Month: February 2021

For people who suffer from a skin condition such as athlete’s foot, there is nothing more frustrating than to see the ugly remnants of the infection on the skin not to mention the itchiness and foul odor it brings.

Characterized by itching and burning sensation in the feet, athlete’s foot can also result to skin peeling, cracking, and extreme pain along with bleeding or redness of the foot soles.

Athlete’s foot usually occurs when the feet or other areas of the body stay moist and warm and eventually becomes irritated with fungus. This skin condition can also be acquired when a person has direct contact with the objects or persons infected by the fungus.

 

When Prevention Becomes the Ultimate Solution

Tinea pedis or athlete’s foot is considered as a fungal infection of the skin of the feet. A skin infection in the foot caused by a fungus known as “trichophyton,” athlete’s foot can be a major skin condition if it’s not treated and prevented early. It is best to visit a dermatologist or podiatrist to cure the problem before it gets worse.

If you are advised by the physician to use medication—either topical or oral—make sure that you educate yourself about the proper prevention of athlete’s foot to keep it from being recurrent. These simple rules of good hygiene can keep you away from the persistent fungi that cause athlete’s foot:

 

1. Bear in mind the importance of washing. Washing your feet with soap and water often and drying them properly—especially the toe webs—can eliminate the moist and warm areas where the fungus thrives.
2. Avoid wearing footwear such as shoes, socks, slippers, or foot towels owned by another person. To avoid the spread of infection, do not wear someone else’s footwear especially if the person already suffers from athlete’s foot.
3. Choose shoes that are made from natural materials such as leather. Whenever possible, don’t wear footwear made from synthetic materials such as rubber shoes daily because it suffocates your feet. Wear footwear that allows air circulation.
4. Keep your footwear properly ventilated by exposing it to air for at least a day before using it again.
5. Opt for open-toe shoes or sandals especially during warm or humid weather. Tight footwear is one of the major causes of athlete’s foot so make sure that you allow your feet to breathe.
6. Wear rubber sandals or water shoes when using public showers or locker rooms to avoid being infected with the fungus.
7. Be meticulous about your socks. Make sure that you always wear clean and dry socks. If possible, choose white socks that are made from cotton or acrylic so it can absorb extra moisture from your feet. If you are prone to sweating, make sure that you bring along spare pairs of clean socks so you can change you’re your feet are soaked. Do not wear colored to avoid irritation caused by the dyes.
8. Use your shoes alternately. Whenever possible, avoid wearing the same pair daily especially if you work out in a gym.
9. Use anti-fungal foot products such as powders and sprays to absorb extra sweat in your feet. These can also help eliminate the fungus and bacteria in your feet.
10.  Keep your bathroom and shower floors always clean and disinfected.

Summary:

Hydrating, like diet, is extremely important in fitness and in sport in general. If the body does not get enough calories during physical effort, it can take them from its own ‘deposits’ of adipose tissue, or even from the muscular proteins; but when water is insufficient, things are much more complicated and there are bigger risks for the body.

  

Article Body:

Hydrating, like diet, is extremely important in fitness and in sport in general. If the body does not get enough calories during physical effort, it can take them from its own ‘deposits’ of adipose tissue, or even from the muscular proteins; but when water is insufficient, things are much more complicated and there are bigger risks for the body.

 

Water is involved in all the metabolic processes, so not providing the body with enough liquid can have therefore perturbation of the bio-chemical reactions, which directly influences the effectiveness of the training and even the practitioner’s state of health.

 

Physical effort, especially the aerobic one, leads to dehydration through perspiration (which regulates the temperature of the body, preventing over-heating). There is an extremely strict rule which imposes drinking water (liquid) before, during and after physical effort. Besides regulating the body temperature, correct hydrating helps eliminating the toxic substances resulted during and after the training (urea, sodium, etc.) easier; hydration acts like a ‘means of transport’ through perspiration and urine. Thus, the metabolism of blood sugar, lipids and proteins is developed in good conditions, ensuring contraction force for short time and especially for resistance efforts.

 

There is also the opposite of dehydration – over hydration, due to excessive consume of water. In this situation, besides the inconvenient of very frequent urination, the blood vessels are overloaded, and this leads to making the work of the heart, which must provide a much too big volume of pumping, more difficult. Therefore, the effectiveness of the training is hindered, and the sport performance does not get to the expected level. The sensation of ‘heavy body’ can also appear for the practitioner of common fitness.

 

As for the type of liquids, the sportsman must supervise the level of effort which produces dehydration and melting of the glycogen reserves. Besides water, the practitioner can use isotonic drinks, (which have an electrolytic composition like the one of the bodies) or liquids containing sugar easy and quick to absorb by the body (fructose, glucose, dextrose, etc.). All of these can contribute to fast restore of the glycogen reserves of the body. It is advisable to drink the liquids in small and frequent doses, so that the body assimilates them better and they do not briskly overload the body during effort.

 

Both in over hydrating and in dehydrating, there is the risk of ‘putting to work’ too much the renal excretory function. Over hydrating can have therefore significant elimination of electrolytes, which are precious for the body (potassium, sodium, iron, zinc, etc.), and they need to be replaced from sources as natural as possible (fruit, vegetables, mineral water, etc.). In case of dehydrating, the volume of urine will be severely diminished because the body will try to retain mineral salts and vitamins. Besides unwanted deposits, renal lithiasis, gout, etc., a very severe consequence of this effort of the body to retain liquid is renal blocking.

 

Correct hydrating involves a certain discipline, which means that liquids must be consumed repeatedly during the day, not only during physical effort. A person must not get to feel thirst. This is only an extremely late alarm, signaling that the right quantity of water has been missing from the body for a couple of hours. Except while eating and immediately after, in order not to perturb digestion by excessive diluting, a real prophylaxis of dehydrating and over hydrating can be made through correct, constant, and preventive consume of liquids.

 

When you talk about sports fitness, what comes first in your mind? It is, basically, the different sports activities, right? This is because sports fitness has always been referred to as the sports itself.

 

Generally, sports entail physical activities that are usually carried out for some “recreational” functions such as self-satisfaction, entertainment, competition, etc. It uses physical activity that is why most fitness experts regard sports as one way of staying fit and healthy. It can also be considered as one way of physical fitness; the only difference is that sports fitness is more inclined to the development of skill or ability.

 

However, like physical fitness, sports fitness is also capable of toning down the body fats of a person. Because of its rigid and strict health program, a sports enthusiast can maintain a well-balanced lifestyle in order to cope up with the strenuous demands of sports.

 

In sports, people should learn how to value their health. Otherwise, they can never endure the kind of energy that is required when playing sports activities.

 

Therefore, for people who are into sports fitness, here are some tips that you could use in order to stay healthy and be active on whatever sports you want to pursue:

 

1. Drinks lots of water

 

Humans can survive days, or even months without food, but they can never last a day without water.

 

Water is, indeed, the most important element needed by the body. Excessive perspiration, without any means of replenishing the lost fluids will result to serious health problems, and even death.

 

Therefore, for people who are into strenuous exercises and trainings, it is best to always drink lots of water.

 

However, for sports enthusiasts, water may not be enough to replace the kind of fluid lost. Hence, it would be better if they would have sports drinks instead. Aside from the fluid, sports drinks have two additional important ingredients needed by a person who is into sports fitness: carbohydrates and electrolytes.

 

Electrolytes are usually lost during strenuous physical activity, and this can only be replaced through sports drinks. Carbohydrates, on the other hand, are also needed by the body during rigid workouts to provide more energy so that the body can cope up to the demands of the activity.

 

2. More veggies!

 

People who are into sports fitness require more intakes of vegetables and fruits. This is because the body is craving for more vitamins and mineral supplements. It makes the body stronger and healthier enabling it to cope up with demands of the activity.

 

3. Calcium intake

 

People who are into sports fitness should have calcium present on their diet. This is to provide stronger bones to the body.

 

Since the body is more exposed to greater physical activities, it is important to have stronger bones in order to avoid fractures or certain bone diseases like “osteoporosis.”

 

Calcium can be found in different vitamin and mineral supplements. They are also abundant in foods like sardines, tofu, dairy products, etc.

 

4. Warm exercises are always important before any kind of strenuous activities.

 

This kind of activity is needed in order not to strain the body. Hence, before playing the sports that you have always love, it is best to do some warm-up exercises first.

 

Indeed, engaging into sports activities is one great way of being physically fit. The best thing about it is that in sports, you get to enjoy the best of both worlds.

 

Summary:

The health benefits associated with regular exercise are numerous. Specifically, exercise can help prevent heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, obesity, back pain, osteoporosis. In addition, it can help fight depression as well as promote improved stress management.

 

 

Article Body:

The health benefits associated with regular exercise are numerous. Specifically, exercise can help prevent heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, obesity, back pain, osteoporosis. In addition, it can help fight depression as well as promote improved stress management.

 

To maximize your overall health benefits, experts typically recommend that you perform 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic activity three or more times a week and some type of muscle strengthening activity and stretching at least twice a week. However, you can also achieve significant health benefits by completing 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity a day, at least five times a week.

 

If you are just beginning an exercise program, starting at a slow pace with low-impact activities such as walking, or swimming will allow you to improve your physical fitness level while safeguarding you from unwanted overuse injuries and burnout. Once you get in better shape, you can gradually integrate more strenuous and varied activities into your routine.

 

Positive Impact of Physical Activity

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, regular physical activity reduces the risk of developing or dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death in the United States. Further, regular exercise effectively:

 

• Reduces the risk of dying from heart disease.
• Reduces the risk of developing diabetes.
• Reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure.
• Helps reduce blood pressure in people who already Have high blood pressure.
• Reduces the risk of developing colon cancer.
• Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety.
• Helps control weight.
• Helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints.
• Helps older adults become stronger and better able to move about without falling.
• Promotes psychological well-being.

The health benefits of exercise can be achieved by virtually everyone, regardless of age, sex, race or physical ability. Therefore, if you want to feel better, have more energy and live longer, simply follow a program of regular, moderate exercise and enjoy a better quality of life.

 

Summary:

Staying limber can offset age-related stiffness, improve athletic performance, and optimize functional movement in daily life.

 

 

 

Article Body:

When it comes to the Big Three of exercise – cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training – it is pretty clear which one can get overlooked. After all, while we prize cardiovascular and strength training for their role in helping us lose weight, build muscle, and get fit, the benefits of flexibility training are less immediately alluring.

 

However, as the population ages, more of us are learning to appreciate the rewards of stretching. Staying limber can offset age-related stiffness, improve athletic performance, and optimize functional movement in daily life. Research shows that flexibility training can develop and maintain range of motion and may help prevent and treat injury. In fact, the American College of Sports Medicine has added flexibility training to its general exercise recommendations, advising that stretching exercises for the major muscle groups be performed two to three days per week.

 

How can you include an effective flexibility workout in your fitness program? Here are some guidelines:

 

Think in Terms of Serious Flexibility Training, Not Just Brief Stretching. Squeezing in one or two quick stretches before or after a workout is better that nothing, but this approach will yield limited results. What is more, generic stretches may not be effective for your body. The more time and attention you give to your flexibility training, the more benefits you will experience. A qualified personal trainer, physical therapist or health professional can design a functional flexibility program specifically for you.

 

Consider Your Activities. Are you a golfer? Do you ski, run, or play tennis? Do your daily home or work routines include bending, lifting, or sitting for long periods? Functional flexibility improves the stability and mobility of the whole person in his or her specific environment. An individualized stretching program is best to improve both stability (the ability to maintain ideal body alignment during all activities) and mobility (the ability to use full, normal range of motion).

 

Pay Special Attention to Tight Areas. Often the shoulder, chest, hamstrings, and hips are particularly tight, but you may hold tension in other areas, depending on your history of injuries and the existing imbalances in your muscle groups. Unless you tailor your flexibility training to your strengths and weaknesses, you may stretch already overstretched muscles and miss areas that need training.

 

Listen to Your Body. Stretching is an individual thing. Pay attention to your body’s signals and do not push too far. Avoid bouncing or jerking movements to gain momentum; this approach can be dangerous.

 

Instead, slowly stretch your muscles to the end point of movement and hold the stretch for about 10 to 30 seconds. Older adults, pregnant women and people with injuries will need to take special precautions.

 

Get Creative. Varying your flexibility training can help you stick with it. You can use towels, resistance balls and other accessories to add diversity and effectiveness to your stretching.

 

Warm Up First. Do not forget to warm up your muscles before you begin. Walking briskly for 10 to15 minutes is a simple way to do this.

 

Find a Flexibility Class That Works for You. Classes that include stretching are becoming more popular and more diverse. Some combine cardiovascular and strength components with the flexibility training; others focus exclusively on stretching.

 

Stretch Your Mind and Body. Did you know that your emotional state may affect your flexibility? If your body is relaxed, it will be more responsive to flexibility training. Listening to music and focusing on your breath can help you relax as you stretch. You may also want to explore yoga or Pilates. In addition to stretching, classes in these disciplines may include relaxation, visualization and other mind-body techniques designed to reduce stress and increase mindfulness.

 

It is Not Just for Wimps. Forget the idea that stretching is just for elderly, injured or unconditioned people. Many Olympic and professional athletes rely on flexibility training for peak performance.

 

Do It Consistently. It does not help to stretch for a few weeks and then forget about it. Integrate regular stretching into your permanent fitness program. For inspiration, look to cats and dogs – they are dedicated practitioners of regular stretching and you rarely see them getting the kind of joint or muscular injuries that humans get!

 

Shoulder and Trapezius Stretch

** Stand upright with shoulders back, chest out, and feet hip-width apart.

** Clasp your hands behind your buttocks.

** Slowly lift your hands up and away from your body until they have reached the furthest comfortable position.

** Keep your chest out and your chin in without hunching over.

** Once you feel a comfortable stretch in your chest and anterior shoulders, hold this position for at least 15-30 seconds.

 

Lying Quadriceps Stretch

** Lie face down on a mat.

** Lift your right leg up towards your buttocks.

** Reach around with your right hand and grasp your foot. Slowly pull downwards, stretching your quadriceps to the furthest comfortable position.

** Hold this position for at least 15-30 seconds.

 

Shin Stretch

** Using a wall or chair as support, place your left foot behind your right foot, with the top of your left foot on the ground.

** Extend the bottom of your left shin as far forward as possible. Slowly lower yourself by bending both legs.

** Once you have stretched your anterior tibialis to the furthest comfortable position, hold for at least 15-30 seconds.

** Switch legs and repeat.

 

Hip, Gluteus and Back Stretch

** Sit on the floor with both of your legs extended in front of you.

** Bend your right leg over your left leg, keeping your right foot flat on the floor outside the left knee.

** Place your left elbow on the outside of your right knee and extend your right arm behind you with your palm flat on the floor for support.

** Slowly twist your upper body to the right while looking over your right shoulder.

** Lightly apply pressure with your left elbow on the outside of your right knee as you twist. Be sure to keep your upper body straight.

** Once you feel a comfortable stretch in your hips, buttocks, and lower back, hold this position for at least 15-30 seconds.

** Switch sides and repeat.

 

Calf Stretch

** Put the sole of the top half of your right foot against the wall. Slide your right heel as close towards the wall as possible.

** Slowly lean forward towards the wall stretching your calves. Once you have stretched your calf to the furthest comfortable position, hold for at least 15-30 seconds.

** Switch legs and repeat.