Posts Tagged ‘exercise’

Viewer Question re: Workout soreness- what do you do?

Monday, March 14th, 2011

Viewer Question from Jim:

‘I’ve recently gotten back into working out after a few years- with school and my new job, I just didn’t have the time to work out like I did when I was in college. I’m a little older now, and I’m finding that even regular workouts are leaving me sore- particularly in my low back. It seems to wear off after a couple of days, but I am a little worried I may be hurting my back. What do you think?’

First, thank you so much for your question Jim.

Post workout soreness is often a normal consequence of hard exercise. If you have not been exercising regularly for some time you may notice more soreness than you used to. I am a little concerned that you seem to be feeling it mostly in your low back. There may be several possible reasons for this. First consider these three questions:

-Are you doing a disproportionate number of exercises that involve your back?

-Are you providing sufficient recovery time following your workouts?

-Have you exposed a possible weak area in your musculoskeletal system?

Look at your workout regimen. The first and second questions sort of go together. How have you broken up your lifting routine? Are you putting too much stress on your low back with your workouts, and conversely are you sufficiently working your abs to balance out the exercises you are doing? A good rule of thumb is this, and it’s and oldie but goodie: divide your sessions into ‘push’ muscle groups (Chest, triceps, quads, etc…) and ‘pull’ muscle groups (Back, biceps, glutes, etc…) By dividing them this way you will prevent overworking any group too much- including recovery time in your program, and ensure that you are getting balance in your workout. If you are finding yourself still getting sore, you can do ‘push’ on day 1, ‘pull’ on day 2, and take off day 3 before resuming. Three quick additional points- you can do cardio on pretty much any day, and ab crunches whether you are doing push or pull groups. Lastly, it goes without saying that you need to maintain adequate hydration and nutrition as you reintroduce your exercise routine- your body will require more of both as you burn more.

Now, if you’ve tried splitting up your routine, and you feel that your soreness is not improving, or is more than you think it should be, you should consider visiting with your physician to be certain that there are not underlying physiological conditions causing your back pain.

Ultimately, your workouts will pay off- it is always my feeling that if you rest, you rust- so I’m glad you’re back at it. Keep us posted on your progress.

Best,

Andy

Montego Bay, Jamaica- The weather is always better somewhere else…

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Guest author: Donna Kirschner on Being Fully Present…

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

As Donna and I both actively pursue our fitness goals, Donna has considered many interesting approaches to our relationships with our bodies, our fitness routine, and our food. Donna’s approach has spilled into other aspects of our lives. Please enjoy her post (and the second book review in 3 days!)

Lately, I’ve been on a journey to be fully present, particularly when Iʼm eating. This means savoring my food, really tasting it, and funny as it may seem, sitting down to eat. As a busy mother, or perhaps thatʼs just the excuse, I found myself ingesting way too many calories while standing up. Thereʼs likely a myth at work there that suggests that the calories somehow donʼt count if youʼre not actually sitting down while you eat. Or that eating isnʼt important enough and needs to be rushed. But the problem with that approach is that itʼs rarely satisfying. So I was lucky enough this past weekend to come across Geneen Rothʼs well-titled book, When You Eat At the Refrigerator, Pull Up a Chair: 50 Ways to Feel Thin, Gorgeous, and Happy (When you Feel Anything But). Roth explores the relationship between food and emotion in a way that offers self- compassion. Her work really speaks to me. So lately Iʼm trying to really taste my food. To feel it in my mouth and savor it. Iʼm finding that Iʼm eating more slowly, enjoying myself and, for the first time in my life, feeling really full regardless of how much food is left on the plate.

This experience of savoring my food also has positive consequences for savoring the present and being in the proverbial “moment.” How many of us move through much of our lives distracted by other moments, either dwelling in the past, worried about the future, or distracted technologies that take us out of our here and now? So, in the interest of urging you to be kind to yourself, Iʼm going to echo Geneen Rothʼs wish for her readers: I urge you to take five minutes each day to be fully present and grounded. Take some deep breaths to draw you into your body and into this moment. Notice sensory things, like the feel of the ground beneath your feet or the chair beneath your bum. If youʼre outside, notice the sun on your skin. If youʼre drinking something, feel it in your mouth and as it moves down your throat. If youʼre washing your hands, feel the soap on your skin; if youʼre having a conversation with someone, do what you can to be with them as fully as possible. If youʼre living with pain, notice the pain and the parts that feel good. If youʼre with someone you care about, just savor their presence. If youʼre alone, enjoy the gift of being with yourself.

Please be kind to yourself and be here, in this moment with all your presence and all your heart.

-Donna H. Kirschner, PhD.

Thank you to Donna for your post, and thank you for visiting. Be well!

-Andy

Philadelphia Eagles Training Camp will be creeping up on us soon….

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B.T.T.o.D: Take no shortcuts- warm up and stretch before exercise!

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

With your hectic schedule, it can be tempting to jump right into exercise rather than taking a few minutes to warm up and stretch before working out. Beginning a workout cold puts you at greater risk for injury- particularly if you are someone who exercises in the morning- the time of day you are most likely to sprain or strain your back.

Prehydrate before exercise, and continue to hydrate throughout your workout. Before you start, take a brief, brisk walk (10-15 minutes) then take a moment to stretch each of your large muscle groups. This will significantly reduce the likelihood of injuring your back or neck.

Be well,

Andy

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The One Thing: Bob Campbell, Physical Therapist

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

bobcampbellonething

Today, Bob Campbell, Physical Therapist from Rasansky Physical Therapy shares his ‘one thing.’ His clip is based on the observation (shared by many practitioners) that lots of patients will give up on their home exercises once their pain resolves. Remember- most back & neck pain is the result of lots of cumulative effects- and that some of these, if not most, are lifestyle issues. If you do not address the lifestyle issues which caused you back pain after you have been treated, your pain is not likely to stay away for long.

Thanks for checking in,

-Andy

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New Study on TENS therapy, Footwear, and some Feedback

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

New Study on TENS therapy

A recent update to guidelines by the American Academy of Neurology based upon a study by the University of Kansas Medical Center suggested that a commonly used treatment modality, TENS, was not effective in the treatment of chronic low back pain.

TENS therapy has been in wide use for over 40 years, and many patients have reported benefit from it. The study implied that there was no clear benefit, but that the clinician should use their judgement to determine if it should be used on a particular patient.

Now, I do not use TENS in my office- however, pretty much all of the physical therapists I refer to do, and the patients I have spoken with frequently see benefit from the treatment. So what are we supposed to make of this study? Well, first of all- pain is a subjective issue. Unfortunately, there is really no way to objectively quantify pain. If a patient is telling me they are getting relief from a treatment that has no down side, I am ok with continuing it. The issue for you is going to be coverage. Up until now, it has been reasonably easy to obtain a TENS unit if you had a complaint of back pain. WIth these new guidelines, it will be harder to get a home unit, and I suspect physical therapist will cease to get paid when they perform it in the office. It will be interesting to see how this pans out.

A Quick Thought on Sneakers

A patient came in last week with complaints of low back pain which occurred when they were jogging. Now, there are lots of potential causes for back pain with exercise activities, but this patient’s pain developed over the course of several weeks without a change in their exercise regimen, and no injury or trauma.

As I went through his history, complaints, and physical exam- I eventually got to the topic of footwear. Was he wearing shoes appropriate to his sport? Yes. How old were his shoes? About 18 months….

Since he was running indoors on a treadmill, his shoes looked pretty much new- so he never thought to replace them.

Current shoe technology can do much to absorb the shock of sports activity- however, like all things, they can eventually wear out. Quality footwear, with good supportive arches, and shock absorption will prevent the impact of exercise from being transmitted up through your body and into your spine. If you work out regularly, it is probably a good idea to replace your sneaker every 6 months or so.

Feedback on Donna’s Piece Last Week

Thank you so much for your very kind thoughts on my wife Donna’s contribution last week- I forwarded all of your comments to her. She is already working on her next contribution. I cannot wait so see what she posts!

We are getting ready for more snow here in Philadelphia. Stay warm, and as always, be well.

-Andy

Philadelphia Flower Show- Every February, reminding us that the winter will end, eventually...

Philadelphia Flower Show- Every February, reminding us that the winter will end, eventually…

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Posted in Ergonomics, General Health Information, Low Back Pain, Sciatica, Tips, Uncategorized | No Comments »