but this doesn’t mean you can’t perform. A small dose of caffeine in a pre workout drink or even a small snack of fruit can give you the boost you need to get moving.
1 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01561.x
2 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18088379/
3 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2005.00445.x
4 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2912010/
5 https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/four-cups-of-coffee-modest-loss-of-body-fat/
6 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0271531788800770
7 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21346100/
8 https://www.mashed.com/187592/the-reason-an-apple-in-the-morning-might-be-better-than-coffee/
]]>While gluten has been made to be the bad guy time and time again, many people don’t fully understand gluten. Gluten is an insoluble protein composite, made up of two proteins: Gliadin and Glutenin. It’s been around since as long ago as 10,000 BCE, and is found in grains like wheat, rye, and barley (1).
Gluten is what gives the elastic consistency to dough, and the chewiness of some foods. Gluten gives bread that “bounce”, if you will. Foods associated with gluten include bread and pasta, which can cause issues for some people. This association causes misplaced blame and misconceptions around gluten. Without the proper tests, it’s hard to pinpoint what is causing negative symptoms from food.
When you’re eating, the first stop for your food is the stomach. When you’re eating gluten, the gluten-filled food will be partially digested and will turn into a protein called gliadin. It then goes to the small intestine, where it’s met with amino acids and changes again, to deamidated gliadin.
Unfortunately, this digestive process is difficult for some people and can cause pain or discomfort. People that struggle with the digestion and absorption of gluten have a form of Gluten Insensitivity. While some may have a serious form of insensitivity called Celiac Disease, there are other reasons gluten may cause this reaction including other allergies, or reaction to sugars which are also present in these foods.
While gluten is perhaps an overused buzzword lately, some people do have a true immune response to gluten. These people have Celiac Disease. Their body reacts to gluten as if it were an enemy, and will attack it, causing inflammation and long-term issues. The body reacts as if you were infected with a disease causing bacteria or virus, which results in the negative physiological effects often seen. Celiac Disease occurs in 1 in every 100 to 200 people, and can be diagnosed with a biopsy. Thankfully, those with Celiac Disease can find relief from these nasty reactions by adhering to a gluten-free diet.
Many people report digestive or other problems from consuming gluten, but are negative for Celiac Disease. These people may have a wheat allergy or non-Celiac gluten sensitivity (2). While not as deadly as Celiac Disease, many of these reactions can be uncomfortable enough to prompt people to limit gluten or even cut it out entirely.
A wheat allergy is when the body has an immune response to wheat. This is different from a gluten allergy and can even occur alongside a gluten allergy. Symptoms can be mild discomfort to more severe reactions like anaphylaxis (3).
The difference between this and Celiac Disease is the lack of antibodies and damage those with Celiac Disease have (4). Notably, this type of gluten sensitivity shows more non-GI related symptoms like brain fog and joint pain.
Some people aren’t allergic to gluten, they’re sensitive to the sugars found in wheat and other foods. Studies show sugar like fructans causing the same or similar reactions to that of gluten for people with celiac disease (5,6).
Gluten sensitivity is widely controversial. Determining the cause of your symptoms will require a deeper look at symptoms and reactions, tests, and diet changes. While finding the source can take time, it’s important to determine the exact cause, so you’re not taking out crucial aspects of your diet for the wrong reason. Work with a doctor to take a deeper look at your diet, symptoms, and what might be causing your discomfort.
If you do have Celiac Disease or another significant gluten insensitivity, you don’t want to cut out all grains from your diet. You can get the needed nutrients from gluten-free grains such as quinoa, oats, buckwheat, amaranth, corn, rice, and others. It is always important to eat a well balanced diet within your means and you can read more about Carbohydrates and their role here.
SOURCES
1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usAMxW6M3a8
2 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-gluten-bad#intolerance
3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5084031/
4 https://www.beyondceliac.org/celiac-disease/non-celiac-gluten-sensitivity/what-is-it/
6 https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(17)36302-3/fulltext
]]>“Melt away belly fat with this simple trick!!”
“Never worry about weight loss again with this 1 crazy superfood!!”
It seems you can’t go on the internet or flip through channels on the TV without ads like these about losing fat, and specifically, belly fat. There are countless companies in the weight loss and diet industries that make tons of money with exaggerated or false claims for how to bust your “stubborn fat.”
We’re here to talk about the science behind what fat is, and tell you just how to get rid of the fat your body doesn’t need to function.
First of all, not all fat is “bad.” In fact, fat is a source of essential fatty acids, which the body cannot make itself (1). Fats are an important macronutrient, and while there are some unhealthy fats, you should understand there is a need for fats in the body.
Note: You should know that there are 2 different things that we refer to as “fat”. There is Dietary Fat, which is the fat that you eat and see on nutrition labels. Then there is Body Fat which is the fat on your own body that we see and can measure with tests such as BEI or skin calipers.
Fats are used as a source of energy, to help absorb vitamins, protect the skeleton and nerves, and aid other nutrients in doing their jobs (2). Any dietary fat that’s not used by your body’s cells or turned into energy is converted into body fat, (carbohydrates are as well). The main types of fat found in food are saturated and unsaturated fats. It’s recommended to cut down on foods and drinks high in saturated fats and trans fats and replace some of them with unsaturated fats.
Examples of unsaturated fats include (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated):
Olives and Olive Oil
Nuts and Nut Butter
Avocado
Salmon
Seeds
Examples of fats to avoid or minimize:
Fatty cuts of meat
High-fat dairy foods
Fried Foods
Once a food enters your mouth, the digestion process begins. Starting with the saliva in the mouth the food begins to be broken down. It makes its way through the esophagus to the stomach, where digestive enzymes from the liver and pancreas mix and really get to work to make use of nutrients. After this, the food travels to the small intestine. The dietary fat is broken down during each step of this process. Once it’s digested, it’s further passed on through the lymphatic system and bloodstream so that it can be transported throughout your body to be used for energy, cell repair, or growth (3).
If your body doesn’t immediately need the fatty acids you’ve consumed, they will be packaged as triglycerides and stored in fat cells (4).
If you are on a journey to lose fat, we have a few important points to share with you. First of all, it is ultimately up to genetics where your fat is stored. What this means is that whether you store excess weight in your legs, stomach, hips, or back is completely naturally for you and your body type. Nothing that you do will change ‘where’ your fat goes, BUT that doesn’t mean you can’t control how much fat you have!
You can lose body fat, and we lose fat proportionally to where we gained it in the first place. Remember, we cannot spot reduce! (even though you may see ads and influencers saying differently). If you have more fat in your stomach than other areas, then you will most likely lose weight in your stomach quicker than you do in other areas, but you will always lose fat proportionally to your body.
If you’re looking to lose fat and understand it isn’t possible to pick and choose where you are burning your fat, it becomes a much easier and less stressful goal. One of the best ways to speed up your fat loss is building muscle.
This is a tried and true way to lose fat, and while you may not see the scale changing as much when you gain muscle, you will see a significant loss of body fat. Gaining muscle isn’t just about fat loss, it has other incredible benefits including better coordination, more bone density, lower risk of injury, improved joint health, and a boost in metabolism (5).
Strength training is going to increase resting energy expenditure and reduce belly fat, especially when combined with aerobic exercise (6).
Another expert-recommended way to lose body fat is to improve your diet to see what works best for you. Diets with ample protein have been shown to reduce body fat, as well as an increase in fiber, more healthy fats, and being mindful of your beverage choices (6).
Alongside your exercise and diet choices, following a healthy sleep schedule can impact your ability to lose fat as well. In fact, studies continue to point to sleep quality as a contributor to successful weight loss. One study showed that better sleep increased the likelihood of successful weight loss by 33% in 245 women (7).
Fat gets a bad wrap in the diet and weight loss world (just like carbs). Understanding the importance of fat to body function is your first step in making the correct exercise and diet plan for you and your fat loss goals. As you might have gathered, fat loss isn’t an easy feat and will vary from person to person. Be sure to get the healthy fats and experiment to find what works best for you to get rid of the unneeded and unwanted body fat. Just getting started working out? Here are top exercises for weight loss without a trainer!
SOURCES
Okay, it's not actually impossible, but getting toned doesn't mean what you think it does. And it is impossible if you don't know what you're doing.
Imagine a “toned” body. You might be picturing someone with visible muscle (but not too much) and minimal body fat. Unfortunately due to fad diets and viral exercise recommendations, the thought of “getting toned” is a popular goal. The truth is, it’s a bit of a misnomer.
While there are plenty of programs out there citing specific ways to tone your body, they are feeding into the idea that you can follow a specific regimen (different than building muscle) to appear toned. The truth is, if you’re looking to get toned, the only way to achieve that goal is by building muscle and shedding fat. It’s as simple as that.
We know, your goal is to look toned, not “bulky.” Don’t fall victim to the misconception that strength training will cause you to look overly muscular. The goal of achieving and maintaining a toned body is realistically gaining muscle and getting rid of unwanted fat. You’re not going to “accidentally” gain massive amounts of muscle.
As we’ve discussed before, gaining muscle is a fitness goal you will see tons of benefits from. This includes achieving the toned physique you’re going for! Unfortunately, there is no way to change the anatomy of your muscles, you will not be able to pinpoint the exact look you’re hoping for with your muscles, but what you can do, is maximize muscle and minimize your fat through strength training and achieve a “toned” look that is natural and healthy for your body type!
Gaining muscle mass will look different based on your ability, genetic structure, and exercise preferences. We recommend you keep in mind multi-joint exercises for muscle growth. These include: Swimming, Squats, Burpees, Step-ups, Push-ups, Deadlifts (1). These exercises will help you gain muscle and achieve the toned look you’re aiming for.
The other crucial component to getting the “toned look” is shedding fat. Shedding fat can be a symptom of your efforts in building muscle as well. That means you can kill two birds with one stone by using strength training for gaining muscle and shedding fat.
Studies show strength training will improve energy burning at rest, and quicker fat loss (2). For even better results, studies point to combination workouts with cardio alongside strength training for fat loss (3).
Exercise is not the only aspect of fat loss. In order to shed fat, you’ll need to focus on nutrition and determine which diet works for you. Some studies point to a high protein diet for fat loss, and others recommend an emphasis on more healthy fats (4,5,6).
Don’t forget, a well-rounded diet is paramount. Carbs aren’t the enemy, you can still eat them and lose fat. The most important part of your dietary habits is that you don’t overeat.
Now that you know what to do to attain your goal of “toning,” we want you to understand the myths that tend to run rampant around the fitness world.
Muscles can be toned
You’re going to achieve the look you’re going for though gaining muscle and losing fat, not be making your muscle “tone” itself. The truth is, that’s not a thing a muscle can do. When you’re toning your muscle, you’re getting leaner.
High Reps are the key to a toned body
This is a common belief, but scientifically incorrect. Don’t be afraid of strength training with heavy weight, it won’t make you too “muscly!” You want to occasionally push your muscles to fatigue to get the results you’re looking for (7).
You can spot-reduce
Resist the attractive articles and social media posts that claim fat loss in specific areas. This is a myth (8,9). Your goal should be overall fat loss and health!
If you’re looking to get toned, chances are you’re after the appearance. You’re going to attain this goal by the same strength training you would do for other goals. This is good news, because you can hit many fitness goals and improve your health at the same time through strength training and proper nutrition. Don’t worry if you don’t have a trainer, there are plenty of online guides to get you started (10)! Use this knowledge to hit the gym and achieve your goals!
SOURCES
Social Media can be used for MUCH more than just following celebrities and memes. It can be a place to uplift, motivate, and educate. Finding pages that help you reach your goals and make your day more positive can have a great impact on your life!
Here at Myostorm, we believe fitness and health is crucial, and what’s more important is getting your motivation and inspiration from the right people. We’ve compiled 15 accounts who share helpful, inspirational, positive content that will help you on your health and fitness journey.
First, we are starting with us! Our Instagram account is a reflection of our product and aim as a company: Help you recover the best way possible. Follow us for product launches and tutorials, blog updates, and fitness-related content. We strive to give you the content you want!
This account is your portal to daily inspiration for a happy, healthy life. Their feed is bright, inviting, and full of positive insights to living a healthy life. They are inclusive of all body shapes, sizes, and colors! You will be able to find useful information to use in your journey.
This Instagram account is run by the Crunch fitness center. Their feed is an upbeat, inspirational collection of videos, memes, and workout tips.
Nike has over 100 million followers on the platform, so you may already be one of them. Their Instagram feed is full of content and current events related to sports and fitness. They post inspirational videos that will give you goosebumps and introduce followers to athletes from male to female, able-bodied to disabled.
Lululemon is a brand selling exercise clothes and items. Their Instagram account boasts 3+ million followers and shares videos you can follow along with for workouts, stretching and yoga and they keep you updated on the newest products available in-store that can level up your workout attire!
One negative to social media is being exposed to unrealistic bodies, and seeing everyones accomplishments (and never failures). Iskra is an Aerie “role model” who posts consistently about her life, body acceptance, and fitness. She doesn’t photoshop her photos, and helps you learn to love your body as is. She is honest and shares her struggles and successes living as a model in a larger body. She posts videos of her workouts which are easy to follow along to, and will make you feel great!
The 8fit is a health and wellness app for personalized fitness and nutrition. Their Instagram account is in the same theme, where they show you realistic meals, workouts, and how to be healthy in all parts of life.
If you are a fitness junkie, Spartan might be your new favorite Instagram account. They post incredible videos to motivate you, push you, and inspire you. They have grown a community of over half a million followers sharing their successes and failures in their hardcore fitness journeys.
Jessie is a Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences, Assistant professor, and registered dietician. If you’re following tons of “food inspo” on IG, be sure you’re following Jessie as well to get the correct information based on science! She will share not just good looking food, but good for you food.
During your daily scroll, it would be beneficial to you to see some realistic, healthy options to fuel your day. Healthy food advice is an account sharing meal inspo, interesting facts, and helping you to want to live a healthier life through better food choices.
If you’re not sure how to effectively workout outside the gym, this account is for you. It shares post upon post of example workouts, how to’s and the best exercises for different goals. All content shared on this account is doable from home!
Want to get strong and flexible? Jessica is a business owner using her IG account to share tips for flexibility, and videos to inspire your workouts. She is also a great fitness influencer to follow for her openness about mental health and the struggles in life.
Dana is a speaker and well known mental health advocate. While working on your body and healthy life, you must also balance your expectations and how you speak to yourself. Dana is a great follow for daily reminders for mental health as you navigate health and fitness culture.
This account is full of infographics that share research, bust myths, and teaches you how to be successful in your workouts. It is a great resource for those wanting some direction in the gym.
This account is fantastic for showing you how your body works as a whole and as parts when going through different exercises and movements. It also does a fantastic job of covering the science behind things such as weight loss, muscle building, and injuries.
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We’re here to help you make sense of the conflicting information and diet recommendations that litter the internet. It’s tough to understand the advice between medical websites, health studies, and your favorite fitness influencers. Let us help make it clearer.
When you think carbs you probably think bread, pasta, and other heavy and delicious foods. It’s true that those are examples of carbs, but carbs are more than that. At the very base Carbs, or Carbohydrates, are biomolecules, and they play several critical roles. Carbohydrates are structural components that transport energy within a living organism.
We could delve deeper into the intricacies of what defines a carbohydrate- But we’ll save that for another time. The important things to remember for now are (1):
Have you heard of the multiple diets based on limiting or cutting out carbs altogether? These diets promise that by not eating carbs your body will in turn burn fat and will help you lose a ton of weight (fast). This is appealing to many, and a reason why keto diets and similar plans are trending.
It should be acknowledged that eating fewer carbs has been shown to benefit health and aid in weight loss goals in some studies, but there are many factors that go into a healthy diet. One study showed in terms of satiety in diet, a carb controlled diet was more effective than a low fat (2). Another study showed the same in an all-women group of participants (3).
While many studies show a reduction in weight associated with eating less carbohydrates, many don't control for overall consumption. When people diet, and cut out carbohydrates, they tend to eat less food overall. Most people that are cutting out carbs weren’t eating the “good” carbs to begin with. When cutting out a food group, like carbs, in particular, you are cutting out even the “right” ones. Many people enjoy healthy lives on a carb-heavy diet, but do so without the added sugars and "junk" carbs. Having a diet full of whole grains as a staple is ideal to consume enough calories and healthy carbohydrates.
Like anything in life, cutting something out cold turkey (and forever) is simply unsustainable. While we acknowledge the evidence for some benefits in carb controlled diets, we want to highlight the easier (and more tasty) option to keep carbs in the lineup.
One study here encourages the use of carbs (especially whole grains) for disease prevention (4,5). Additionally, carbohydratess have been proven to increase insulin sensitivity as well, which helps in reducing blood sugar and leading to better weight management (6). According to these studies, it’s actually strongly suggested to make healthy carbs the core of your diet to maintain a healthy weight and combat serious disease. That sounds like a win to me!
Cutting out carbs would mean cutting out the world's (and our body's) main source of energy. Your brain prefers to run on carbohydrates, so cutting them out would result in feeling sluggish and tired. Not to mention you would lower dietary fiber. Carbs are everywhere and you would need an iron will to repeatedly turn down carb-based foods.
Remember, not all carbs are created equal and so many of them can be really good for you if you know what to look for!
(You should know that just because a food is labeled as having "whole wheat" doesn't mean it's healthy. Look for foods labeled as "whole grain" to get unrefined grains with all the nutrition!)
Instead of falling victim to the fad diets that preach zero carbs, keep them in your diet but be mindful of the details. Here are 5 tips to keep in mind when you eat carbs.
Carbs get a bad wrap, but there are carbs that will be better for your health and weight loss goals. Generally, the more natural and whole the carbohydrate the better. The best way to get your carbs are in whole grains (like wheat, oats, barley, quinoa, rice, etc), fiber-rich fruits and vegetables (7). One study showed an inverse relationship between eating whole grains and BMI, this further basks up the national diet recommendations that call for eating whole grains as part of your daily dietary intake (8).
Based on expert recommendations, we suggest eating plenty of veggies and fruits each day. As you might have guessed, the “wrong” carbs (or carb sources you should limit) include processed, sugary foods. Don’t forget: Moderation is key!
Added sugars are everywhere. A 2016 study showed that being hyper-focused on limiting sugar is not a successful way to combat disease or aid in weight loss (9). With that said, it is helpful when coupled with overall nutrition and exercise practices.
We recommend being mindful of added sugars, but not being too concerned with this. Instead, focus on a balanced diet with all food groups.
Bonus: Turn to the nutrition label to determine how much of your food choice is made of added sugars.
Your diet should reflect your health and fitness goals. Everyone is different, and while there are blanket recommendations for daily intake, your needs will vary.
If you’re looking to lose weight, you can keep carbs on board but limit the sources to fruits and veggies. If your goal is to control diabetes or cholesterol levels, you should consult a doctor before making changes but may benefit from limiting some carbs.
Portion size is a simple way to keep yourself on track with weight loss goals. It’s easy to overeat and ignore the natural cues your body gives you that you’re hungry or full.
A study found that people can eat a satisfying amount of food if they eat larger portions of low-energy-dense foods while limiting their portions of foods high in energy density (10). This basically means portion control and a balanced diet can be huge in reaching goals.
Our final tip is: Don’t deprive yourself of the foods you want or love.
A study of low and high carbohydrate diets showed weight loss was the same, regardless of macronutrients (11). Take it from the institute of medicine’s dietary reference intake: Adults should get 45%-65% of their calories from carbs, 20-35% from fat, and 10-35% from protein (12).
We can’t forget to acknowledge the willpower it takes to stick to a restrictive diet.
A 1996 study by Dr. Roy Baumeister pulled a bait and switch where participants were shown chocolate but only some were given the chocolate, while others were left with a radish to eat while they had chocolate in their view (13). The study examined the willpower participants had to complete a puzzle after they were given the chocolate or the radish. Interestingly enough, those who were given their chocolate instead of a radish were able to persevere with a puzzle for double the crime of those who ate a radish.
Living a restrictive diet that requires willpower, again and again, is not realistic, and has been proven in this study, and over 1,000 additional studies thereafter. Registered dietitian nutritionist Taryn Schubert says, “Eventually you’ll give in to your craving for that food and probably overindulge because of Last Supper Mentality (‘after this time, I’ll never eat this again’) (14).”
Carbs are everywhere, and it’s futile to avoid them altogether, but when you’re informed and educated you can make healthy choices when it comes to your dietary habits. Choosing whole, raw grains as your carbs of choice and complementing that with fruits and vegetables will ensure that you protect yourself from high risk of disease. Limiting refined sugars and grains will also keep your health in check. Carbs are just one type of food though! Remember to balance your diet with healthy fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals as well as exercising regularly!
With these things in mind, you can approach food with confidence and take control of your health!
Sources:
Waves. Light waves, sound waves, seismic waves. They are all energy, or more accurately, waves are a transmission of energy through a substance of some sort. It doesn’t matter what kind of matter we’re talking about, including you and your aching muscles, applying energy in the form of vibration creates waves.
Vibration has been used for a long time as a form of therapy. Vibration therapy in varying forms has been found to have numerous benefits including increased blood flow, improved mobility, reduced pain, and even positive effects on muscle strength and power. (1)(2)
That’s why products touting vibration have been flooding the market. To feel your best, you have to give your body the best to work with.
Because vibration therapy helps stimulate your muscles, it can be a very effective tool in both your warm up and cool down. When used before exercise, the vibration helps to improve mobility, bodily awareness, and decrease the chance of injury. When used as part of your cool down vibration can help decrease the soreness you would feel the following days. (3) If you often find yourself sore after a workout, vibration therapy tools like the Meteor can help you get back on your feet quicker than ever before. One study conducted found that vibration therapy is effective as massage at reducing soreness after a workout even when measured at 1, 2 and 3 days post exercise. (4)
There have also been many studies to support vibration’s effectiveness treating pain. (5) The way that vibration decreases your pain levels is actually quite amazing. Have you ever stubbed your toe? Or bumped your knee? Burned your hand? How about closing your finger in the car door? I’m going to guess that you’ve done one, if not all of these things at one time or another. Think back to the first thing you did after the pain began. It’s incredibly likely that you grabbed onto whatever your hurt body part was and maybe even rubbed the spot. If you did this you took advantage of what's called Gate Control Theory. Basically what happens is you disguised the pain signals to your brain with non painful feelings. Vibration Therapy is able to do this same thing to the pain you feel in your muscles and joints, so you feel better after only a few seconds!
Pain relief isn’t just temporary though. Through continued use of Vibration Therapy, you can help your body to recover and relax. This helps you experience long term effects that help you move more pain free. That pesky back pain from sitting in a chair all day? Or the tension in your neck from sleeping wrong? Vibration Therapy can help relieve pain and tension from both of those and many more issues.
Now that we know what vibration therapy can do for us, what’s the next step? Well, as you probably guessed, not all vibration is created equal. There are varying ranges of vibration that have different effects. Some vibrations are therapeutic to our bodies, some are damaging, and some have no effect at all. MyoStorm’s team of engineers and doctors revolutionized vibration therapy by creating the most innovative recovery product that utilizes a range of frequencies that are optimized for your benefit. The Meteor has several levels of vibration optimized for pain relief and recovery to ensure that you get the best long term results from your personal vibration therapy.
Sources:
By better understanding the inner-workings of our bodies, we can give it what it needs to promote health and efficiency. When it comes to lactic acid, better understanding the cause and effect can lead to a better workout and recovery. Lactic acid is believed to be the cause of the burning sensation during workouts. While it’s an uncomfortable feeling, we owe this burning sensation a “thank you” for helping us work harder and longer during exercise.
We need to first note that the term “lactic acid” is actually a misnomer. The correct term is Lactate, though in everyday conversation people use the two interchangeably.
Lactate gets a bad wrap because of a common misconception that Lactate is the sole cause of muscle soreness. This is an easy mix-up, since it is present during these processes, and lactic acidosis (when too much acid builds up in the bloodstream) can cause unpleasant symptoms. The truth is, it’s only during extensive workouts that strain our body’s energy pathways or when taking certain medications that severe pain or burning from acidosis comes into play.
By definition, lactate is a colorless liquid produced during muscle contraction as a product of anaerobic glucose metabolism (1). In less complicated words, it is a byproduct of running out of oxygen for certain processes in the body, and to adapt, the body uses pyruvate as an electron acceptor which turns into lactate. Lactate becomes the new energy source and allows you to keep working hard.
Keep in mind, this is not to say there is no oxygen during this type of exercise! When you are exercising fast or hard enough, oxygen can’t keep up and the body will do what it has to to get the energy it needs.
Think:
A factory needs to make cars at a certain rate, but the number of cars coming in is faster than the tires coming in. To keep up with the rate, the factory uses wooden wheels instead. It works to get the job done, but it’s not ideal.
Lactate gets a bad wrap for the discomfort it causes during exercise, but there are quite a few reasons we can thank lactate instead!
As for the fatigue you feel post workout, experts and current understanding suggest that there are other factors that contribute much more than lactate does. Fatigue is a multidimensional phenomenon and requires more extensive studies, lactate is capable of contributing, but does not cause fatigue by itself (2).
As proven in a classic study from 1937, lactate is generally metabolized by your body in an hour or less (3). Some preach that a cool down will bring down the lactate levels much quicker, and the truth is it does speed it up a bit, but so does rest.
While lactate isn’t harmful, proper recovery will help you feel better quicker. A few helpful ways to remove lactate faster and recover after an intense workout are through the use of massage, or the Meteor. Some studies have found that low level vibration may be effective at removing lactate from the bloodstream quicker than otherwise. (4)
The Meteor’s heat will help reduce your pain and speed up recovery, so you’re ready for your next workout sooner. Its vibration promotes flexibility and reduces chronic pain while. The Meteor is designed to facilitate muscle recovery and is extremely simple, effective, and versatile.
With the understanding that lactic acid is an integral part of our exercises, we can welcome the pain but remember to continue adequate recovery measures.
Sources:
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/lactic-acid?s=t
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18195089/
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/ajplegacy.1937.118.3.457
]]>The words “obese” and “overweight” get thrown around a lot in common language, but the scientific definition is, “abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health (1).” Over the years, there has been extensive research studying the implications, causes, and prevention of obesity. You may also be familiar with interventions, including Michele Obama’s “Let’s Move” program. Unfortunately, despite research and preventative measures, little success has been noted as a result of existing efforts.
When examining the why behind obesity as an epidemic, experts point to the lifestyle changes required to overcome it. To prevent and treat obesity it is vital that physical activity be increased, and nutrition improved (2). These are two integral aspects of life that are difficult to control or change. This is because the things we eat and our activity levels are generally heavily ingrained habits that are intertwined with our way of life.
BMI (body mass index) is likely to come up in any discussion of obesity. While it is a helpful tool in indicating high body fat, it is not intended to determine obesity in individuals (3). As we will discuss, there are many factors that contribute to a healthy body and lifestyle, and all should be considered when determining the health and risk of obesity of an individual.
In the United States, 36.5 percent of adults are obese, and 17 percent of children are obese (4). These numbers are on the rise and expected to have a 130 percent increase in severe obesity prevalence over the next two decades (5). In efforts to stop this shocking trajectory, links between age, gender, socioeconomic status, and other factors should be acknowledged as well.
Studies continue to show a notable link between ethnicity and obesity. Almost half of non-Hispanic blacks have obesity, with Hispanics right behind at 42.6 percent, non-Hispanic whites at 36.4 percent, and non-Hispanic Asians at 12.6 percent (6).
It is consistently determined that socioeconomic status plays a role in obesity. In low-income homes and areas, there is a higher prevalence of obesity, attributed to several things, including less nutritional education and access to healthy choices (7).
There are high instances of obesity across age groups, but studies show you are most likely to be obese in middle age (8).
Believe it or not, sleep plays a significant role in risk for obesity, so much so that studies suggest chronic partial sleep loss is associated with an increase in the risk of obesity (9).
Now that you’re familiar with the risk factors, how can you tell if you should discuss your weight and body fat with your doctor?
If you experience the following, it may be a warning sign of obesity. You can benefit from a discussion with your doctor (10):
Breathlessness
Increased Sweating
Snoring
Difficulty with physical activity
Daily exhaustion
Joint pain
Low confidence and self-esteem
Isolation
Identifying with items on this list does not necessarily mean you fall into the “obese” category, but we recommend discussing any noticeable health or body changes that concern you with your doctor.
Obesity poses quite a few risks for disease and impacts health and overall life in various ways.
Obesity is linked to many negative health conditions including over 60 diseases. These include: Diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis (11).
From fertility concerns, to the predisposition of the child, to postpartum depression, obesity has been studied and experts identify obesity for many pregnancy corners.
Studies have identified a strong relationship between overweight women and the risk of miscarriage, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and more (12).
In the current society, diet culture is prevalent, and leads to a stigma around weight gain and overweight individuals. This can lead to discrimination and at times, negative impact on the psyche (13).
Obesity prevention is consistently studied, and new ways to combat the risk and treat currently obese people are being discovered often.
Take note that BMI is not the gold standard for health, and does not show a full picture of a person. For example, someone can fall into the overweight or above range on the BMI scale, while leading a very healthy lifestyle. BMI is used in assessing a population, while tools such as BIE (bio-electrical impedance), skin calipers, and hydrostatic weighing are better used for individuals.
The easiest way for you to gauge yourself is to use your nutrition and physical activity to measure your health and risk for obesity. Below we mention some tips for physical activity and nutrition to lower your risk of obesity.
Studies show adding 20 minutes of brisk walking per day can reduce the risk of mortality by 24 percent in people of normal weight, and 16 percent in those who are obese (14).
You don’t need to “eat clean” all the time, instead, focus on food as fuel for your body and refrain from eating processed foods. For adults, eating more “good” fats, less processed sugar, and more whole foods, such as grains, fruits and veggies will help combat obesity (15).
As mentioned, sleep plays a critical role and those who do not get the recommended sleep per night or have sleep disturbances are automatically at a higher risk. If you experience significant or regular sleep issues, talk with your doctor about interventions to improve sleep.
Obesity is a worldwide epidemic, and while some risk factors are beyond an individual's control, pivotal factors such as getting enough physical activity and eating well can help to lower risk significantly.
New to working out? No worries, we have your guide to working out as a beginner (no trainer needed).
SOURCES
3.https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/defining.html
It might surprise you to know that building muscle benefits you more than just improving your aesthetic and strength. Gaining muscle also means: Better coordination, more bone density, lower risk of injury, joint health, and a boost in metabolism (1).
Before we get into example exercises, let’s answer a few common questions and address some misconceptions.
The information available on how to build muscle is varying and conflicting. While some people will suggest 1 day per muscle group, others recommend 3 times per week rotating muscle groups. Your personal exercise program will depend on your goals, time, and training experience. Though most literature supports the latter method, beginners should allow for more rest time and shorter workouts to start.
Don’t forget, no matter how advanced you become or what advice you receive, your safety always comes first. Never do any exercise you’re not confident with. The best practice is to start slow and have someone spot you when you’re learning something new.
As for what the science says: Muscles grow faster when worked more frequently and in conjunction with other muscles. One study showed evidence in support of optimal growth when exercising a muscle 2x/week over just once (2). Additionally, another study showed participants gained muscle faster when working them 3 times per week instead of one (3). We can suggest with relative certainty that you will see the best results by working out 2+ times per week.
Many studies find that training until muscle failure will activate a larger number of muscle fibers which leads to greater muscle growth (4). To achieve failure safely, you will want to do higher volume, multiple sets with a lighter weight. Some studies also show correlation between frequency of working out and boosted protein synthesis which translates to growth between workouts (5).
If your primary goal is muscle growth you want to frame your routine to hit each muscle group more than once per week and exercise to, or close to, fatigue.
While cardio shouldn’t be nixed altogether, it is not going to contribute as greatly to your muscle growth. Cardio-aerobic exercises should be done on alternate days to strength building days if possible. If you can’t do them on separate days, do your cardio after your strength exercises.
As a rule, multi-joint, or compound exercises should be favored when the goal is muscle growth. Multi-joint movements are using multiple joints and muscle groups. By using more and larger muscles, production of muscle building hormones is increased (6,7).
Examples of Multi-Joint exercises:
Swimming
Squats
Burpees
Step-ups
Push-ups
Deadlifts
The advantages of multi-joint exercises are plenty, but when you want to target and isolate a specific muscle on its own they fall short. Single-joint exercises can fill this hole in your training regimine.
Examples of Single Joint exercises:
Bicep Curl
Leg Extension
Shoulder Front Raise
Shoulder Lateral Raise
But even with a perfect and strictly followed exercise plan, you won’t achieve optimal results if that’s all you’re doing. To complement your workouts and provide the best path to muscle growth there are other things to consider outside of the gym.
Your mental health and overall mindset influence every part of your life. Studies continue to prove the negative effect of stress and emotional disturbance on physical goals. Stress leads to decreased levels of testosterone and increased cortisol, which fight against muscle growth (8).
Take it from professional boxer Anthony Joshua who shared his top tips for gaining muscle with Men’s health. He stresses the importance of focus, enjoyment, and determination (9).
A proper sleep schedule will positively impact every area of your life, and is crucial to any fitness journey. Research shows the regulation of sleep and wakefulness is related to energy, hunger, satiety, and body composition (10). If you are not sleeping well you will be doing yourself a huge disservice in reaching your fitness goals.
It’s nearly impossible to have a conversation about muscle mass and not discuss “gains.” Food is fuel. You literally are what you eat and you will absolutely need to eat more than you are now if you are looking to gain weight.
What to eat
When your goal is muscle growth, the success of your dietary goals begins at the grocery store. Your initial thoughts might be of protein, which is good, but protein isn’t all you need to build muscle. Protein is the core of rebuilding muscle fibers, but without a healthy amount of carbohydrates and fats you won’t see much progress.
In an evidence-based article, Healthline shares 26 foods to include in your diet for muscle growth. They include: Salmon, Eggs, Chicken, Tunafish, Turkey breast, Chickpeas, and Peanuts (11).
Protein supplements (12)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25169440/
When to eat
Furthermore, a 2014 study showed that the best results happen when protein is distributed evenly across each meal (13). Another study found that subjects who consumed a minimum of 20 grams of protein, six times a day lost body fat and increased lean mass (14).
Basically you will want to eat enough protein, fat, and carbs to give you the necessary fuel and aid in recovery.
While sleep and nutrition are parts of recovery, they don’t cover everything. Appropriate recovery time and practices will make the difference when it comes to the size and speed of your results. Especially after a heavy lifting session, recovery is crucial to encourage muscle and tissue repair. Muscles need 24-48 hours to recover and if you overwork the muscle before it has the chance to recover, it can cause more damage and impede growth (15).
To get the most out of your recovery, the Meteor will improve your body’s natural healing mechanism through carefully chosen levels of vibration. Make the Meteor a staple of your recovery for convenient massage and heat therapy wherever you are.
As mentioned, building muscle is not just helpful for a summer body. More muscle means a faster metabolism, lower risk of injury, better muscle tone, improved posture, better jar opening skills, and much more. Like other fitness goals, the addition of proper self-care and recovery practices will get you wherever you want to go.
References
First of all, know you’re making a great decision to exercise your body. According to Health and Human Services and their Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults should be moving as much as possible, some movement is better than none at all. HHS recommends 150-300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity for substantial health benefits (1).
The list of benefits of exercise is long and impressive. You will even notice mental health benefits within minutes, this is because physical activity releases dopamine which helps regulate mood. This means you can be happier after just one workout! Also, within weeks you can see improvement in heart rate, blood pressure, muscle fitness, and even weight loss (2,3).
Now let’s talk about how you can get started today. We have broken down 6 actionable steps to getting started with working out that will boost your confidence, give you motivation, and prepare you for your active lifestyle.
With any life endeavor, it helps to have a reason before dedicating time and effort into something. Are you working out to get in shape? Lose weight? Build muscle? Help your mental health? These are all good reasons.
The answer will inform not only how much you exercise but how you do it.
Similar to step one, it’s crucial to have something you are striving for. Realistic goals will help you focus on specific things instead of getting overwhelmed by all the exercise world has to offer. Additionally, your goal will help you focus on what you’re working for when things get tough. Tracking your progress toward your goal will also keep you motivated!
It can be helpful to use the S.M.A.R.T. principle to set your goal. S.M.A.R.T. was first used by George T. Doran in 1981 when he outlined the best way to write goals (4). It has since been used by the Cleveland Clinic and large studies to set and measure goals (5, 6).
S: Specific
M: Measurable
A: Attainable
R: Realistic
T: Time-Relatable
As you can see, by using the S.M.A.R.T. method, your goal should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-related. An effective example using this method is: I will be able to run a mile in under 10 minutes.
Your goal should excite you, motivate you, and provide a clear road map in your mind leading to your goal. Mastering the art of goal setting is great because goal-setting should never end! Exercise Physiologist Rebecca Kurtz says goal setting does a great job of motivating and inspiring new and veteran exercisers and athletes (7).
Your goal will help lay out a structure of what you will need to do. There are a few things you will want to decide.
Will you be joining a gym or working out at home? Harvard Health points out a gym is not needed for you to be successful and attain your goals. While it is true that your body is all the equipment you need, the gym does offer some advantages.
Gyms provide an extra incentive to work out with their monthly fee, and have classes and equipment you might not find otherwise (8). You should ask yourself: If you work out at home will you have the discipline to get it done?
Your plan should include a clear schedule for how often and long you will exercise. Set an achievable number of days per week as a minimum and strive to pass that.
Not sure where to start? The American Heart Association recommends 75-150 minutes of cardiopulmonary exercise (cardio) and 2 strength training sessions per week(9). Again, something is better than nothing, and getting comfortable as a beginner is the first hurdle.
Don’t forget to pencil in time for recovery! Recovering is a critical part of a successful exercise regimen and proper recovery will lead to better and quicker results. Olympic runner Jared Ward shared his 5 tips for recovery including: Warm up properly, fuel within 30 minutes of exercise, take protein at night, get plenty of sleep, and be positive.
Decide ahead of time when you will check-in with yourself and mark it on your calendar. Depending on the goal you are working toward, your check-in time will vary. If you are exercising for weight loss, studies have shown that weighing yourself more often correlates with more weight loss (10,11).
Alternatively, it might make sense for you to do a monthly check-in on your mile run time or another training-related goal. Many activities, such as lifting for a heavy 1 rep max, are not safe to do frequently.
One way to measure your success is with progress photos. No matter your goal, whether it be weight loss or muscle growth, comparison photos give you a perspective that neither a scale or mirror can mimic.
Keep these photos for future use. They will give you a point of reference and tell your story of progress better than your memory alone.
STEP 5: Start Small
You don’t want to overwhelm or overwork yourself right off the bat. Start small, one step at a time. Many beginners make the mistake of going “too hard” and hurting themselves or exhausting themselves.
In the same vein, don’t compare your progress to others’. Everyone is on a different part of their journey and have different abilities. Your past self is your only competition!
At the beginning of your exercise journey, you can try a little bit of everything to figure out what you enjoy. Enjoying what you’re doing will be crucial to staying diligent with your workouts and remaining disciplined in going to the gym.
A beginner program at home might look like a walk followed by a short circuit of 3 sets of ten lunges, squats, and jumping jacks (12).
Just about anything you do at home can be done at the gym. Gyms will provide you with a variety of implements that you probably wouldn’t have access to otherwise. You can use cardio equipment such as an elliptical, stationary bike, or stair climber or use free weights and machines to do strength training with exercises such as bench press, squats, curls, rows, shoulder raises, and so much more. Starting with a low weight and doing 3 sets of 8-12 reps is a great starting place. If you are ever unsure how to do an exercise, ask an employee or even another gym-goer. Most people will be glad to offer help!
No matter what you’re doing, be sure you are warming up your body before starting and listening to your body as you work out. A cool down and recovery session will also help protect your body from injury, ease soreness, and stabilize your heart rate.
You won’t attain the results you are hoping for without properly caring for your body outside of the gym as well. Healthy diet, proper sleep, and effective recovery will impact your overall health in a positive way.
Eating healthy doesn’t mean adopting an extreme diet, but being conscious of the foods you put in your body is central to your overall well-being. There are fundamental healthy dietary practices everyone should follow including eating whole grains, a variety of vegetables, whole fruits, and limiting saturated fats, trans fats, added sugar, and sodium (13).
According to the CDC, adults should be getting between 7 and 9 hours per sleep a night. If you are not getting enough quality sleep you can experience increases in weight, anxiety, and other negative health outcomes (14).
Though recovery practices may vary from person to person, the concept of recovery should be included in your plan to maximize muscle healing and growth. The Meteor aids in recovery, with vibrating and heating capabilities that can be used pre and post-workout to relieve pain and provide a soothing massage.
Starting regular exercise might seem intimidating and overwhelming, but you should remember we all start somewhere! Grab your water bottle, headphones, and workout plan and get moving! Put these steps into practice and you will be well on your way to success. Your body and mind will thank you for investing in your health.
References
There are tons of benefits to exercise on top of weight loss; You can decrease the risk of disease, regulate blood sugar levels, and improve mental health to name a few (2). Don’t be afraid to start on this journey solo, you’ll be impressed with what you can do!
There are plenty of exercises you can do without a trainer and even without a gym! If you’re interested in losing weight, find exercises you enjoy, and get moving.
If you do choose to hit the gym, it can feel overwhelming. Don’t worry, as long as you go in with a plan, you can make the most of your gym time and get the workouts done that will help you lose weight.
Approaching the weight section at a gym for the first time is intimidating, but you don’t need a personal trainer to get comfortable and do your thing.
Weight lifting has been shown to raise your metabolic rate which means you will continue to burn calories when you are resting (3). Furthermore, weight lifting has been proven to be a great option to preserve muscle and still lose weight. A study showed that participants lost more weight with diet and weight lifting over aerobic workouts (4).
If you include weight training in your exercise program, it’s recommended to do 8-12 sets 1-2 times per week. Free weights and machines are both proven to show results. While free weights have some added benefits, such as greater neural activation, the risk of injury is lower when using a machine (5).
Example exercises: Barbell squats, bench press, dumbbell curls.
Most gyms have a large section full of cardio equipment including treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, row machines, and more. For weight loss, it’s important to do a variety of workouts, meaning you should combine your cardio with other training to see the best results.
According to the CDC, a 154-pound person can burn 295 calories per 30 minutes of running or biking (6). Jump on the cardio machine of your choice a few times a week and give your best effort each time. It’s always better to start slow and work your way up if you’re not sure how fast to go. Even brisk walking on a treadmill can yield numerous health benefits.
Pro tip: Practice interval training for better results. You can do this by changing up the speed and time you put into your cardio. For example: Do 5 minutes of level 3 on the treadmill followed by 1 minute of level 5, and repeat. Studies show that interval training leads to increased weight loss (7).
Many gyms offer free classes where you can join a group in a guided 30 minute or hour-long exercise. A few of the best classes to join for weight loss are kickboxing and Zumba.
Studies show that kickboxers typically have a higher muscle mass and lower body fat percentage (8). If dancing is more your thing, research also shows that a 30 minute Zumba class can burn 233 calories for a 155-pound person.
It can be beneficial to join classes during your weight loss journey for a routine to follow and to meet like-minded friends who can keep you accountable.
Paying for a gym membership and making time to get to the gym can sometimes be barriers to your weight loss. Luckily, there are exercises for weight loss you can do at home!
Taking a walk is a simple way to burn calories and get closer to your weight loss goals. In fact, walking on a track outside has been shown to burn more calories than walking on a treadmill (9).
You might not consider yoga when putting together your weight loss plan, but think again! Experts find Yoga to be a promising way to lose and maintain weight and assist with positive behavioral changes (10). For example, a 155-pound person can burn 149 calories per 30 minutes of yoga.
Yoga at home is as simple as pulling up a free youtube video, putting on some comfortable clothes, and getting started. There are free videos online with a variety of different yoga routines. Whether you’re a beginner or a veteran yogi, there’s something for you.
At home, you probably don’t have quite the arrangement of dumbbells or weight machines that the gym offers, but that’s okay! Bodyweight exercises can be done with minimal or no additional items and still leads to weight loss (11).
Examples of bodyweight exercises: Lunges, push-ups, squats, plank.
Pro tip: Use resistance bands or ankle weights to increase resistance and feel the burn!
As mentioned, the most difficult part of a weight loss journey is finding the motivation and staying accountable. Studies show that using an app for tracking and monitoring progress is crucial in weight loss goals(12). It can also be helpful to work out with a friend! Having someone to work out with can strengthen your commitment to exercise.
Furthermore, it’s not only important to have the perfect workout plan, but also the best recovery plan to maximize your training. Don’t forget to be mindful of your sleep schedule and utilize other recovery methods to aid in your body's repair and growth. Additionally, you’ll see the best outcome when your exercise is complemented with a proper diet as well(13).
Finally, don’t forget to turn to social media for motivation, work out ideas, and inspiration. There are tons of free workout plans, printable workouts, and tips and tricks shared for free across Facebook and Instagram. If you’re unsure about a workout that you see on social media, you can always ask a trusted friend or a trainer to help you out. Trust me, your fitness junkie friends will be more than happy to answer your questions!
Time to take these tips and put them to practice. With the right plan and solid commitment, you don’t need a gym or personal trainer to lose weight. Incorporate the other elements of a healthy lifestyle and you are well on your way to meeting and exceeding your weight loss goals.
-Kimberly Charleson
Contributing Writer
References
Recovery is crucial in meeting your physical goals. You might get advice from social media, a doctor, or a trainer for how to properly exercise and recover, but be sure you do not fall victim to the myths that cloud the space.
We have weeded through the noise and identified 5 huge myths commonly accepted about recovery, and we are here to expose them.
Read on to be in the know for a better, more successful exercise plan starting today!
Your body and mind will thank you for rest not only between sets and different exercises, but between workout days. The truth is, your body needs to rest and you’re not being lazy by taking days off. On rest days, your body will be working hard to get you charged up for your next workout. During exercise, you are damaging muscles, decreasing substrates, and increasing metabolic by-products (1). Your body will require time to regulate those three energy systems to recover optimally and improve in physical ability.
In fact, rest days are needed for mental health as well. A study found that training overload can lead to: Cognitive fatigue, reduced prefrontal cortex activity, and impulsiveness (2).
We all want to improve and see results in our workouts, so don’t fall victim to the “no pain no gain” mentality because full training recovery is essential to optimal performance and improvement (3).
This is a common belief, but is so false! Think about it this way: You can always “level-up” and challenge your body, so if you are consistently pushing your body further, it will be sore from going places it hasn’t gone before. When you get that sore feeling, embrace it and know you’re doing something right.
Plus, you feel sore when your body is getting rid of metabolic end products, which are created in an easy work out as well as a hard one (4).
A study looking at delayed onset muscle soreness acknowledges the presence of soreness even in professional athletes (5). So, if the pros can get sore, this myth can’t be true.
It is important to note that you should stay in-tune with your body, and recognize the difference between feeling sore and being injured. In sore muscles, you will likely feel it in your muscles during exercise or up to 72 hours after. Soreness can also last 2-3 days and improves with movement. On the other hand, an injury may be painful in muscles or joints, continue to hurt, and be worse with continued activity (6).
So long as you know you’re not hurt, feeling sore is a good thing!
We’ve all heard different recommendations related to stretching. There is no doubt that stretching is a helpful and key part of maintaining overall health. Experts recommend stretching daily if possible. Benefits of stretching range from improving flexibility to decreasing risk of injury (7).
In terms of stretching for soreness, studies show little to no effect of stretching on sore muscles (8). Participants in these studies practiced stretching before, during, and after exercise and consistently showed no impact on soreness.
Incorporate stretching into your exercise plan, but don’t depend on it for post-leg day struggles.
Sleep is absolutely a huge part of exercise, weight loss goals, and successful recovery, but it is not the end-all be-all. While sleep allows for your muscles to rest and your body to do its thing, there are other modes of recovery that have additional and even better benefits.
One study examined the best recovery efforts from massage to compression garments to cryotherapy and immersion. It found massage and compression garments to be effective in muscle recovery and fatigue (9). Similarly vibration therapy, which is offered by the Myostorm Meteor, has been proven to show clinically early reduction of pain and effective reduction in LDH levels in 48 hours (10).
Be sure to stick to a sleep schedule, but utilize additional modes of recovery to feel your best.
You might be reaching for the ibuprofen to take the edge off after a tough workout, but the truth is you might be doing yourself a disservice.
A study found over-the-counter doses of ibuprofen and acetaminophen suppress the protein synthesis response in skeletal muscle after exercise (11). This means, continuing to take these medications will not allow your muscles to grow or adapt.
If you are feeling extreme pain post-workout, it might be a sign of an injury. Do your best to pass on the medication and utilize other recovery tactics at first to receive the full benefits of your workouts. If you think you’re injured, or your extreme soreness doesn’t get better after several days, you should see your doctor. They might suggest lightening up your exercise routine.
Exercise is important for overall health, but it’s not the only thing. Be sure you are assisting your body by allowing it the time and resources it needs to recover properly. Unfortunately, there is no one size fits all program for exercise and recovery, but changing it up and listening to your body is a good start. The Meteor is one sure-fire way to relieve pain and speed up your recovery process. Instead of falling victim to these popular myths, turn to rest, massage, and other recovery practices post-workout!
References:
For quite a while, I didn’t really believe him. I thought maybe we just had different definitions of patience. Then I started to think that maybe Meb could afford to be patient, but that I still needed to go force fitness right now. Now, I’m eating my words at least weekly as I offer my advice to young pros and new runners in general: be patient.
Gains happen when we rest. Exercise stresses our body, and our body reacts by building back stronger — if we give it time. Consistency is king in the long run. If we can stay healthy, then we can continue to make deposits to lifetime fitness, uninterrupted by burnout and injury. Endurance athletics is a long game. Former marathon world record holder Haile Gebrselassie was know to say that success in a marathon is a culmination of work done over the 4 years leading into the race. That’s a lot of time to think about training for one race! I think that we are often training for many upcoming races at the same time.
But patience is just one half the equation, work is necessary too. And no ambitious athlete wants to shortchange his or her potential. However, I’m guessing if you are reading this you are likely in the ambitious camp. So I offer 5 tips to speeding up recovery from your ambitious training with the goal of helping you achieve your potential, but keep in mind that my preliminary advice is: be patient.
You’re warm-up is more likely to affect how your muscles recover than your cool down. Vibration therapy has been a part of my warmup routine for many years now. I’ve found particularly that as I give some time to loosen my glute muscles and external rotators that I move a lot more smoothly. And the better movement also translates to recovering quicker after a workout session.
Fueling immediately after exercise has made a huge difference in how I feel when headed out to a subsequent training session. This was something I picked up in college and one thing I don’t compromise on. There is likely a good, better, best with fuel — and I aim to get some natural fuel high in carbohydrate, and maybe a little protein — but almost anything is better than nothing. I try to get at least 200-300 calories within 30 mins, and a meal within 90 mins. I keep a stash of Honey Stinger waffles in my glove box as a tasty refuel option.
In a somewhat recent study it was shown that athletes taking protein at night had a higher concentration of amino acids in their blood the next morning, compared to those that did not. I picture those amino acids as little repair solders fixing my muscles. But I also have found that protein at night curbs my mid-night hunger, and I sleep better. Seems a win-win.
Next, get plenty of sleep. Deep sleep is when the body secretes natural growth hormone. Cheaters dope with this stuff, so getting enough sleep and encouraging your body to secrete natural growth hormone can’t be a bad thing.
Lastly, be positive. Nothing that kills a day, or a season, like coming down too hard on yourself. My sports psychologist at BYU (Craig Manning) would tell me I needed to come up with 3 things I did well before I could address 1 thing I was to do better next time, and I have found this to be a pretty good ratio. Identifying and reinforcing the things we do well fuels our confidence. And confidence is going to have us feeling better (read recovery) when we head out for our next training session.
See you on the trails!
Jared Ward
]]>Physical Health
Many studies have shown that regular exercise is extremely effective at reducing your risk for a variety of life threatening diseases including diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and even some types of cancer.(2) Exercise also improves your overall physical health by strengthening muscles, increasing bone density, improving heart and lung strength, and improving your overall body composition.
Mental Cognition
Exercise has even been found to make you smarter! It’s true, across all age groups regular exercise improves your ability to think and do mental tasks. In children ages 6-13, exercise shows immediate effects in processing speed and memory.(3) Overall quality of life is improved as you make exercise a part of your daily routine.
Emotional Well-being
Exercising will make you happier too. It’s been shown time and time again that exercising can reduce feelings of anxiety immediately, but did you know that regular exercise can reduce your chances of developing clinical anxiety and depression? Exercise releases endorphins and also helps your body to regulate hormones better. This translates into you feeling better and even sleeping better! Especially in times of stress, going for a walk or throwing a ball around are great ways to improve your mood.
Easy Exercise Ideas
Don't forget your Recovery after your workout either! Proper recovery after exercise will decrease soreness and help you get ready for your next activity quicker!
-Bailey
1.https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm
3.https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf#page=39
]]>Percussion Therapy
Massage guns use what is called Percussion Therapy. It is exactly how it sounds. It is therapy through repeated impact. Think of your muscles like a drum and the massage gun like a zealous drummer hammering away with his drumsticks. Percussion therapy is very similar to vibration therapy in many ways.
Vibration and Percussion Therapy both:
Unfortunately, there isn’t sufficient research done to compare the difference in effectiveness between the two modalities. There is one common measurement that is very important however, and that is frequency. The Meteor has therapeutic frequencies that have been heavily researched and shown to relax your muscles and decrease pain. Some studies have even found vibration therapy to be more effective than massage at decreasing pain from exercise.(1)
Vibration Therapy
The main differentiating factor between percussion and vibration is the amplitude. The amplitude (or depth) measures the distance that the device travels while shaking. If the amplitude is larger, then impact on your body is greater. Think of the difference between a masseuse delivering swift percussion to your back and a boxer reeling back for a powerful uppercut. While there can be times where the deeper and more powerful impact can reach deep knots in your muscles, fine tuned vibration offers more calming relief. In some cases, especially in injuries or those with more delicate bodies, percussion can actually be damaging.
Why choose Vibration?
There is one main advantage that the Meteor has over percussion devices. It helps lower your body’s natural defenses that can actually fight against recovery. Your body is a marvelous system designed to protect you and when it detects a threat, it prepares itself. If you have an injury, the muscles surrounding the area all work to support the weakened tissue.(5) This is called Muscle Guarding. This is generally a good thing at first, but often your muscles continue to stay contracted even after the injury is healed. This muscle guarding can actually become the cause of pain instead of a protector against it. Quick, jarring motions (such as a percussion device) will spur your body into this defensive mode.
Therapists treating pain of this type use techniques such as massage with long, slow movements that apply pressure helping the body to relax. Your nervous system is made up of many different types of Proprioceptors (a fancy name for nerves that detect changes in motion, position and pressure). You can read more about specific types below.(2)(3)(4) Two important proprioceptors for this situation are your Golgi Tendon Organ and Muscle Spindle Fibers. The GTO detects changes in tension, while the muscle spindles detect changes in length. Any time your muscles receive any sensation that changes these, these proprioceptors make your muscles flex to stop you from injuring yourself. With constant pressure or stretching, these nerves relax and let you get a deeper stretch and treat parts of your body that are damaged. With percussion therapy you never apply pressure long enough to overcome these systems, but with the Meteor you can apply steady pressure to any muscle group and let the therapeutic vibration take maximum effect.
That's not even to mention the phenomenal benefits the Heat from the Meteor brings! Read more about the effects of heat here.
-Bailey
1.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3939523/ (Vibration and Massage)
2.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golgi_tendon_organ (Golgi Tendon Organ)
3.https://www.physio-pedia.com/Muscle_spindles (Muscle Spindle Fibers)
4.https://www.acefitness.org/fitness-certifications/ace-answers/exam-preparation-blog/5336/golgi-tendon-organs-and-muscle-spindles-explained/ (overcoming nervous system inhibitions)
5.https://chiropractorofstlouis.com/blog-post/muscle-guarding (muscle guarding)]]>As it’s been for nearly a half century, the most famous remedy in sports medicine, from trainers to physicians to parents – treat your pain or injury with “RICE”- the acronym for rest, ice, compression and elevation.
Legendary sports physician, Dr. Gabe Mirkin, created The RICE Method in his 1978 bestseller, The Sportsmedicine Book. This treatment method for sports injuries has become the gold standard for over 40 years and has allowed the wounded warriors of the world not only endure, but rehab to get back in the game.
Twist your ankle, strain your knee, pull a muscle in your back, partially tear a rotator cuff or AC joint., or suffer a contusion to the thigh or other soft tissue bruising during a game, competition or training? The go-to method is “RICE.” Those ice machines in the hotels around the world – they’re not just for cocktails! Wish I had a nickel for every time I had to ask the front desk for a bag so I can get ice for some type of injury. A home it might even be a bag of frozen peas! In any event, it helps reduce both pain and swelling – which sends us down the road to recovery – or is it?
WITH ADVANCEMENTS IN SPORTS MEDICINE, IS THE RICE METHOD BECOMING OBSOLETE?
“Nearly everyone who ices today,” says veteran athletic trainer Gary Reinl, “believes they’re doing it to prevent inflammation, reduce swelling, and control pain. But here’s the problem: Icing doesn’t prevent inflammation or swelling; it only delays it. Once tissues rewarm, the inflammatory process resumes and your body’s innate intelligence sends the correct amount of fluid to the damage site. Although icing can provide temporary pain relief, numbing just shuts off protective signals that alert you to harmful movement. And the Journal of Athletic Medicine Research recently showed that icing actually kills muscle cells.”
Additional research has confirmed Reinl’s suspicions. A report in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research discovered that icing fails to help injuries heal, and may well delay recovery from injury. Additional research at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center found evidence that icing sore muscles may be detrimental to recovery. And, researchers at the Cleveland Clinic have even identified a likely reason: Icing an injury delays the release of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1), a key hormone unleashed by immune cells to repair damaged tissues.
“Icing just doesn’t work—it actually screws things up,” says Reinl, whose new book, Iced! The Illusionary Treatment Option, is dedicated to encouraging doctors and athletes to move out of the ice age.
Even Dr. Mirkin, who invented RICE agrees with Reinl and the subsequent research. “I do not believe in cooling anymore, nor the “R” component of his famous prescription. And research now shows that both ice and prolonged rest actually delay recovery.”
SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? “ARITA”
A growing list of sports medicine specialists are promoting natural healing via multiple modalities.
“The human body is absolutely remarkable,” says Dr. Nick DiNubile, an orthopedic surgeon and former team physician for the Philadelphia 76ers. “Most of the time it knows what it’s doing. I still believe there’s an occasional place in the medical bag for ice – for acute pain, for instance, it’s certainly preferable to Percocet or Vicodin. But you really have to be mindful of what you’re trying to accomplish before you throw in the ice pack.”
Gary Reinl, for his part, believes the answer lies in a new acronym: ARITA – Active Rrecovery is the Answer. Instead of reaching for the ice bag, let your pain level be your guide and keep on moving as much or as little as your mending body allows.
Rebecca Kurtz, M.S., an exercise physiologist at Henry Ford Health System urges a balance of ice, movement and heat. “While icy temperatures help reduce inflammation, heat helps dilate blood vessels and promotes blood flow,” Kurtz says. “If your muscle is spasming, heat is best.”
To conclude, ice has its purpose and is essential for reducing swelling of any acute injury for the first 24-48 hours. Beyond this time period, a combination of movement (based on pain thresholds and common sense), vibration to flush lactic acid from the muscle and heat to relax and promote blood flow will ensure proper recovery. This is why we love the MyoStorm “Meteor” Ball. The combination of heat and vibration is a game changer for any nursing an injury. And of course, don’t forget to get good sleep, eat a healthy diet and rehydrate after your favorite activity.
Want to read more from Gary Miller, Olympic Alpine Ski Coach? Check out the Alpin Luxe blog: https://alpinluxe.com/blog-home
Here's a couple of images giving you a sneak peak of what happened. But come back after our episode airs on Sunday Oct, 27th and you can read more about the story here!
You can watch a quick recap of what happened here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ON-iUZMbvE
Let us know what you thought of how things went down!
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You’ve probably asked yourself at least one of these questions before, or at the very least you know someone who has told you that you should “insert piece of overly-confident, unqualified advice here”. For example, there are a large group of people that believe you should stretch before every workout to avoid injury, but did you know that the numbers don’t agree with that statement? Static stretching done before exercise does not decrease your chance of injury, and some studies even suggest that it may increase the prevalence of injuries.(1) Let’s take a second and talk about the effects of stretching and SMFR (or self massage with hands or a tool like the Meteor) on performance when done either before or after your activity.
Stretching Before Exercise
Like we noted before, stretching before exercise does not decrease your chance of injury, but did you know that it also decreases your power output?(2) In a study on athletes it was seen that their lower body power output decreased after stretching. Besides not helping your performance, stretching before activity can feel awkward and uncomfortable. What this means for you, is that if you are about to compete or even just attempt a heavy lift, you should avoid stretching your active muscles just before.
There’s a twist though! Even though stretching your muscles before an exercise will decrease your power, stretching your antagonist (opposite) muscles will increase strength, endurance, and power according to some studies!(3)(4) In one study, jump height was measured in athletes and height was shown to increase after stretching the opposite muscles. If you are about to squat and you want to make sure your quadriceps are as effective and powerful as possible, then you will want to stretch your hamstrings because they are opposite your quadriceps and perform the opposite motion.
Stretching After Exercise
Stretching after exercise is becoming more popular and actually has a couple benefits. The main benefits are that it helps to keep your heart rate up and assist in blood flow and metabolism. Because your body is warm from your workout, your stretch will be deeper and longer resulting in greater relaxation. Some studies have even found that stretching after your workout can decrease the soreness you feel in your muscles in the following days.(5)
SMFR Before Exercise
Rolling out your muscles feels great, and the best part is that it makes you stronger too. SMFR (Self MyoFascial Release) can increase your strength as well as your proprioception (awareness in space) as shown in this study.(6) Specifically in sore and damaged muscle, SMFR is effective in increasing strength in activity. In the previous study, as well as this next one, it was shown that SMFR also increases your range of motion, so you can exercise more of your muscle easier!(7) One last observed benefit of SMFR before exercise was that sprinting speed increased following rolling out the muscles of the leg.(8) So, if you find yourself feeling especially sore before your workout or you simply want to beat your own personal record, rolling out or even massaging your own muscle is a great way to get a little extra push.
SMFR After Exercise
Besides the obvious benefits of rolling out and massaging your muscles post-workout like increased blood flow, relaxation, and reduced soreness; SMFR actually increases your tired muscles strength afterward.(8) You might not be worried about your strength once you’ve completed your workout, but don’t forget that you still need to walk around and those of you that exercise in the early hours of the day still have a full day of work ahead of you! Having that added strength in your tired muscles is a great way to ensure that you don’t wear yourself out.
Fun Fact: SMFR with vibration is more effective than SMFR without vibration when it comes to improving flexibility!(9) Recovery devices such as the Meteor (which also packs the punch of heating your targeted area) are extra effective at treating your sore muscles.
1.https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/01/phys-ed-does-stretching-before-running-prevent-injuries/
2.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/18714248/
5.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1250267/
6.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/25226328/
7.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4637917/
]]>Your body is a complex network of organic tissue including muscles, tendons, bones, and something called fascia. There are many different types of fascia, but all fascia is a type of connective tissue. Fascia provides support, strength, and aids in movement and protection of other tissue in the body. Because it is such a complex and versatile tissue, we shouldn’t be surprised that it becomes irritated at times. This irritation is what we call Fasciitis (-itis, meaning inflammation). Plantar Fasciitis is characterized by inflammation of the fascia on the bottom of the foot. Some studies have even shown tissue disorganization from Plantar Fascia very similar to that found from degenerative tendinosis.
Plantar Fascia functions similar to a tendon. It attaches at the bone of the heel and spreads across the bottom of the foot up toward the toes. It helps to maintain the arch of the foot and acts as a sort of spring. You can think of it almost like a rubber band across the bottom of your foot; as you put weight down it stretches and as you lift your foot up it pulls back together. Like a rubber band, the Plantar Fasciia can develop small tears as it stretches too much. Various factors can cause excessive force on the Plantar Fascia such as:
Pain from Plantar Fasciitis is often felt on the bottom of the heel, but can manifest anywhere on the bottom of the foot. Many people afflicted with Plantar Fasciitis describe the pain like stepping on a tack. The pain is usually felt first thing in the morning or after being seated for an extended period of time and gradually goes away with activity.
The first line of defense against pain is always prevention. Maintaining good posture, wearing proper footwear, exercising and stretching are great ways to promote elasticity and strength in your foot and the surrounding structures. If you are unfortunate enough to have pain in your Plantar Fasciia all hope is not lost! Like any injury, Plantar Fasciitis is treatable and very manageable.
In addition to being great preventers of Plantar Fascia, orthopedic and orthotic inserts can relieve pain and pressure on the bottom of the foot. Chiropractors and Physical Therapists can help recommend proper footwear and inserts in addition to helping you with exercises and stretches to improve your posture and biomechanics.
Because Plantar Fasciitis is often a result of tight muscles, stretching and massage can relax and lengthen muscles in addition to feeling great! If you can relax the muscles of the foot and calf, you can release tension that leads to irritation of the Plantar Fascia. You can massage your muscles with a variety of object such as rolling pins, frozen water bottles (if you like ice), lacrosse, tennis, and golf balls. If you really want to target your problem areas with the best of massage coupled with heat and vibration, then our very own Meteor is your best bet. The Meteor is the only product on the market that combines all of these therapeutic modalities into one easy to use device.
The sting of Plantar Fasciitis gets in the way of enjoying life. You don’t need to suffer through the aches and pains because pain relief is possible. Take care of your body and give your feet the care they deserve.
Check out the links below for more information on Plantar Fascia and relief from pain.
-Bailey Carlson
Definition of Science-y words:
Biomechanics- The way your body moves
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_Opl3t8b4g
https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/hw114458
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/0ffc/ffda656702b485ebb7ae5f045c6a4e665f81.pdf
]]>Before you try either of these approaches it’s important to know the contraindications for treatment. In other words, there are times when it is unsafe to drastically change the temperature of your body or when you should be extra cautious when doing so. We’ve provided a list of some contraindications at the end of the article.
Everything you do and feel is brought about by your Nervous System. Your nervous system is, simply put, your brain and all of your nerves. Your nervous system acts by sending chemical and electrical messages from your body to your brain and vice-versa. It’s your nervous system that is responsible for telling you when you’re in pain.
Cryotherapy can be used to slow down the pain signal and as a result, the sensation of pain is lessened. Studies have shown that lowering the temperature of skin can decrease Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV) which is simply the speed that nerves relay information through your body. If you’ve ever tried to move quickly when you’re cold, you know how much lower temperatures can make a difference in your speed. This is is a good way to intuitively understand what cold does to signals of pain. Imagine that your nerves were a series of pipes filled with water and the messages are sent through these tubes. We can imagine that these messages are sent like a letter in a bottle. In normal conditions the bottles flow just fine through the rivers of our nerves, but if the water were to begin to freeze it would be much slower!
One of the major ways that thermotherapy decreases pain is by increasing blood flow. Blood is responsible for transporting nutrients essential for healing. This is one of the reasons you see swelling in an injury. All your little blood cells rush like little paramedics to the site of the injury to help heal it up. When you use heat to treat an injury, it warms up your blood and the surrounding area. It increases the speed that the blood cells can bring nutrients to the injured site. It’s similar to our example about nerves, but in the opposite.
Now that we’ve briefly touched on one example of pain management for each cryotherapy and thermotherapy, the only question left for you might be which one is right for you. Before ever considering treating yourself you should consult your doctor with any questions. When treating pain you should always remember - it’s objective. That means that nobody else can feel what you’re feeling. The goal of pain management is that it makes you feel better, so if you like heat more than cold then use it. If you love the feel of an ice bath, then give yourself an ice bath. The goal of pain relief is ultimately to encourage your body to relax. Regardless of whether you prefer thermotherapy or cryotherapy the most important thing is to be consistent. A one time treatment isn’t going to fix your problems, but heating your lower back several times a week can aid tremendously in healing. A good rule of thumb if you’re unsure of what to do is this: heat before activities and ice after. If you’re going to be moving around it’s important to help your muscles stretch out and by heating you encourage blood flow. Once you’re done with your activity you can ice the area to bring down the inflammation and slow your systems down. It is also generally a good idea to use heat on chronic issues because it encourages the healing process of the body.
Nobody wants pain to get in the way of the things they love, and you don’t have to. Heat and cold therapy are cheap and easy ways to manage your own pesky pains so you can get back to the activities you enjoy!
The list below is not a complete list and you should always speak to your health care provider if you have concerns or questions.
Contraindications for Thermotherapy:
Contraindications for Cryotherapy:
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Association_for_the_Study_of_Pain
Nadler, S. F., Weingand, K., & Kruse, R. J. (2004). The Physiologic Basis and Clinical
Applications of Cryotherapy and Thermotherapy for the Pain Practitioner. Cryotherapy
and Thermotherapy for the Pain Practitioner 395 Pain Physician, 7(3), 395–399.
Retrieved from
http://www.preventworkinjury.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Heat-vs-Cold-Therapy.pdf
Algafly, A. A., & George, K. P. (2007). The effect of cryotherapy on nerve conduction velocity,
pain threshold and pain tolerance. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 41(6), 365–369.
https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2006.031237
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