Stretching - Lower Limbs

Let's start our stretching session from lower down the body that is the lower limbs. I am only going to consider the important muscles which are: hamstrings(muscle at the back of the thigh), quadriceps(front thigh), gastonemius(calf muscle).

Hamstrings:
This is the muscle which often gets injured.To stretch it lie on the back, supporting the thigh behind the knee with the hand or with a towel, slowly straighten the knee until a stretch is felt in the back of the thigh, trying to get the bottom of the foot to face the ceiling, one leg at a time . Hold the position initially for 10 seconds, and gradually work up to 20-30 seconds.

Quadriceps:
For the quads stand on one leg while holding the other leg behind . Pull foot toward thigh and buttock. Hold for six seconds, then relax for five seconds. Change to opposite side and do exercise with other leg. Repeat twice for each leg.




Gastronemius:
Stand in a walking position with one leg stretched straight behind you and the other leg bent in front of you. Using a wall or chair for support, lean forward and down until you feel the stretch in your back calf. make sure that both feet are pointing straight ahead and that your heels stay on the floor the whole time.

Make sure that you hold the stretch position for 15 to 20 minutes for effective stretch. In the next post i will tell you about the stretching of arms and the shoulder.

Stretching - Introduction

I have seen many people stretching during workouts just for the sake of it, They twist their arm and legs quickly in some weird manner and start with their exercise. They forget that stretching is as important as the main exercise. One thing you should remember that stretching is not same as warm up! It is very important that you perform the general warmup before you stretch. A warmup exercise helps in increasing your core body temperature by one to two degrees. It is not a good idea to attempt to stretch before your muscles are warm.

In the next few posts i will show you how stretch your important muscles in the most effective manner. I will discuss stretching techniques, effects and its implication to fitness by dividing the body in three parts Upper limbs, lower limbs and the trunk. But lets first start with explaining stretching and why every one keeps talking about it.

Stretching is a general term used to describe any maneuver designed to increase the mobility of the soft tissues and increase the ROM (Range of motion) of the joints by lengthening the soft tissues (muscles,tendon,ligaments etc)

Benefits:
-reduced muscular tension,
-increased range of motion of joints,
-enhanced flexibility,
-improves coordination,
-increases body temperature and heart rate,
-increased blood flow to muscles,
-increased levels of glucose in the blood.

All this helps in making the body ready for the upcoming intensive exercise and prevents muscle injury or soreness.

Types:
The two commonest types of stretching are Static and Ballistic. In stretching the muscle and the soft tissues are just stressed to the point where there is a mild stretch of the muscle and it is kept stretched for few seconds. whereas in Ballistic method a rapid, forceful and bouncing stretch is applied . It is not recommended by experts so we will not talk about this.

Duration and Time:
As stated above stretching should be only done when the muscles are well warmed up. Another frequently debated point is how long one should stretch a muscle. From the various source material available, it seems to be anything from ten to sixty seconds (or even several minutes). Many researchers recommend thirty to sixty seconds. A compromise would seem to be about twenty seconds, however children and people whose bones are still growing should take care.

Contraindication:
-If a bone blocks motion.
-One has had a recent fracture of a bone.
-An infectious process in or around a joint is suspected or known.
-There is sharp, acute pain with joint movement or muscle elongation.
-One has had had a recent sprain or strain.
-There is a loss of function resulting in a decrease of range of motion of joints.
-Osteoporosis.

Remember proper breathing control is important for a successful stretch. Proper breathing helps to relax the body, increases blood flow throughout the body, and helps to mechanically remove by-products of exercise.

Keep reading for more posts on stretching.....

Eating Disorder

Anorexia nervosa is a really bad psychiatric diagnosis that describes an eating disorder characterized by low body weight and body image distortion with an obsessive fear of gaining weight। Individuals with anorexia often control body weight by voluntary starvation, purging, vomiting, excessive exercise, or other weight control measures, such as diet pills or diuretic drugs. It primarily affects young adolescent girls in the Western world and has one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric condition.

Recently a 21-year-old anorexic model who weighed only 88 pounds or 40 Kgs has died on the ramp. The model is Ana Carolina Reston, who had worked in China, Turkey, Mexico and Japan for several modeling agencies। After this episode the problem of anorexia has again taken the front seat. The world of fashion and modeling has long been targeted by critics who say it encourages women and girls to emulate ultra-thin models. Pressure has been building on the organizers not to use under weight models or with body index less than 18. The worst scenario is when children of all age group start to associate beauty with being undernourished. Being healthy and having a healthy body is what it's all about.The psychological pressure put on girls today to be thin and acceptable (not even for themselves but for others) is something encouraged constantly in advertisement and, well Hollywood, too.

We can only hope to teach younger people that beauty consists of layers and the outside is the one that lasts the least. We need to remind each other and ourselves constantly - especially young girls - that these images are not real.

Robot Trainers

Now is the time to say good bye to your Personal trainer and hire a robot , yes you heard it right a robot to assist you in your Training.

Doctors at the Harvard Medical School have invented a robot which can help in strength exercises in patients having weak muscles. the device is a lightweight elbow brace that employs an EMG sensor that sits on the surface of a user's bicep or tricep muscle, depending on desired motion.The studies showed that patients gained a significant movements with the robot arm and there where no compilations. The researchers are improvising on the robot to make it more portable, user friendly and comfortable.

Right now it is used only for paralyzed stroke survivors but may be in future it can be used by normal individuals, who knows........

Gambling - A compulsive disorder

According to a national gambling awareness group, the health affects of problem gambling -- including sleep and digestive disorders and heart conditions -- are often overlooked by physicians and mental health professionals. Gambling can become an addiction and disorder when the gambler becomes obsessed or can not control the urge to place bets. Gambling behavior that becomes excessive and continues despite serious financial, relationship and work problems is considered pathological (or compulsive). The American Psychiatric Association classifies pathological gambling as an impulse control disorder.

"Our research shows that 2 to 3 percent of the U.S. population will have a gambling problem in any given year," Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), said in a press release. His organization sponsors the National Problem Gambling Awareness Week observance, which is March 5-11 this year.

Whyte added: "Many of these gamblers first go to their primary care providers complaining of stress-related problems such as migraines, insomnia, stomach ailments and even cardiac distress." In addition, gamblers may be at higher risk of depression and alcohol and substance abuse.

"Of the thousands of problem gamblers who receive medical intervention every year, only few are ever diagnosed with the gambling disorder," Whyte said.