Fitness Tip Tuesdays: 7 Exercises That Will Ease Joint Pain

Fitness Tip Tuesdays: 7 Exercises That Will Ease Joint Pain ** image courtesy of VivaMagOnline.

Sometimes, after a run, I have a little bit of joint pain. I researched ways to help subside the pain and found an article from HealthCentral.com titled "7 Exercises That Will Ease Joint Pain". Here is what the article said:

Seven Exercises:

1) Yoga:

Yoga has been shown to improve physical function, strength and flexibility in people living with rheumatoid arthritis. But, it may be necessary to modify certain yoga poses to minimize joint stress.

 2) Tai Chi:

Tai Chi has been found to improve muscle strength, endurance, mood and quality of life in people with RA. Overall physical function may also improve, but, like yoga, some poses may need to be modified to protect the joints.

3) Stretching:

Stretching can help maintain or improve the flexibility in joints and surrounding muscles, which contributes to better posture and overall function. It also may help reduce the risk for injuries. Stretching exercises should be done three days a week, while holding each stretch for 30 seconds.

4) Range of Motion:

Range of motion (ROM) exercises are often used in therapeutic programs, as they can improve joint stiffness and flexibility. Some people find that doing ROM exercises in the evening helps reduce joint stiffness the next morning. They are usually done five to 10 times a day.

5) Water Exercise:

Water exercise or aerobics can be a good alternative for people with RA. The water can provide some resistance, while also being easy on the joints.

6) Resistance Training:

Resistance training and strengthening exercises are important, as strong muscles can provide greater joint support and reduce the load and stress through the joint. Muscle can also improve function and help reduce bone loss from inactivity.  Weight resistance should challenge the muscles without increasing joint pain. Even lifting a limb against gravity is a form of resistance training.



** If you would like to read more on the article, please visit HealthCentral.com


 

Fitness Tip Tuesdays: How To Get Rid Of Painful Runner's Knee

 Fitness Tip Tuesdays: How To Get Rid Of Painful Runner's Knee** image courtesy of Aligned

Running puts stress on your body, especially your joints. Runner's knee is not something that I have yet experienced, but I have had some knee pain from running before. Jim and Phil Wharton, from Runner's World Online, wrote an article titled "Cure Runner's Knee: Here's how to get rid of this painful runner's ailment". Here is what they had to say:

"Patellofemoral pain syndrome got its nickname for an obvious and very unfortunate reason--it's common among runners. The stress of running can cause irritation where the kneecap (patella) rests on the thighbone. The resulting pain can be sharp and sudden or dull and chronic, and it may disappear while you're running, only to return again afterward. While biomechanical issues may be to blame, the cause can often be traced back to poorly conditioned quadriceps and tight hamstrings. Weak quads aren't able to support the patella, leading it to track out of alignment, and inflexible hamstrings can put pressure on the knee. If you want to treat and avoid another bout with runner's knee, add strengthening and stretching to your routine. The three-step quadriceps exercise below is a good place to start. It works the muscles on the front, inside, and outside of your thigh. Do 10 reps of each part on both legs.

Quad Strengthener

Front Thigh: Lie on your back with an ankle weight on your right leg. Fully extend that leg and lock your knee. Keeping your foot relaxed and in a neutral position, lift your leg straight up toward your head as far as you can. Your goal should be to position your leg perpendicular to your body. Return to the starting position.

Inner Thigh: Do the same exercise, but this time, turn out your right leg (toes pointing away from you) to target your inner thigh muscles.

Outer Thigh: Repeat the same exercise again with your right leg turned in (toes pointing toward you) to isolate the muscles of your outer thigh."


** To read more on this article, please visit Runner's World.


Tune in next Tuesday for more running, fitness and exercise tips on Fitness Tips Tuesdays!

Also, check in tomorrow to see my sixth installment on Product Review Wednesdays!

Fitness Tip Tuesdays: How To Properly Do Interval Training

Fitness Tip Tuesdays: Interval Training
 ** image courtesy of Wikipedia

I have not done any type of interval training since high school when I ran cross-country and track. I remember that it benefited me greatly with improving my running form, endurance, motivation, and mind-body coordination. I did a little online research on interval training to find out new techniques that might aid me in becoming a better, faster runner.

Runner'sWorld.com describes interval training as this:

"Interval training, also known as interval workouts or interval runs, are short, intense efforts followed by equal or slightly longer recovery time. For example, after a warmup, run two minutes at a hard effort, followed by two to three minutes of easy jogging or walking to catch your breath. Unlike tempo workouts, you’re running above your red line and at an effort where you are reaching hard for air and counting the seconds until you can stop—a controlled fast effort followed by a truly easy jog. The secret is in the recovery as patience and discipline while you’re running easy allows you to run the next interval strong and finish the entire workout fatigued but not completely spent. Just like rest, your body adapts and gets stronger in the recovery mode."

I found an article from Active.com titled "3 Interval Training Plans To Build Fitness Fast" (Originally from Shape.com titled "Interval Training: Short Workouts That Really Pay Off" by Jason R. Karp). Here are the three interval training plans:


1) Cardio Blaster:

This is one of the best interval training workouts you can do to improve fitness. It burns lots of calories in a short amount of time.

How to do it:

• Warm up for 15 minutes.
• Then run, bike, or row for 3 minutes at 90 to 95 percent of your maximum heart rate (should feel like 8.5 or 9 on a scale of one to 10). Take three minutes active recovery (you're still moving, but at an easy pace) and repeat the 3 on/3 off pattern three to four more times.
• Finish with a 10-minute cooldown.

Bonus benefit: This workout is like weight training for your heart—it strengthens your cardiovascular system, which improves your overall health. 


2) Speedplay:

Sprinting is great for tightening and toning your legs, glutes, and core. It increases your muscle power, which helps you push harder and makes your non-interval training workouts feel easier so you can challenge yourself and burn even more calories. 
 
How to do it:

• Warm up for 15 minutes, adding a few 20-second bursts at the end to prepare for the workout.
• Run, bike, or row for 30 seconds at a nearly all-out effort. Take three minutes active recovery and repeat the 30 on/3 off pattern five or six more times.
• Finish with a 10-minute cool down.

3) Cardio-Sprint Pyramid:

This adds sprint interval training for a fast and fun workout. Here, after each burst of hard work, you'll recover for the same amount of time. 
 
How to do it:

• Warm up for 15 minutes, adding a few 20-second bursts at the end to prepare for the workout.
• Run, bike, or row: During the work periods, you should have a rate of perceived exertion (RPE of 8 to 10, followed by 30 seconds of active recovery.

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** Build and Taper the Workout Like This:

- 30 seconds sprint/30 seconds recover
- 1 minute sprint/1 minute recover
- 2 minutes sprint/2 minutes recover
- 4 minutes sprint/4 minutes recover
- 2 minutes sprint/2 minutes recover
- 1 minute sprint/1 minute recover
- 30 seconds sprint/30 seconds recover
* Finish with a 10 minute cool down

Bonus benefit: This major calorie-burning interval training plan gives you the best of both worlds—high-octane cardio and muscle-sculpting sprints. 



** To see the full definition of interval training,  please visit Runner'sWorld.com.
** To see the full article "3 Interval Training Plans To Build Fitness Fast", please visit Active.com.
** To see the original full article "Interval Training: Short Workouts That Really Pay Off", please visit Shape.com.



Tune in next Tuesday for more running, fitness and exercise tips on Fitness Tips Tuesdays!

Also, check in tomorrow to see my fifth installment on Product Review Wednesdays!