Category Archives: Exercise Injuries

Apr 13 2012

5 Tips to Lose Weight without Low Back Injuries

What good does it do you to wreck your body trying to lose weight? I see many people with low back injuries that could be avoided.

You can lessen your risk of low back pain or injury with proper training and good posture. Bad movement patterns over a long period can cause some serious low back pain. In some cases, you may need to consult your doctor.

Low back pain is a major problem for the American population. As many as 75%-80% of adults have experienced significant low back pain. Lack of core stability and strength is the major cause of low back pain.

According to research, here are the Top 5 Causes of Low Back Pain:

1. People with chronic low back pain have inadequate firing of the transversus abdominis, internal oblique, multifidus and deep erector spinae.

2. Training the abdominal area without proper pelvic stabilization increases intradiscal pressure and compressive forces in the lumbar spine.

3. Core training done without proper recruitment of the tranversus abdominis, multifidus and other stabilizers will lead to the development of muscle imbalances and inefficient neuromuscular control of the kinetic chain (human movement system). Brace before doing core exercises (like you’re getting ready to take a punch to the gut).

It is also important to brace before doing exercises like squats and shoulder presses. These two exercises work the core muscles big-time (many times better than other traditional core exercises).

4. People with chronic low back pain have inadequate stabilization endurance. When training the core, the stabilizer muscles (which are primarily slow twitch muscle fibers) are best trained with the “time under tension” method. This method of contraction lasts for 6-20 seconds. This method also improves static and dynamic stabilization.

5. Maintaining the cervical spine in a neutral position during core training improves posture, muscle balance and stabilization. If the head protrudes (forward head) during training, the sternocleidomastoid (anterior neck muscle) is recruited.

This can lead to pelvic instability and anterior rotation of the pelvis. When this happens, the eyes re-align and are not level. This will negatively impact your exercise performance.

Strengthen your core with exercises like planks, side planks, bridges, cobras and back extensions.

Do bodyweight back extensions to protect your spine and build low back muscles.

Back extensions target the erector spinae muscle group surrounding the spine. Your hamstrings also contract strongly during the back extension exercise and assist the erector spinae.

It is important to perform this exercise correctly or you will end up with the very thing you are trying to avoid—-BACK PAIN OR INJURY. The technique error I see most in those doing back extensions is hyperextension of the back. Hyperextension happens when you continue lifting your upper body past the point of a straight line (your back, hips and lower legs should line up).

The pictures above (on the ball and on equipment) shows correct technique. Hyperextension will compress your vertebral discs.

If you already have a specific back injury you are suffering from and are looking for relief, visit the Healthy Back Institute. Since 2001, their team of pain relief experts has helped over 240,000 people in 100 countries from around the world find lasting relief from their pain.

They have given away over one million copies of the new book, The 7-Day Back Pain Cure, by Healthy Back Institute co-founder Jesse Cannone. Get a Free Copy of The 7-Day Back Pain Cure now!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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Mar 4 2012

10 Warning Signs of Female Over-Training

Females have significant medical risks from over-training (especially athletes).  According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal  and Skin Diseases (NIAMSD), some female athletes see amenorrhea (the absence of menstrual periods) as a sign of successful training.   Missing your periods can be a sign of decreased estrogen levels which can lead to osteoporosis.

Females who over-train to the point that their periods stop can develop brittle bones and have bone fractures at an early age.  According to NIAMSD, some 20-year-old female athletes have been said to have the bones of an 80-year-old woman!  

The Institute goes on to report  that even if bones don’t break when you’re young, low estrogen levels during the peak years of bone-building, the preteen and teen years, can affect bone density for the rest of your life.   And studies show that bone growth lost during these years may never be regained.

Broken bones and fractures due to osteoporosis can have lasting postural problems such as “stooped postures.”  These “stooped postures” are not a natural cause of aging—spines can be permanently damaged! 

Girls and women who regularly over-train or use severe calorie restriction to lose weight are also at risk for many health problems such as bone loss, bulimia or anorexia.   If you are “too thin” as an exercising female, you need to take precaution and take care of yourself! 

If you workout every day, that would be over-training!  You need at least one day of rest from exercise every week.  And, some weeks, you may need two days of rest.  Listen to your body! 

And, you don’t need long, two-hour workouts. A strength workout of 30 minutes will do the job:

Here’s a good workout that takes just 30 minutes:

1. Plank, 10 repetitions, 5 second hold

2. Prisoner Squats, 15 repetitions, moderate pace

3. Pushups, 12 repetitions, moderate pace

4. Bentover Dumbbell Rows, 12 repetitions, moderate pace

5. Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press, 10 repetitions, moderate pace

6. Tricep Dips on Bars or dips with hands and feet off the floor on benches, 10 repetitions, moderate pace

7. Squat Jumps, 10 repetitions, fast

Repeat circuit 3 times. Try not to rest between exercises. Rest 2-3 minutes between circuits.

The same can be said for cardio workouts. You can tone your body and improve your heart health with 20-minute interval cardio sessions, 2-3 times a week. There is no need for 1-hour, boring cardio sessions that wastes away your precious muscle mass.

According to NIAMSD, females should look for these 10 warning signs when it comes to exercise and over-training:

1. Missed or irregular menstrual periods.

2. Extreme or “unhealthy-looking” thinness.

3. Extreme or rapid weight loss.

4. Behaviors that reflect frequent dieting, such as eating very little, not eating in front of others, trips to the bathroom following meals, preoccupation with thinness or weight, focus on low-calorie and diet foods, possible increase in the consumption of water and other no- and low-calorie foods and beverages, possible increase in gum chewing, limiting diet to one food group, or eliminating a food group.

5. Frequent intense bouts of exercise (e.g., taking an aerobics class, then running 5 miles, then swimming for an hour, followed by weight-lifting).

6. An “I can’t miss a day of exercise/practice” attitude.

7. An overly anxious preoccupation with an injury.

8. Exercising despite illness, inclement weather, injury, and other conditions that might lead someone else to take the day off.

9. An unusual amount of self-criticism or self-dissatisfaction.

10. Indications of significant psychological or physical stress, including: depression, anxiety or nervousness, inability to concentrate, low levels of self-esteem, feeling cold all the time, problems sleeping, fatigue, injuries, and constantly talking about weight.

My saying is always this:  Don’t wreck your body in the quest for fitness!

Be sure and download my FREE 14-Day Accelerated Fat Loss Program and get started changing your body the right way!

“Exercise is not my life…..exercise makes my life better!”

Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women!

Check out my other great blogs:

My Fitness Hut Blog  has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as a Top Health Blogger!  Quite an honor coming from that institution!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes!   The blog has also been named one of the 50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare!  It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody—including athletes!

Jul 23 2011

Women’s Flexibility and Stretching

You should do flexibility and stretching exercises every day to help your body feel and perform better. Flexibility is the normal extensibility (capable of being elongated or stretched) of all soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, tendons) that allow the full range of motion of a joint.

Flexibility training integrates various stretches in all three planes of motion to produce maximum extensibility of tissues. You may have to undergo some corrective flexibility training based on your postural assessment or based on previous injuries incurred.

Here are 3 ways you can improve your flexibility:

1. Static Stretches – These stretches are performed without movement. The individual gets into and holds the stretched position for 20-30 seconds. The different types of static stretches are:

a. Passive
b. Active
c. Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation(PNF)
d. Isometric

Static stretches should generally be done after your workout to return your muscles to their normal length. They are also useful if you are in rehabilitation from an injury.

2. Dynamic Stretching – An effective dynamic warmup is a MUST before your workout or game. A dynamic warmup will prepare your body best for practice or games.

Do static stretches after your workout (when muscles are warm) to increase your range of motion.

Accomplish the following during your dynamic warmup:

a. Make sure your “power center” is flexible. Your “power center” consists of the glutes, hips, quadriceps and hamstrings. This area of your body is prone to some hard-to-recover-from injuries!

b. Your hip flexors need to flexible. Tight hip flexors cause many problems, including problems with your glutes and hamstrings.

c. When you warmup, practice relaxing your face, shoulders, arms and torso. You will perform better when you are relaxed and you want your body to work like a “well oiled machine.”

Some good dynamic warmup exercises are back pedals, lunges, step ups, cariocas, form running, medicine ball exercises, shuffles and jump rope.

3. Massages – Massages will help your body perform better.

a. Sports massages are a must for women who exercise regularly. Typically, lifting weights, training with medicine balls, increasing speed, etc. are thought of immediately as ways to improve performance.

Sports massage is also an important tool that you can use to help you perform better while exercising. It can be used before, during and after workouts. Stress, tension and adhesions build up in your soft tissues (muscles, skin, tendons, etc.) during intense exercise and overuse.

The benefits of sports massage include improved flexibility, tension release, relieving of swelling, alleviation of fatigue and prevention of injuries.

b. Self Myofascial Release (SMFR) is like getting a massage (self massage). The foam roller is one of the most effective techniques for releasing tension while improving mobility.

Foam rolling exercises will release and organize your muscles, as well as release and align your skeletal system. Muscle injuries such as strains and tears and broken bones can be avoided with proper flexibility and skeletal alignment.

Keep your body flexible all year to perform better during workouts and avoid injuries.

Download your Free Stretching Tips ebook now!

“Exercise is not my life…..exercise makes my life better!”

Check out my other great blogs:

My Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as a Top Health Blogger! Quite an honor coming from that institution!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody—including athletes!