Many people join a gym or buy expensive exercise equipment and begin strength training without knowing how to properly lift weights. Remember the cliché: “what you don’t know can hurt you”. The experienced weight lifter may be able to execute movements that may very well be dangerous for a beginner, therefore it is better to …
OK, who still doesn’t know about the negative effects of cigarette smoking on health? Despite the tobacco industry’s best efforts to put a happy face on its addictive products, governments throughout the world and citizens alike have mobilised to expose and reduce this wretched habit. Still, roughly twenty to twenty-five per cent of the world’s …
When you are exercising and attempting to improve your health and/or lose weight, it is important to keep your body hydrated. For many, that may mean turning to sports drinks for help in keeping their bodies balanced. There are good reasons for using sports drinks, but some may question the cost of such drinks as …
Soft tissue injury is an injury to any of the soft tissues of the body. Soft tissue injury may occur in the muscle as in a contusion or strain, in the tendons as in a strain or tendinopathy, in fascia connective tissue as in a fasciitis or the ligaments as in a sprain or the …
You’ve been away from sports, perhaps due to injury, career or family. But now sport beckons again! Try these tips to return to where you left off without injuring yourself. Follow a beginner’s schedule. Your brain remembers movements and form, from long ago (called “muscle memory”) but your muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints have likely …
In this fast-paced world, it is easy to feel stressed over the demands that are placed on us. Many people suffer from depression and anxiety as a result of stress and resort to drugs – prescribed or otherwise – as a means of dealing with this problem. By making certain lifestyle changes, stress can be …
You have been told that you need to do some weight-training to tone and sculpt your body and improve muscle mass, but no one told you that using improper form during training can be dangerous. Improper form can lead to sprains, strains, fractures and other types of injury that can side-line you for some time …
In recent times Pilates has gained a lot of ground among fitness gurus and those anxious to lose weight. This form of non-impact exercise was designed by Joseph Pilates, a German nurse working in England in the 1920s. His goal was to enable his patients to improve strength and movement. Pilates used a system of …
Over-training injuries are those sustained as a result of training too hard and too long so that muscles are not given sufficient time to recover. Instead of gaining strength, the muscles’ performance levels weaken and injury may result. It is normal to feel sore after your workout but to be at your peak performance, you …
Boosting your metabolism is the key to getting and staying in shape. A sluggish metabolism does not allow the body to get rid of excess calories. The result is overweight and its attendant problems. When your metabolism is functioning well, you use energy and burn fat even while you are asleep. The key to boosting …
