General

Let me start by saying that pain is not a bad thing. It’s your body’s way of letting you know something’s not quite right. It’s your job then to figure out what this pain represents. Is it delayed muscle soreness from a workout? Is it knee pain after a longer-than-normal run? Is it an aching low back from shoveling snow? Pain helps us become detectives. Not only are we trying to reduce the pain but also prevent it from happening next time. How do you address the former? Start with R.I.C.E. which is the acronym for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Those of you who know me know that I am a big fan of rest. Your body needs time to heal, recuperate and rebuild. Plus your mind recovers as well. But that’s a whole other topic. So when in doubt, rest. Take a day off. What’s going to happen? Are you going to magically put on 20 pounds? Of course not. But Eric, remember the saying “No pain, no gain”? That just leads to strains, pulls and potentially serious injuries. Clearly I’m not a proponent of that cliche. What concerns most people is if the pain will lead to something worse and more painful. How will you feel? And how will it affect your lifestyle? You can see how pain can be a real distraction.

Most of the time the pains you experience from exercise are slight muscle pulls or strains. Ice, compression and elevation are all about reducing swelling, inflammation and heat. The Physical Therapist I worked for in California suggested ice for 5 to 10 minutes twice a day. A compression can be achieved with an elastic bandage, and elevation helps venous blood return and aids in waste product removal. You can also think of elevation as a way to rest the injured body part. If your knee is swollen, for example, relaxing on your favorite recliner or propping your leg up on an ottoman physically keeps you off of your leg.

Pain often makes us look at what activities we’re doing and not doing. We become more intuitive and body aware. Maybe you need to spend a few more minutes warming up before a run. Maybe you need to train at a slightly lower intensity than you’re currently doing. Maybe you need to spend time cooling down after a workout instead of jumping back in your car and driving home.

Recently I’ve been experiencing some tennis elbow. Yes, from tennis. It comes and it goes. Is it because I’m almost 40? Maybe. Do I need to change my tennis strings? I did a few months ago, so maybe it’s time for another string job or a different set of strings? Is it my technique? Possibly. It is also clear that my body takes longer to warm up in the winter months. When it is pretty bad, I like to use Arnica Gel. The primary ingredient is Arnica montana, which acts as an anti-inflammatory. After a couple applications, I experience relief.

In my next post I’ll be demonstrating and discussing both dynamic and static stretches as ways to reduce pain, prevent injuries and improve performance.

Sitting in a coffee shop in Tustin, California I finished reading Epigenetics: The Ultimate Mystery of Inheritance. I was intrigued to learn more about the science of epigenetics after listening to some lectures on stress and the body by Stanford University Professor Dr. Robert Sapolsky. So what is epigenetics? Epigenetics is the alteration of gene “behavior” without changing the genetic code. These changes in gene behavior can last a lifetime and, sometimes, future generations. Sounds deep? Don’t worry. Author Richard C. Francis wrote the book for general readers like us to follow along. I must admit there were some sections where I felt like I was back in college biology class. Francis doesn’t dwell on each topic but offers important insight and current research. For a relatively short book (160 pages not including his notes), it covers a lot of territory from the Dutch famine of WWII, the obesity epidemic, nonidentical identical twins, contagious cancer and more. He uses fascinating examples and case studies that helped me better understand the world of gene expression. It’s a good introduction to a burgeoning science.

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Here are 5 reasons to pick me as your Fitness Professional:

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Here’s to a healthy holiday season!

Fifteen years ago I signed up for a “pre and post-pregnancy exercise class” for continuing education credits. It was held in a small conference room at the Hyatt Regency in Irvine, California. The first thing that struck me was the modest number of attendees. There were less than twenty people. It was comprised mostly of personal trainers, group instructors and physical therapists. The presenter was a certified Personal Trainer with many years of experience. In addition, she had recently given birth to a baby. How recently? Just six weeks before! To start off the course, she listed many of the benefits to exercise during pregnancy. She continued with contraindications, then showed us a slide show of working out during her entire pregnancy. One photo showed her doing wall squats with a Swiss Ball against her back. The next showed her doing standing biceps curls with stretch cords. Another showed her doing lunges. With each progressive picture her tummy became more and more prominent. She concluded her presentation with a photo of her and her newborn baby. She reiterated the importance of exercise and proper nutrition. For emphasis, she lifted up the front of her shirt to show her 6-pack abs. Unbelievable!

*On a side note, Heather and I are expecting our 3rd child in mid-March. We are so excited! Heather continues to stay active and eat healthy. Now you can see my motivation for writing this article.

Here are 4 Benefits of Exercise pre and post-pregnancy:

1. Increased energy, muscle strength and stamina. Do these sound familiar? During pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, a woman’s body is going through numerous physiological changes. Much of her body’s energy and resources are going towards a growing baby. Exercise can also ease back pain and reduce fatigue. Heather continues to garden, go for walks and work on landscaping projects. She has to take breaks more often and says a daily nap is a good idea too.
2. Quicker recovery after delivery. To help me better understand, my wife has compared labor to one of my 3-hour tennis matches followed by 3 hours of yard work plus an hour of heavy weight lifting. Sounds intense. After the birth of our first child, she said that her muscles (back, legs, neck and arms) were sore for two days. During follow-up visits, her doctor attributed her speedy recovery to staying active and exercising.
3. Healthier baby. Mom’s aerobic exercise can strengthen the fetal cardiac system. According to Dr. Linda E May, a researcher from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, babies born to exercising mothers had the slowest heart rates and presumably the strongest hearts. Read the entire study.
4. Become more intuitive. Here I go again about body awareness and learning about your body. This holds especially true for expectant mothers whose bodies are changing everyday. Your pregnancy, labor and recovery may not be the same as your mother’s or sister’s. Exercises that worked for them may not for you. Let me give you an example. Some doctors suggest that expectant mothers in the second trimester avoid the recumbent bike. Why? The growing fetus can compress her inferior vena cava (a large blood vessel that returns blood to the moms heart) which can decrease oxygen to both mom and baby. This was particularly true with one client. Just sitting on the recumbent bike was uncomfortable. Instead she was able to do the elliptical machine. Another pregnant client, however, was just fine on the recumbent bike and didn’t seem to have any problems. It’s all about understanding your body and how you feel.

If you’re expecting a baby, CONGRATULATIONS! The exercises you choose to do greatly depends on what you have been doing and also what you like to do. Please remember to consult with your physician before starting any new exercise programs.