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Body Mending: Weekend Warrior |
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by Mieke Scripps
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Friday, 14 April 2006 |
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No time for exercise? Do you try to get all of your calorie burning in on the weekend – only to discover Monday morning that you can’t stand up straight? Here are some great tips to keep you healthy throughout the week and reduce soreness after your weekend of fitness.
Try to do some activity every day, even if it is just walking or 5 minutes of yoga or pilates. This will increase the blood flow and neurological input to muscles that we just don't use sitting at a computer – and this increased blood flow and neurological input nourishes the muscles and keeps them healthy for future use.
Do a warm up and cool down. DO NOT stretch first thing. Your muscles need to be warm to get the benefit of stretching, so jog in place, do some jumping jacks, and get your heart pumping. This will increase the elasticity and response time of your muscles. Then they will be ready for some stretching.
Remember to stretch at the end of your workout and not just the beginning. And don’t forget -- it should not hurt! One you start to feel a stretch you are at the first barrier to movement; if you keep going, your muscles will reflexively tighten as a protective mechanism, decreasing the effectiveness of the stretch and increasing tightness.
When you exercise harder than you are used to, you induce small injuries to the muscles. So be nice to them! Good nutrition will help restore them. Calcium and potassium are important to decrease muscle cramping, so add an extra banana into you day and don't forget to take your vitamins. Drinking water will also help transport the nutrients you eat to the muscles. So do make sure to increase your water intake after a hard workout, especially if you are also indulging in a few drinks over the weekend!
Finally if you do notice you strain a muscle, make sure you ice it! It is still the best method we have for decreasing the inflammatory process and speeding up heeling. Place some ice in a plastic bag, then put the bag inside a pillow case and place it on the injured area for 20 min.
Most importantly have fun on your weekend fitness kicks and try to figure out how to incorporate some of it into your daily life!
Mieke Scripps MPT, DPT is an orthopedic physical therapist for the Miami City Ballet. She is also founder of Mieke Mends a physical therapy consulting firm. You can reach Mieke by emailing her at
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 25 April 2006 )
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