The concept of physical fitness and what it means can be different from one person to the next. Experts have a clear definition of what it means to be fit, and most people understand some of these elements.

True physical fitness, however, involves several parts of a successful plan. Whether you’re getting ready to start a new fitness plan or you’ve been working on one for quite some time, here are elements of a successful fitness plan that everyone should incorporate into their lives.

1. Cardiovascular fitness: This element is extremely important to any fitness plan. It involves the health and stamina of the heart and nervous system, as well as the circulation that goes through the human body. Aerobic exercise is an excellent way to ensure cardiovascular fitness, but brisk walking and other similar habits can also help. This element determines how well oxygen is delivered to the brain and lungs, and ensures the body gets what it needs.

2. Muscle strength: The muscles are an integral element of fitness. Muscle not only burns fat, but it helps us to perform daily tasks and exercise more efficiently. Weight lifting is the best way to gain more muscle, and free weights are a great way to start out.

3. Endurance: Not only is muscular strength important, but muscular endurance is important for overall fitness as well. How long your muscles can withstand resistance and weights is essential to good health. It helps to gauge how strong the muscles are. A good test is to see how long someone can hold a certain amount of weight, and then increase the weight in order to determine endurance levels. Biking and step machine exercises are also good ways to improve muscle endurance.

4. Flexibility: The term flexibility refers to how well the joints work, and how well the body is able to move in a wide range of motion. Often, gymnasts and swimmers are very flexible, but anyone can improve their flexibility with a few simple things such as stretching and yoga. This is an important part of fitness because it allows the body to keep a strong core, and prevent back pain or injury.

5. Body composition: Your body composition is basically how much fat versus muscle you have. This is often determined by figuring out someone’s BMI or Body Mass Index number. The less fat and more muscle you have overall, the more fit you are. Remember that men tend to carry less fat than women, so getting trim and toned may take some more time if you are female. A combination of strength training and good aerobic exercise can improve your overall body composition, ensuring your overall fitness levels.

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Tags: back pain

A new study by The George Institute for International Health has found Tai Chi to have positive health benefits for musculoskeletal pain. The results of the first comprehensive analysis of Tai Chi suggest that it produces positive effects for improving pain and disability among arthritis sufferers.

The researchers are now embarking on a new trial to establish if similar benefits can be seen among people with chronic low back pain.

“This is the first robust evidence to support the beneficial effects of Tai Chi. Our study proves that Tai Chi relieves pain and disability among people with arthritis and shows a positive trend towards effects for overall physical health. We now want to see if these benefits are the same for people suffering from low back pain”, said author Dr Chris Maher at The George Institute. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Amanda Hall, arthritis, Australia, Author, back pain, China, Chris Maher, exercise therapy, George Institute, George Institute for International Health, low back pain, north America, pain, Tai Chi

Many people looking for core strength neglect lower back exercise while focusing on the abs. This is a huge mistake as the muscles of the back are vital for core strength. If you are undertaking any kind of workout program or even for normal day to day life, the back must be strong to avoid back injuries.

The first thing to say when we consider lower back exercises is that especially if you have current back pain or a recent injury or medical condition you should consult with your doctor or physiotherapist before undertaking any exercise program. While gentle stretching and controlled movement is generally good for healing back injuries, intensive exercise is usually better postponed until your pain is gone. Also, there are many causes of back pain and some require more rest than others.

Assuming you are fit and well, there are a number of exercises that can be undertaken to improve your lower back strength. Some of the best of these are included in the series of stretches and poses known as yoga.

Many of the forms and postures in yoga training are perfect for improving the flexibility and strength of the back. There are many different muscles in the back and if any of them are neglected, as they often are if we do not perform regular stretching exercises in all directions, they become tight. This can lead to distortion of the spine (causing back pain) or injuries when these neglected muscles are suddenly called into action.

If you do not want to join a yoga class, you can perform these same exercises at home. Find a yoga DVD that includes the poses that you need. If you are looking online, searching for the Indian names of the stretches or poses (called asanas in yoga) makes them easy to find. Look for the following stretches or postures:

- pelvic tilt (not strictly a yoga pose but you will find it on many yoga sites)

- knee to chest (pawanmuktasan)

- supine twist (supta matsyendrasana) or half spinal twist (ardha matsyendrasana)

- cat (marjariasana)

- cobra (bhujangasana)

- downward facing dog (adho mukha svanasana)

It is important to do them all because they have different and complementary actions on the spine. In other words, they balance each other out.

Move into each position slowly and be sure to follow all of the instructions, noticing especially the correct position of your head. You can hold each position for 2-3 minutes. You will probably find that you can comfortably increase the stretch once or twice while you hold, as your muscles become accustomed to the pose.

Do not expect to be able to do the pose to the full extent demonstrated by the teacher. This is especially true if you are more muscular than the teacher or others in the class. A muscular body will be less flexible. There are also differences between the sexes in how far they can stretch in certain poses. That is natural and nothing to be concerned about. Yoga is not a competition, it is just about increasing your own flexibility within the range that you have.

Keep in mind that yoga exercises should never stress the muscles or the spine. Do not try to stretch to your limits. You should be able to breathe freely without constriction at all times during your lower back exercise program.

Tags: back injuries, back pain, pain, physiotherapist, teacher

Hamstring exercise is important for the development of the calves and also, of course, to avoid the well known injury known as becoming hamstrung. This is a strained or pulled hamstring, a painful injury which can put you out of action as an athlete or halt your workout problem at any moment if you allow the hamstrings to become weak.

The hamstring is a tendon running down the back of the thigh from the buttock to the knee. Injuries to the hamstring usually result from overdeveloping the quad muscles, which can then pull a weak hamstring out of line. You will not normally injure the hamstring by working the hamstring itself, although in extreme cases it might be possible to over stretch a weak hamstring. All athletes must be sure to strengthen the hamstrings to avoid injury.

Stretching the hamstrings can also be important in preventing or reducing lower back pain. This may not sound logical but it happens because tight hamstrings will pull the back of the pelvis down, which in turn pulls the spine out of its normal curved alignment. This is more likely to apply to people who sit a lot than to people who are active, but if you have a job where you sit down most of the day then it is especially important to include hamstring stretches in your workout to avoid back problems. Consult with a doctor before starting any exercise program.

The best time to do hamstring exercises and stretches is after the body is warmed up, when there is plenty of blood coursing through the muscles.

Hamstring Stretch

Lie on your back and raise one leg in the air with the thigh at right angles to the floor, knee bent. The other leg is bent with the foot flat on the floor. Straighten the raised leg as much as you can.

In a flexible person with a fully stretched hamstring the leg will be straight and the foot at right angles to it, sole of the foot facing the ceiling. But depending on your muscularity this may never be possible, and it is usually easier for women than for men. Don’t worry if it is not possible for you, just go to where you feel a good stretch in the hamstring. You can support the thigh with hands or a towel.

Stretch slowly with full awareness on the hamstring, and hold each stretch for 10-20 seconds. 5 reps each side is enough.

Hamstring Strengthening

The exercise most commonly used for strengthening the hamstring in isolation is the leg curl. The first two types of leg curl require a machine. Most gyms will have one machine or the other.

1. Standing Leg Curl

Face the machine with the padded roller behind you to one side. Curl the leg up backwards, lifting the padded roller with your heel. Repeat, then switch to the other side.

2. Lying Leg Curl

Lying on your stomach on the bench, you curl both legs up backwards, lifting the padded roller with your heels.

3. Standing Free Leg Curl

This exercise is suitable for people who are out of condition, seniors etc with weak musculature but there is no resistance so it will not strengthen the hamstrings enough for an athlete.

Stand with your hands supported on a tall straight backed chair or high counter. The back must not be bent. Keeping the knees in line, raise one foot off the floor, bringing the foot up and back toward the thigh. Hold for a count of 5. Repeat 5 times then change legs.

4. Deadlift

Lift barbell from the floor to thigh height (arms extended down). Start with bent knees and keep a neutral spine. Lower it back down slowly, again bending the knees. Done this way, most of the lifting is felt in the legs, giving hamstring exercise and strengthening at the same time as developing the quad muscles.

Tags: athlete, back pain, tall straight backed chair

Although it may seem counterintuitive, people experiencing back pain should do exercises with their doctor’s permission. Some types of back pain, especially pain associated with sitting for long stretches, comes from not working out the back muscles enough. As long as there are no injuries, doing basic abdominal exercises is fine.

Yoga is a form of exercise that improves flexibility and balance through stretching and maintaining poses. Yoga also requires some strength, which is where it can help people with back pain. The poses that serve as an abdominal workout for yoga are poses that require the back to arch outward. These poses can be done standing or lying flat. You simply arch your back outward so that your hands are reaching toward the back of your legs. Holding this pose for up to a minute will strengthen the back muscles and also help the abs.

Other exercises that help with abdominal muscles and back pain are leg lifts. This exercise, often used in traditional aerobics classes, has no impact but allows you to work your back. Begin by lying on the floor on your side. Put your arm out straight down the length of your torso toward your feet. Lift the top foot until your legs form as close to a 30-degree angle as you can get. Try to hold your leg in this position for a few seconds and then lower. Do several sets of these leg lifts before switching sides. The leg lift should stretch the muscles of the back, helping to relieve pain, while also working on the oblique muscles. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: back pain, muscles pain, pain

Pain is a feeling that all of us would want to avoid, but often end up experiencing. Be it in the form of a headache, period pain, muscle ache or joint inflammation, an ache never leaves our side for too long a time.

The method that most of us follow to get rid of a pain is to pop an over-the-counter (OTC) painkiller into our mouth. While OTC medicines are effective in treating pain, they are also associated with a number of side effects, especially if used regularly or on a long-term basis.

Though many of us are unaware of this fact, there are a number of natural pain killers that can help relieve aches, without presenting the danger of side effects. In the following lines, we have listed some of the most effective natural remedies for pain, including the herbal ones.

Natural Pain Killers

Boswellia
Boswellia is the name of an Indian herb that has been found to be effective in treating the pain occurring from rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Boswellic acids, the active constituents in boswellia, are responsible for bringing relief from the ache. This particular herb is available in the form of supplements as well as topically-applied creams. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: ache, aches, arthritis, back pain, chemicals, Crohn's disease, Dietary Supplement, Environmental Protection Agency, fibromyalgia, fish oil, gastritis, gout, headache, headaches, inflammation, inflammatory chemicals, lower back pain, migraine, migraine headaches, muscle cramps, muscle injuries, natural remedies, oil, pain, pains, peptic ulcers, rheumatoid arthritis, sinusitis, South Africa

Position: A supine position on the board with the head toward the upper end. The upper end of the board or the strap is held in the hands to keep the body in position. The knees are bent up toward the chest until the low back is flat against the board and the heels are 8 to 12 inches above the board.

Action: From this position, keeping the legs relaxed, the knees are brought strongly toward the chest so that the hips are raised as high as possible off the board. The hips are then lowered back to the board until the low back is flat again upon it.

When this point is reached, the knees are brought again up toward the chest and the hips raised as before. Most of the effort of the motion should be made with the abdominal muscles with the pull of the arms used as little as possible. When the low back is returned to the board, the legs must not be permitted to sag down toward the board, otherwise the hip flexor muscles will assist in the motion and destroy some of its effectiveness for the lower waist.

Breathing: Exhale as the knees are brought up toward the chest and inhale as the hips are lowered back to the board. This will seem quite opposite to the natural inclination, but when the abdomen is compressed as in this motion, the air should be expelled.
Starting Resistance: In this movement, the weight of the legs will supply the necessary resistance.

Progression: Begin the motion with 5 counts, adding 1 count each week until 20 or more have been performed. There is no fault with doing more than 20 counts, even working up to 50 counts, if the effort is not too great.

Goal: All should work up to at least 20 counts in this motion.

Results: This exercise is a specific motion to strengthen the lower part of the abdominal wall. It will aid greatly in developing or restoring good support in the lower abdomen.

Comments: This motion is more difficult than it appears to be. In the beginning a very strong pull with the arms may be required to get the hips off the board. As strength is built in the abdominal muscles, less effort is required of the arms. During the exercise constant attention will be required to prevent the legs returning closer to the board when the low back returns to the board. This is a relatively advanced exercise and one of the best for the lower waist.

Good abdominal tone is necessary to support the viscera and pelvic organs properly, relieve blood congestion and promote better return circulation to the heart. In addition, the contraction and extension of the abdominal muscles aid very materially in the peristalsis of the large colon. With regular exercise the use of any cathartic, however mild, is unnecessary.

The strength and tone of these muscles are strong factors in maintaining a correct curve in the lumbar spine, so that the curve is not accentuated causing low back pain and discomfort.

Lack of abdominal tone and support of the viscera causes pressure on the pelvic organs. This pressure interferes with the flow of blood in the iliac veins and arteries in the pelvis. This condition is at the very least, a strong contributor to the condition of varicose veins in the legs. An improvement in muscle tone and body mechanics has a most favorable effect on the symptoms of varicose veins.

Tags: back pain, muscles aid, varicose veins

Position: A standing position with the feet a comfortable distance apart, the knees locked and the barbell held in front of the legs with the elbows straight.

Action: Keeping both knees and elbows straight, the trunk is bent forward as far as is comfortable, then the erect position is regained.

Breathing: Exhale as the body is bent forward and inhale as the erect position is regained.

Starting Resistance: Most women will find a starting resistance of 25 lbs. quite comfortable and most men 40 lbs.

Goal: Girls and women should work up to a resistance of 50 lbs. Boys and men should work up to a resistance of 100 lbs. or more.

Results: This movement will develop and strengthen the large muscles of the lower back and will also strengthen those of the hips and back of the thighs. It is very necessary that these muscles be well developed and strong. They protect the spine and sacro-iliac joints from injury and their strength gives a margin of safety against low back pain and discomfort.

Comments: As the back is bent forward, the muscles in the back and the back of the legs are stretched extensively.

Because of differences in anatomical construction and flexibility, some children and adults will be able to bend forward and touch the floor easily, while others will not be able to bend much more than half the way down. The exerciser should not bend any further forward than is comfortable, but with practice the back will become more flexible and very strong.

In the fully stretched position with the knees locked and the hands close to the floor, much pressure is placed upon the inner borders of the intervertebral discs. The untrained individual invites low back trouble by lifting heavy objects in this position. The proper position to use in lifting heavy objects from the floor is to make the effort with the knees bent and the back relatively flat so that much of the effort is taken by the legs and the back is kept in relatively good position.

In advanced training of athletes who need great strength in the lower back, this movement is used through a short range of movement with very heavy resistance. The movement is started from a standing position and the bar is lowered to about the height of the knees.

During the motion the lower back is kept flat and fixed (never permitted to “round”) and the motion is made almost entirely from the hips. In this position the lumbar spine is kept in a strong position with little pressure on the front borders of the vertebrae. The bar is usually lowered to a predetermined height regulated by some support set at that position for the bar or weights to touch.

Tags: back pain

Well Summer is here, or at least close to being here and the summer driving season has started in earnest by now. I have always loved how people in North America that are satisfied at being strangers in their own city will start up conversations with strangers at a campground so easily when on vacation.

Anyway, one of the real challenges for most people is the lack of exercise on a car trip. You pack up the car on Friday night, drive to the next hotel or campground and don’t move until you are there. Then you get out of the car and are stiff. There are a few ways to avoid this and I hope you take advantage of them. I found and edited a bit this article by Mike Strawbridge on car exercises that you can do while on the road.

Exercises to do while driving

Tummy toner – Sit up straight in the seat in a normal driving position. Breathe in deeply into your lower abdomen. Now instead of exhaling, push the air up to your chest, filling your upper lungs. Now slowly exhale. You will feel your posture improve and get a big rush of energy by doing this exercise. Don’t be surprised if you have to readjust your mirrors due to a higher seating position. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: back pain, car facing, car trip, driving exercise, energy, gas pump, heel spurs, Janice, lean forward, Massage, Mike Strawbridge, nasty road trip food, north America, owner of Straw Solutions performance improvement consulting, pain, physician, plantar fasciitis, travel tips

When doing any kind of exercise and even at times when you are not doing any exercise you will notice your core of your body. Your core is the muscles right around your torso, that is the muscles of your abdominals right around your lower back and everything in between.The muscles of the core of your body give you the ability to stand upright, to bend over, to pick things up, to lean and also for you to turn around. Think of all the times during the day that you use these core muscles and you will realize that this is indeed a very important part of your muscle to keep strong.

Low back pain is very common. It affects 4 of 5 people at some time during their lives. It is the leading cause of disability for those aged 19 to 45 and is the second most common cause of missed work days (after the common cold) for adults younger than 45. Low back pain becomes more common as people age.

On the flip side of a strong core is a weak set of core muscles. If you have any back problems you may be dealing with weak core muscles (I am a little sensitive to this as my wife has a bad back and a stronger core has not helped) and strengthening these core muscles will give you less pain and a lot more agility. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: abdominal exercises, abdominal muscles, back pain, body forward, common cold, leg lifts, oblique muscles, obliques, pain, pelvic tilt, situps, torso, Windsor