Tag Archives: high

Exercise

Costs of Care Contest Winners Offer Lessons Learned on Providing High Value Care

January 20, 2012 – 1:00 am


Boston, MA (PRWEB) January 18, 2012

Costs of Care, a nonprofit that helps caregivers deflate medical bills and provide high value care, has chosen four winners in its second annual national healthcare essay contest. These stories from every corner of the United States expand the public discourse on the role of doctors, nurses, and other care providers in controlling healthcare costs.

“Patients and their caregivers are uniquely positioned to recognize inefficiency in the healthcare system but are seldom empowered with information they need to reduce harmful spending,” says Dr. Neel Shah, Executive Director of Costs of Care.

With the help former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, former White House Budget Director Peter Orzsag, former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, women?s health advocate Dr. Susan Love, and Harvard University provost and health economist Alan Garber, Costs of Care (http://www.CostsOfCare.org) launched an innovative essay contest last Fall aimed at elucidating both the challenges and opportunities to save patients? money with routine, cost-conscious medical decisions.

From Labor Day through November, Costs of Care gathered more than 100 personal stories from patients, nurses, and doctors across the nation. The following submissions were chosen as winners and awarded $ 1000 prizes:


????Renee Lux, a patient from Connecticut writes about how an unnecessary CT scan for easily treated neck pain brands her with a pre-existing condition that causes her insurance premiums to skyrocket
????Andrew Schutzbank, a physician from Massachusetts describes how a common pharmaceutical cost-shifting strategy leaves him unable to discharge his patient from the hospital.
????Court Nederveld, a frugal patient from Florida tells us how he saved money on routine prescriptions and tests by engaging his doctor in a frank conversation about costs
????Molly Kantor, a medical student from Massachusetts writes about how she helped treat heart failure on a $ 100 budget by avoiding an unnecessary hospital admission

Honorable mention was awarded to John Schumann, a physician from Oklahoma, who tells us how he debunked a widely-held hospital belief that patients who decline medical advice are financially penalized.

Copies of the winning submissions will be made available upon request.

All qualifying submissions to the contest will be published biweekly at the Costs of Care blog during the 2012 calendar year, and will be made available to the media. Based on lessons learned from the contest, Costs of Care will also release a series of ?quick guides? and educational web-based videos for both patients and care providers.

The contest is sponsored in part through the generosity of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and Harvard Pilgrim Health Plan. Costs of Care will be accepting submissions for their third annual contest during the Fall 2012.

ABOUT COSTS OF CARE

Costs of Care is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that gives cost-conscious care providers the information they need to provide high value care, while expanding the national discourse on the role of care providers in responsible resource stewardship. Costs of Care was founded by a resident physician based at Harvard Medical School who noticed that even the best physicians sometimes overlook something critical?the bill.

Full contest details are available at http://www.costsofcare.org/essay

###





Tags care, Contest, Costs, high, Learned, Lessons, offer, Providing, value, Winners | Permalink | Comment (0)
Uncategorized

How Much Do You Know About High Blood Pressure?

December 12, 2011 – 2:30 pm

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects over 65 million people in this country. It is sometimes referred to as the “silent killer” because a lot of people that have it are unaware of their condition. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), blood pressure is the pressure of the blood against the walls of the arteries. When you have your blood pressure tested it is reported as two numbers, systolic and diastolic. One is created when the heart pumps blood into the circulatory system and the other is the force of the arteries as they resist blood flow.

The systolic pressure is always reported first. For example, a reading of 120/80 (120 over 80) means that 120 is your systolic number and 80 is the diastolic. This reading of 120/80 is considered to be the optimal level for adults. When systolic pressure reaches 120 to 139 mmHg or the diastolic pressure is 80 to 89 this is considered to be “prehypertension” and needs to be monitored. When your numbers exceed 140 or 90 this is considered high blood pressure.

Because the medical term for high blood pressure is “hypertension” some people may find this confusing. It does not mean that one is nervous or tense or hyperactive. You can be a very calm and relaxed individual and have high blood pressure. If you receive a single high reading this does not mean you have high blood pressure. There are many factors that can contribute to a high reading. What is does mean is that you want to monitor it. Your doctor will be able to let you know how often it should be checked.

It is known that some diseases, such as kidney disease can cause high blood pressure. The fact is that in 90 to 95 percent of cases the exact cause is unknown. The only way to determine if you do have high blood pressure is to have it checked by your doctor or other medical professional. It is recommended that you have it checked every two years unless something is found that necessitates for frequent testing. With respect to cardiovascular disease the optimal reading would be less that 120/80. However, unusually low readings should be evaluated because this could be a result of an underlying medical problem.

One of the most concerning aspects of high blood pressure is that there are no symptoms so people do not usually feel anything. This is why almost one third of people that have hypertension don’t know it. The only way to know is to be tested regularly. This is especially true if someone in your family has hypertension as it is known to travel in families. If your blood pressure is extremely high there are certain symptoms to be on the lookout for. Some of these may be:

* Severe headaches

* Fatigue or confusion

* Problems with vision

* Chest pain

* Difficulty breathing

* Irregular heartbeat

* Blood in urine

* Pounding in ones chest, neck or ears

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms you need to contact your primary health care professional immediately. If this condition is left untreated this could lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney failure or vision problems.

Your blood pressure reading may fluctuate. Some things that can affect one reading to another are age, heart condition, emotions, activity and medications you may be taking. It is usually necessary to test your readings at different times after resting for 5 minutes or so to come up with a typical value.

At least three elevated readings are usually required to make a diagnosis of hypertension. Your doctor will also want to review your medical history. Such things as heart problems and family history will be evaluated. He or she will also take into account your specific risk factors such as smoking, a history of high cholesterol, diabetes, etc. A physical exam will be done and your doctor will use a stethoscope to listen for any abnormal sounds in your heart or a whooshing and swishing sound in your arteries would indicate some degree of blockage. They will also take your pulse in your arm and ankles to determine if it is weak or even absent. If you are diagnosed with hypertension your doctor will want to do other tests to determine the most appropriate treatment plan.

In conclusion, because high blood pressure can go undetected due to lack of symptoms it is a good idea to have it checked every couple of years. While it can lead to severe medical problems, once identified it can be very successfully treated and such problems avoided.

John Bradstreet is an experienced Biochemist with extensive knowledge in nutritional supplementation. He is a great source of information. To learn more about High Blood Pressure we have included additional links at the bottom of the page to help educate you on the subject. You are also invited to visit our Vitamin and Supplement Blog for information on this and other subjects.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/how-much-do-you-know-about-high-blood-pressure-1487544.html

Incoming search terms:

  • How many American adults have high blood pressure/hypertension?
  • what is considered high blood pressure
Tags about, blood, high, much, pressure | Permalink | Comment (0)
health

High paying woman’s fat loss program – Female Fat Loss Over Forty

September 16, 2010 – 6:03 pm

This is the smart woman’s guide to fitness and fat loss at home. Busy women can train at home with these fat burning workouts with little to no equipment. Workouts as well as audio follow along tracks and nutritional support are added bonuses.
High paying woman’s fat loss program – Female Fat Loss Over Forty

Tags female, Forty, high, loss, over, paying, program, woman's | Permalink | Comment (0)
health

How to Achieve Healthy Weight Loss With the Benefits of Soy

June 27, 2010 – 9:20 pm

We all know how important protein is to any diet, whether you are trying to achieve a healthy weight loss or not. Certain fad diets tell people its OK to go out and eat as much greasy bacon as you want, as long as you stay away from those killer carbohydrates. As you probably have already figured out, this type of diet does not work. The main reason is that the source of protein comes from animal fats, and eating too much of it will take its toll on your health.

Be very thankful that we have soy in our world. It is the healthy alternative to animal protein for many many reasons. The incorporation of even just a small amount of soy protein into the diet every day is beneficial in the prevention of all kinds of diseases. What does that have to do with losing weight? Everything!

The key to healthy weight loss is proper nutrition. Once your body is healthy on a daily basis, it can perform miracles. Living a healthy lifestyle means choosing soy over bacon when you want to give your body protein fuel. When you feed your body the right way, you will get the results you want.

Soy contains more protein than milk without the saturated fat or cholesterol. Soya beans are the only beans to be considered a complete protein because they contain all eight essential amino acids. Soy protein contains high levels of a substance called Tyrosine, which helps to maintain our alertness and mental energy without the need for excess calories.

Soy is a low-glycemic index food which helps regulate blood-sugar and insulin fluctuations. This helps you to feel more satisfied and less hungry until your next meal, which is beneficial for weight management and control. Some studies even indicate that soy may stimulate the metabolism! How cool is that!

Soy also helps reduce the amount of fat that is stored in your body by converting fewer calories into fat from the food that you consume. Soy protein can also control insulin levels therefore reducing the frequency of sugar cravings. Since your body will feel more satisfied and less hungry, this will also reduce the overindulgent eating.

Soy also enhances energy levels and building muscle mass in a healthy way. Muscles burn energy during daily activities and exercise. Increased muscle mass burns more calories. Since soy increases the speed at which the fat cells burn the fat stored in the body, it once again affects your metabolism. Exercise is not mandatory for a healthy weight loss, but even the smallest workout every day can accelerate your weight loss efforts.

I had chronic asthma all of my life and could not exercise…until I began drinking soy-based protein shake meal replacements. I lost 70 pounds in 4 months and have kept it off for over 15 years now. The best part is that because of the benefits of soy, I can now exercise every day without any breathing problems. I was also able to get rid of all my prescription medications on top of it.

Do I have to drink a soy-based shake every day? No, I do not have to. If I want to go back to being overweight with breathing problems, I suppose I could stop using soy. But why would I ever want to do that? As I stated before, the key to a healthy weight loss and maintaining an ideal weight is the willingness to lead a healthy lifestyle. You can not lose weight and expect to go back to old bad eating habits without suffering the consequences.

A great advantage to living a healthy lifestyle is that you do not need to give up the foods you love. You can sill eat them, just not as often. You must replace some of those foods with healthier alternatives. The road to a healthy weight loss is littered with all kinds of snack wrappers, like soy nuts, protein bars and fruit. (OK, fruit usually doesn’t need a wrapper, but you get my point.

Since fad diets, unbalanced diets, diet pills, diet supplements, weight loss surgery and other short term weight loss methods are the cheaters way to lose weight, why bother? Cheaters never prosper and there is no substitute for proper nutrition. Take advantage of the many benefits soy can give to you and you will soon find yourself living the kind of life you deserve.

Bill Winch is a Personal Wellness Coach whose mission is teaching and coaching others who are struggling with getting healthy, losing weight safely and keeping it off for good. He is also a Certified Business Growth Specialist, former High School and College Business Educator and Counselor, and mentors from his home office in Rochester, NY. If you are interested in receiving his Free Report “9 Weight Loss Myths Exposed” visit his website by clicking on FREE REPORT or by calling him directly at (585) 271-3767 for a free wellness consultation.

Tags achieve, affects, alternative, asthma, back, bad, Being, benefits, best, body, breathing, building, burn, burns, business, Calling, calories, certified, choosing, chronic, Complete, considered, contain, control, cool, could, day, diet, diets, drink, drinking, during, eat, eating, energy, essential, ever, every, excess, exercise, expect, fad, fat, Feed, feel, find, food, foods, free, frequency, give, go, great, habits, healthier, healthy, helps, high, home, hungry, i, Ideal, important, increases, into, keeping, key, Killer, kinds, lead, less, levels, life, lifestyle, living, Long, lose, losing, loss, lost, main, maintain, management, mass, may, meal, mental, methods, much, muscle, muscles, must, my, myths, never, next, now, off, old, only, our, over, overweight, people, Perform, personal, pounds, prescription, prevention, Proper, protein, reduce, reducing, report, results, rid, right, safely, Shake, short, speed, stay, stop, stored, suffering, sugar, surgery, Teaching, tell, those, top, type, up, using, very, visit, want, we, website, weight, wellness, who, workout, years | Permalink | Comment (1)
health

Best Exercise To Grow Taller – The 4 Best Grow Taller Effective Exercises

June 27, 2010 – 6:27 pm

Best Exercise To Grow Taller

In the pursuit of going up height, we often get sidetracked in taking supplements that don’t work or getting hung up in doing “research” on surgery and other get-tall-quick methods. Few of them actually work, and fewer are essentially healthy for us. It can always be good to lessen back to some reliable stretching exercises the present have been proven to do our utmost over time. Here are 4 effective stretching exercises that if be included in your slow training:

1. The hang – Find a horizontal bar which you can hang from. The bar should be high enough so that you can grip it and extend your body so that you can hang freely. If you can fully extend your body, then bend your knees. Your palms should be facing away from you, and your body should be totally relaxed. The gravity will stretch your body, and over time make you longer. Hang for 20 seconds at a time, and then rest for 30. Best Exercise To Grow Taller

2. The Alternate Leg Kick – Sometimes called the Dry Land Swim. The exercise focuses on stretching you lower back. Start by lying on your belly, body fully extended. Raise your right arm and your left leg up, still fully extended. Hold this position for 4 seconds, before lowering. Now do the same with your left arm and right leg. You should feel this in your lower back muscles. Doing this with ankle and wrist weights will make it even harder. Your aim should be to hold the position for 20 seconds at a time. Best Exercise To Grow Taller

3. Touch Your Toes – This exercise will stretch your back. Stand straight, and stretch your arms up in the air. Now slowly bend forward until you can touch your toes with your fingers. This should be done without bending your knees. Repeat it 10 times. These will be extremely beneficial for you who want to grow taller effective.

4. Stretching Of The Legs – In this exercise you will be lying on your back facing the ceiling. Now stretch your right foot towards the left, and the left foot towards the right. Do not stretch too much, only until you feel a light stretching in your muscles. Now stretch your left foot to the left, and the right foot to the right. In other words spread your legs.

Each stretch should last for about 5 seconds each, and you should to about 10 repetitions. I hope these stretching exercises were helpful for you. They were found to be the most effective grow taller exercises. The most important thing is that you do them regularly if you want to grow taller effective. Rebuild your self confidence by Downloading your Best Exercise To Grow Taller ebook now.

Laughed for being Short? No Confidence in front of Friends?

Get your Best Exercise To Grow Taller ebook with simple steps to do at home!

Try the Program now and get back your
Life!

Tags about, ankle, back, bar, been, Being, best, body, confidence, each, ebook, effective, enough, exercise, exercises, feel, few, find, foot, found, going, good, grow, healthy, helpful, here, high, hope, i, important, kick, last, leg, legs, light, lower, now, only, our, over, program, proven, rest, right, same, Seconds, self, simple, start, steps, stretch, stretching, supplements, surgery, taking, taller, thing, time, up, want, we, who, words, work | Permalink | Comment (0)
health

Fat Burning Foods ? Four Essential Choices

June 24, 2010 – 6:02 pm

Did you know that eating to burn fat is considered to be an extremely powerful rapid weight loss technique? The secret is choosing the right foods and to avoid overindulging if you wish to achieve your quick weight loss goals. The old saying ‘you can have too much of a good thing’, is actually still very true. If you choose the right foods but still eat them in great quantities you will end up gaining weight instead of losing it.

The first fat burning food you should note is the controversial nut. Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecan and peanuts have previously come under plenty of negative scrutiny from weight loss gurus who claim them to have far too high fat content. Although nuts do have a high calorie count they do contain healthy natural fats known as monounsaturated fats. These healthy fats are excellent for supporting active brain function as well as providing fantastic energy without any negative side effects on your heart. Just be mindful of your portion sizes though. These handy little super foods are extremely nutrient dense, so just a handful once a day is adequate.

Another effective fat burning food which is considered to be one of the best is oatmeal. Simple oats have a hard time on the grocery store shelves competing with the hundreds of breakfast cereal choices available today. However, most of these expensive and fancy cereals contain nothing but high glycemic carbs which only leave you hungry again only an hour after eating them. Oats, on the other hand, are a fantastic source of water soluble fiber. Your body slowly digests the fiber throughout the morning which keeps you feeling satisfied for longer, in addition to giving you a long release of energy rather than a short spike. If oatmeal is a touch too bland for your taste buds, try adding your favorite fresh fruit, honey, yogurt or perhaps a handful of nuts. These natural and healthy additions will add a burst of flavor along with extra nutritional value.

The third fat burning food to add to your list is the humble apple. Isn’t it ironic that many of us diligently persuade our children to eat an apple every day, but ignore taking our own good advice? Apples, like oatmeal, also prolong the digestive process and prevent you from experiencing hunger pangs for long periods of time. They are crave-killing foods which are an excellent defense weapon against overeating and weight gain. What is more apples are a cheap and portable healthy food which is available all year round.

The final fat burning food you should note is actually a fat burning drink. If you have been seeking information on how to lose weight quickly then you are probably aware of the weight loss benefits of green tea. Green tea is full of powerful antioxidants and is an effective metabolism booster. By increasing your metabolic rate your body will start burning fast faster and more effectively. Just drink a cup of green tea every morning to stimulate your metabolism and help burn calories all day long, even when you’re resting.

By introducing these four super fat burning foods to your diet you will speed up your progress to successfully achieving your weight loss goals.

Samantha’s personal journey in searching for effective safe weight loss and fitness methods has resulted in years of research and information in the health and fitness genres. She is passionate about helping individuals achieve and maintain a healthy and fit body for life, without the use of drugs or drastic diets.

Tags about, achieve, active, add, after, against, antioxidants, apples, Available, avoid, been, benefits, best, body, brain, breakfast, burn, burning, calorie, calories, Carbs, cheap, children, choices, choose, choosing, claim, considered, contain, count, day, diet, drink, drugs, eat, eating, effective, effects, end, energy, essential, every, Excellent, Fantastic, far, fast, faster, fat, favorite, first, fit, fitness, food, foods, full, function, Glycemic, good, great, green, grocery, hard, has, health, healthy, help, high, Hour, hungry, ignore, increasing, information, instead, introducing, list, Long, lose, losing, loss, maintain, metabolic, metabolism, methods, morning, much, natural, negative, Nutritional, old, only, our, overeating, own, personal, powerful, prevent, process, Prolong, Providing, quick, quickly, research, right, safe, secret, seeking, short, side, simple, sizes, speed, start, store, successfully, such, super, supporting, taking, time, try, Under, up, use, very, water, weight, well, who, year, years | Permalink | Comment (0)
health

Women Cardiac Health

June 21, 2010 – 6:46 pm

Women Cardiac Health

All Dear Ladies! Beware of Your Cardiac Health!

Heart attack is one of the major causes of deaths in women, after breast cancer. It has been estimated that almost one in three women will ultimately die of stroke or cardiac disease. Over weight women with high cholesterol levels are sure to get a heart attack if not given appropriate health care. The onset of menopause in women increases the risks of heart diseases, and equals that to the similar risks posed to men.

Women usually experience early symptoms of cardiovascular disease more differently than men do. Heart attack symptoms in women appear subtler. It would be advisable to consult your physician whenever you experience the following symptoms:

ü A feeling of shortness of breath, which may not be accompanied by any chest pain

ü Symptoms which are flu-like. Especially the feelings of nausea, cold sweats, and clamminess

ü Weakness, unexplained fatigue, dizziness

ü Pain in the neck, jaw, chest, shoulders, and upper back

ü General discomfort, loss of appetite, and feelings of anxiety

ü Indigestion or gas-like pain

ü Recurring chest discomfort

A woman is known for her ability to show care and concern for others. But, as a woman, it is now time to also mother your own heart. It is time for every woman to realise that heart disease is not just a ‘Man’s Disease.’ A healthy lifestyle along with regular scheduled visits to your doctor will give you the chance to live a long and happy life with your dear ones. www.healthizen.com

Tags ability, after, anxiety, appropriate, attack, back, been, Beware, breast, cardiac, care, causes, chance, cholesterol, cold, die, differently, disease, doctor, early, every, general, give, Happy, has, health, healthy, heart, high, increases, levels, life, lifestyle, live, Long, loss, major, may, men, menopause, now, over, own, pain, physician, risks, symptoms, three, time, weight, woman, women | Permalink | Comment (0)
health

Do You Want to Make Healthy Heart?

June 19, 2010 – 9:08 pm

It is proven by many researches that people who take breakfast including whole-grain cereals maintain their cholesterol and insulin levels. This kind of breakfast gives you different types of health benefits also.

The use of seal oil is also best for having healthy heart. It is because it contains very less saturated fats which can be absorbed by the body very soon and give you relief from many heart diseases. Another best remedy for a healthy heart is drinking toned milk. It is because this type of milk has the power to prevent your heart from large number of serious conditions like stroke and heart disease. This toned milk contains protein, vitamin D and magnesium calcium which increase the power of milk to have healthy heart advantages.

You can follow some healthy heart tips such as doing much exercise, having better diet, and keeping your heart clean and drug-free. Apart from these, there are some other tips for healthy heart like making balance in your weight. It is because overweight raises risk of having dangerous conditions like heart disease and diabetes. Making balance in alcohol level is another best tip for healthy heart because increase in alcohol can give you the risk for heart muscle and you will get too much weight and blood pressure.

Having less salt in our meal is another powerful tip for healthy heart because the use of salt in your meal results into high blood pressure, which creates the possibility of having coronary heart disease. You have to go away from the foods such as salted nuts, baked beans and canned vegetables because these foods contain too much salt.

Another best formula for healthy heart is having mineral-rich diet. It means that you have your diet, which includes minerals like magnesium, calcium, and potassium which have the power to give you relief from various heart diseases. There are various sources to get these minerals such as fruits, vegetables, and low-fat diary products. The basis of a healthy heart diet is use of whole grains, lean meats, fresh fish, and fruits and vegetables.

Meditation for healthy heart is considered as one of the best remedies it is because meditation has power to give energy to your heart. Meditation is not only giving healthy heart but also give you some health benefits. Heart and its activities are influenced by meditation. Now we can say that meditation is not only the medium of relaxation but also the medium to give more energy to your heart. You can do several exercises for healthy heart like cardiovascular or aerobic exercise is one type of healthy heart exercise which helps to strengthen the heart and lungs. This type of exercise includes physical activity, which should be steady with the help of large muscle groups. Most of the people prefer aerobic exercise because it gives you lots of advantages for your heart. The importance of this exercise is much because it also helps us in lowering our blood pressure and develops our breathing system.

The use of green tea helps to have a healthy heart. It is because it has the better effect on arteries, which helps to improve blood flow, which result into having healthy heart. This green tea contains flavonoids which helps to relax our cells named endothelium is a thin layer which we can find on the inside of blood vessels which smoothes our flow of blood.

Are you interested in improving the health of your heart? If so, check out the new advanced magnesium super mineral product pMg. Simply click on http://www.heart-health.us.com and learn more about this patented product.

Tags about, advanced, advantages, Aerobic, alcohol, balance, benefits, best, better, blood, body, breakfast, breathing, Calcium, check, cholesterol, clean, Click, conditions, considered, contain, dangerous, diet, different, disease, drinking, effect, energy, exercise, exercises, find, follow, foods, give, go, green, has, having, health, healthy, heart, help, helps, high, importance, improve, improving, increase, into, keeping, lean, learn, less, lowering, maintain, making, meal, meditation, Mineral, much, muscle, new, now, number, oil, only, our, overweight, people, physical, power, powerful, pressure, prevent, product, proven, relax, relief, remedies, results, risk, say, serious, simply, sources, Strengthen, such, super, thin, tips, type, types, use, very, vitamin, want, we, weight, who, whole | Permalink | Comment (0)
health

Men’s Health: Running the Bases

June 18, 2010 – 9:06 pm

Let’s face it, men and women are different. It’s a fact. And when it comes to taking care of their bodies, men and women are very different.

Men drink more (alcohol), smoke more and see their doctors less than women do. They are less likely to wear a seat belt (22% of teen men say they rarely or never wear a seatbelt v. 15% of teen women). And they consume red meat at an alarming rate.

All that said, those facts refer to the “average” American male. There are plenty of men, who eat their vegetables, drink the requisite eight glasses of water a day, and kiss there wives and children before they go to bed precisely at 9:30p.m. every night. If you belong to this group, you are perfect, and you need not read a word more.

If you think you might belong to the first (average) group, though, read on. You might just get a peek at what the future holds for you.

The Wake Up Call – 7:00p Thursday

Whether you are a man or a woman, an average Joe or not, at some point, you need to decide to take your health seriously or you may just get an unwelcome wake up call.

Nothing pains me more than to visit my local city park on a week night in early spring. It is there where I will find many of aging brothers hitting the ball around for the first time after a long winter of sitting. It is usually Tuesday or Thursday when the over 40 recreation softball league has its games. It’s a bunch of guys from all walks of life. Some are business men taking a few hours away from the kids and the office to toss the ball around. There might be a high school baseball coach getting his playing time in. You might see the produce manager from your local grocery store and a fireman or a police officer or two.

Before the game starts, you see some stretching, some talking, and one or two having a beer. Then the game begins, and they get to work. The guys are chatting it up, laughing about nothing in particular and razzing the batter. Good clean guy fun. But inevitably at some point, one of those guys pulls something, tears something or pops something out of alignment. The game stops while they help him off the field. And once he’s on the bench (or on his way to the hospital), the game starts up again.

I always wonder what happened to that one guy. Was the injury serious? Or did he spring back in a couple of days? Did he wake up to the fact that he is 47 years old and start working out regularly and stretching before games? Or did he decide he was “suddenly” too old to play kids games anymore and quit?

Over 40 And Going it Alone

Now, if I were more of an opportunist, I would make a point of going to those first few games of spring. And I’d bring my business card and a sign up sheet for treatment. But I can’t bring myself to do it. And anyway, I would really rather get new patients BEFORE injury strikes.

Now, ask yourself, am I the guy on the bench or one of the guys still playing? Don’t know?  

Well, if it’s been awhile since regular exercise and stretching were a part of your routine, you might just be the guy on the bench. You see, within the human body, there is something called “Fascia”, a pliable, protective sheath that covers every cell. To your muscles and  joints, Fascia is like the elastic in your underwear. If it is kept intact and healthy, it holds them up and holds them together, giving them strength and stability. As it ages, though, and if not cared for properly, fascia loses its elasticity, and you lose range of motion and strength. Before you know it, you can’t bend down far enough to catch a ground ball, and throwing to first base feels like a hot poker in your shoulder.

If that is you, don’t walk to my office, run (or move as fast as your tight muscles will allow). I will work with throughout a 10-session series to soften and strengthen your fascia, and ultimately to bring back movement and muscle you forgot you had. By next softball season, you will be in game shape.

Information for this article came from these additional sources:

Test Your Knowledge about Men’s Health; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services.
Found August 8, 2007 http://www2a.cdc.gov/od/menshealth/test.asp

Joseph Ackerman “Joe Ackerman of www.CoreStructuralTherapy.com specializes in Structural Integration which is a system wide process of deep bodywork and movement education. It is designed to improve the Structural and Functional abilities of the human body in its relationship to the field of gravity.

Tags about, after, aging, am, american, around, back, Ball, bed, been, bench, body, brothers, business, came, care, Catch, centers, children, City, clean, control, decide, deep, Designed, disease, doctors, down, drink, early, eat, enough, every, exercise, face, fact, facts, far, fast, few, field, find, first, game, glasses, go, going, good, grocery, Guys, has, having, health, help, high, hitting, Holds, hot, hours, i, improve, injury, kids, kiss, less, local, Long, lose, may, me, meat, men, muscle, muscles, my, myself, never, new, next, off, old, over, patients, Play, point, process, range, red, Relationship, running, say, see, seriously, start, store, strength, Strengthen, stretching, system, taking, teen, think, those, throwing, time, two, unwelcome, up, very, visit, water, wear, week, where, while, who, wide, winter, women, work, working, years | Permalink | Comment (0)

Next Page »

Next Page »

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Performance Optimization WordPress Plugins by W3 EDGE