Exercise and Back Pain

You can exercise even when your back is sore. The reason is that it is important to keep using your muscles and keep your joints moving.

Walking, exercise bikes and swimming all help you make a start without putting too much stress on your back. They make your heart and lungs work and are a start to increased physical fitness.

However, be aware that certain exercises can put an excessive strain on your back and should be avoided especially if your back is weak. Avoid bending over to stretch the hamstrings, any kind of leg lift and flexion or rotation exercises.

Most back pains are avoidable and the first step is becoming physically fit. One of the best methods is to walk at a moderate brisk pace for 20 minutes at least three times a week. You should be slightly breathless after this walk. This raises the heart rate and works the lungs, getting the muscles, joints and ligaments moving. Swimming and cycling are also good forms of exercise. Swimming exercises the body while the water buoyancy takes the body weight, reducing any stress or strain on the joints of the body.

Danie de Villiers

How to Have Quality Family Time Together

For centuries, the family unit was one of the strongest pillars of society. Today, with its hectic pace of change and development, it still remains one of the strongest pillars of society although under severe pressure – fortunately the motto ‘unity is strength’ still prevails.

Families are aware of the fact that with the modern day’s influences on the family unity – the electronic media, the world wide web, peer pressure, pressure to preform, etc., - they have to stand together to survive. But it is not only about surviving, it is also the fact that to bond is beneficial and there are also pleasures to be gained from time and activities spend together. They also realize that they have contributions to make to the family and its members and have an obligation to do so. In the cutthroat life of the 21^st century, the motto ‘survival of the fittest’ is as true as ever could be. No wonder that families value the family bond and make efforts to preserve time together for family activities, interaction and exercise. Those families which value unity will, from time-to-time, evaluate the time and energy allocated to the family, and when necessary, makes needed adjustments. They realise that time spend together must be of top quality and above all it must be fun to keep the interest alive.

Holding regular family nights are still high on the agenda to build unity in the family, but it has been taken a notch or two further – why not ‘a family work-out session?’ Especially when you have a young family, and you don't currently have family workouts, then starting such a venture might be a little easier than most people think. Young children usually don't have a problem with working-out with Mom or Dad. They have lots of reserved energy that needs to be channelled in the correct manner. If the children are mostly in their teens, there may be a little more resistance, but if the parents are determined to make this work, the family will overcome any reservations and enjoy it. It is just a matter of motivation, convincing and conviction.

There is a definite shift from only traditional social time together to social time together that will also have an impact on the general health, fitness and well-being of all family members. It is important that any family exercise should not be competitive. Fun should be the watchword here. There are different ages involved and not all of them will be on equal footing regarding strength and even fitness. The main purpose should be to have quality family time combined with an endeavour to get fit. Depending on the size of the family as well as the type of exercise activity, it can be a costly affair but there are always cheaper options and ways to curb expenditure.

Here are some random ideas on family exercise options:

Running

Running has undisputed health benefits and is generally accepted as one of the best ways of getting fit and healthy – and also very cheap. The result is that just about every city has a running population that is growing. Runners include a large cross-section of the population: politicians, business people, pensioners, housewives, career women and families. Running is seen by many simply as the shortest route to fitness and health - a sport that is inexpensive and easily accessible.

Joining Trim Parks

The first trim park was built near Zurich, Switzerland, in 1968, following a fitness program used by Swiss foresters. Trim parks are well-designed with a sequence of exercises carefully designed to take the family through varying degrees of physical stress which will invigorate and tone up the whole body. There they can cycle, walk or preferably run between the exercise stations. Exercise trails are carefully planned to enhance all the components of physical fitness: cardio-respiratory capacity, strength, endurance, balance, agility and coordination. To visit trim parks are cheap and as with running, the only expense for the family will be running shoes. If there is no trim park in the vicinity the family can improvise and build their own one in their backyard.

Bicycling

Bicycling is a particularly useful vehicle for quick trips to the shops, family outings or camping. Once mastered, bicycling is a skill never forgotten. Bicycling is also used to keep in shape for other sports. If cycling is to be a part of the family’s fitness program, set goals like distance, speed, longer or steeper gradients. Bicycles as well as all the necessary safety equipment can be a costly affair.

Hiking

 Exploring diverse wilderness trails and mountain ranges is a highly effective form of aerobic exercise for the entire family, combined with a holiday. Hiking improves all-round fitness and stamina. And, there is an added bonus – it offers the family the opportunity to appreciate beautiful places throughout the country. 

Do not hike long distances if the family is unfit, and avoid overloading with unnecessary food and equipment. Study maps of the route you intend to follow and let someone know when you are likely to return. Check weather reports and provide for emergencies by including a small first aid kit. Ask experienced hikers for advice- they will have learned the hard way. This can also be a costly venture but when combined with the family’s holiday or weekend breakaways, things look less gloomy.

Swimming

Swimming is very popular and the reason is that it is a comparatively painless form of exercise. Furthermore, swimming exercise can be combined with a family fun outing at the local pool or even their own pool in the backyard. On a hot day, the water dissipates body heat; in the winter, heated indoor pools are a comforting alternative to outdoor activity. Swimming is a particularly good exercise for those who are otherwise restricted in movement because of age, disease or injury. 

Court sports

Should the family be bored by solitary fitness activities such as jogging and swimming, they might find excitement, variety and challenge in sporting activities based on courts – tennis, badminton, volleyball, etc.  The reward here is the exhilaration of competition, but, be careful not to be too competitive. Keep the fun part in mind. Court sports can also be very expensive.

Then there are also the more informal, casual activities:

• Once a week have games in the backyard like hopscotch, rope jumping, swing ball and even hide-and-seek.
• Miniature golf is also very relaxing and fun and is a family activity by far. 
• What about a dance night instead of the usual movie night. Dancing is a very active and social type of activity.
• Then, what about going to the mall together as a family and count how many laps the family can do in a mall. It can be fun if each one of the family can have a pedometer to measure the distance the family is doing. Afterwards, have fun with a healthy Smoothie or two.

These are only a few brain-storming ideas but the best would be for the family to decide as a team what type of exercise activity they are going to take up. And, the beauty of it is that every month or so, they change to something else.

Get the family involved in physical activities will do them only good – they will realize that to be active is fun, healthy and that it builds family unity. By spending enjoyable and positive time together, they will build up a reserve of good feelings towards each other. When dark clouds gather they will be geared, to share it with each other and resolve it as a team.

By Daniel de Villiers: Freelance Writer

Getting Quick Energy

The combination of food eating habits, regular exercise, and self-motivation is the best way to generate quick energy whenever you need it.  

There are moments when all of us feel the need for energy. Unfortunately, there are no magic potions available though there are some high-energy foods (like chocolates of crisps) and stimulants (like tea or coffee) that can give you a temporary lift. But getting quick energy depends on maintaining how to summon up the energy stored inside it. 

Good Eating habits 

Though most of us eat more than enough for our energy needs, we do not always eat in the most efficient way for generating energy. Irregular of unbalanced eating patterns make it hard to tap our energy resources when we need them. 

You should therefore try to eat three meals daily of roughly equal energy value, avoiding hard-to digest, rich, stodgy or fried foods. Some people prefer a bigger breakfast, others eat four or five small meals, with their content healthy and nutritious; you should be constantly supplied with energy. 

If your energy does flag, make yourself a high-protein drink from tomato juice, fruit juice or buttermilk by adding wheat germ or Brewer’s yeast, both high in energy-giving vitamin B. Natural yoghurt and non-fat dried milk are also good energy boosters, either on their own or mixed with fresh fruit, juices, and wheat germ or Brewer’s yeast.

 

Regular Physical Exercise

 Keeping your body in peak physical condition makes energy self-generating. A good keep-fit routine in the morning –even if it means 10 minutes of simple exercise like touching your toes and running on the spot – will limber you up and get your circulation going.

In the evening, after work, you should try harder exercises such as jogging of swimming. Doing these on a regular basis will bring your body into better condition and increase your ability to generate quick energy.  

If, during the day, your energy level falls, you can make it rise again in a number of ways, take a brisk walk or do some keep fit exercises during your lunch hour. 

Self-motivation

Energy has a psychological as well as physical aspect. If you feel enough motivation to do something, you can generally do it if you summon up the necessary energy.  Therefore, when you have a task that requires a rapid release of energy, or when you feel yourself going limp, take a few moments to think about what must be done. Try to motivate yourself by reflecting on the tasks of importance, or thinking about how good you will feel about achieving your goal. Then get up …..and get on with it!

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Swim your pain away

Swimming, water aerobics and other exercises in warm water are particularly beneficial to people living with arthritis.

Here’s what you should know:

First find out from your doctor if it’s safe for you to exercise in warm water. If she gives the thumbs-up, you can do fairly vigorous exercises in a spa bath, but remember that the temperature should be lower than when you’re doing very gentle movements. When you first enter the spa bath, spend a few minutes allowing your muscles to become accustomed to the warmth. Then start your exercise routine. If you feel uncomfortable or nauseous at any stage, get out of the water immediately.

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