Most people make New Year’s resolutions each year – often making the same ones year after year. Why don’t we keep them? Consider what types of resolutions you are making. Are your resolutions goals you think you should have? Or are your resolutions goals society deems important?
Perhaps you don’t make resolutions at all because history tells you that you’ll break them eventually. What if instead you made a commitment to make this year extraordinary for yourself by designing your life and living with intention rather than reacting to the circumstances of your life? You may be thinking “easier said than done” but, in fact, creating a life that energizes you and stems from what is most important to you is simpler than you may think.
Who Is Really Running Your Life?
Imagine that our lives are like an onion. The outer layers are filled with other people’s expectations, rules, judgments, etc. In other words, all the “shoulds” in our lives. As you peel back some more layers, you get to the strategic part of yourself; this is the part that has figured out how to get what we want (e.g., “If I do X , then I should get Y”). As you continue to peel back each layer, you eventually get to the core. This core is your true self and what you really want.
You end up experiencing struggle and stress when your core is not aligned with the outer layers. When you make choices based on the “shoulds” or good ideas, your energy and commitment is often lower than when you make choices based on what lights you up and what is really most important in your life right now. Therefore, the more you can get in touch with what is really at your core, the more you can start to make choices that are intentional and serve your core as opposed to fighting it and trying to fit a mold you’ve decided others have of you.
Finding Your Core or True Self:
The outer layers certainly have their place, but most of us live our lives on the outer, strategic layers and just aimlessly go through life without a true sense of direction or purpose. Or perhaps we think we have a direction but haven’t stopped to think of how we’ll know once we’ve gotten there and what value this direction brings to our life. For example, you may know that if you exercise or eat healthy you will feel better and have more energy. But if you don’t go deeper than that to look at what “energy” looks like for you and what value it brings to your life, you will continue to stop short of your true goal.
However, when you do the work to continue to peel back the layers and get really clear about the core, your next steps just make sense. You can stop trying to figure out how to get where you want to go because it will be so clear. The key is to keep peeling back layers until you get in touch with what is really most important to you. If you’re not sure, keep digging. Most of our goals are really strategies designed to get us something else or bring us closer to something else. Your job is to determine what is underneath those strategies and what it is you really want; often a coach can be a powerful tool to serve you in finding this clarity.
Here is an example of getting to the core:
Coach: “What is it that you’re really wanting for yourself?”
Coachee: “I really want to lose weight?”
Coach: “What about losing weight is important to you?”
Coachee: “I don’t want to be at risk for disease. I know I’d feel better about myself and have more self-confidence and would have more energy. I just can’t seem to get motivated.”
Coach: “Tell me a little more about what self-confidence looks like for you.”
Coachee: “Well, I wouldn’t be worried what people think and would feel good in my clothes. I’d have energy to take on more stuff and would be more social than I am now…”
Coach: “That’s great. Can you tell me a little more about this energy you’d have since you’ve mentioned that a few times now?”
Coachee: “Sure. For me, having energy would mean not hitting snooze 3 times in the morning. I wouldn’t get sleepy around 2 p.m. and would be alert and be able to get all the things done I need to each day.”
Coach: “So, based on where you are right now, what is it you are really wanting and is most important to you?”
Coachee: “I guess what I’m really wanting is more energy…”
Coach: “Great. With that, what would it look like for you to have more energy in your life this week?”
This is a simplified example but shows that pausing to ask some simple questions peels back those layers until clarity emerges. Once this individual is clear that it is really energy that he/she is wanting, choices can be made in terms of “what will bring me the most energy right now?” The clarity of the core or true goal allows for better choices to be made where you are now designing your life rather than reacting to it.
It’s about simply pausing in the moment and asking yourself, “are my choices, actions, thoughts, etc. consistent with my core, or what is most important to me?” If not, then you have the power to change then so they are in alignment; it’s that simple. And it’s about not losing sight of what is really most important to you in the long run when that part of you emerges that would rather have immediate gratification – even if it’s not aligned with what you want most.
“The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what we want MOST for what we want NOW.” ~Zig Ziglar
You Train the World How to Treat You!
When you feel that struggle because what is most important to you and in alignment with your core is not supported by those around you, it’s a sign that perhaps you have some work to do to re-train those around you or simply speak up for yourself. Will it happen overnight? Of course not! However, the more you start saying “no” to things that are not aligned with your true self and where you want to be and start saying “yes” to those that are, the less struggle you will ultimately have. The key is starting by shifting your own thinking first.
What a powerful thing you can do for yourself this year! What if you simply committed to spending some time getting clarity about what really is most important to you? What might open up for you? Often finding this clarity about what is most important allows you to make choices without any residual guilt or “shoulds” because there’s a sense of peace when your choices come from that place of clarity.
Think about it, whenever you catch yourself judging someone or thinking “it should be this way” rather than how it currently is, it’s like telling someone, “excuse me, but would you mind not being you and instead being some image I’ve created for you that fits with my own thoughts, opinions, etc.?” But when you accept the world around you for what it is and then ask yourself “given these circumstances that I can’t change, what is it I’m wanting for myself?” This allows you to take on even the toughest challenges because you’re taking control of your role in your life and surroundings rather than getting upset about the circumstances or wasting energy trying to make things something they are not.
So make a different type of resolution this year and instead commit to YOU!
Author: Rosie Ward, MPH, CHES, Intrinsic Coach™; Health and Wellness Director, Northwestern Health Sciences University.
More:
Monday, January 26, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Get Energized
Feeling sluggish this season? try these all-natural remedies to RECHARGE your life and health.
by Trish Riley www.naturalhealthmag.com
Bodywork
Massage can help improveblood flow, allowing oxygen, nutrients, and hormones to travel more effectively. "We know that massage slows down heart rate, blood pressure, and the production of stress hormones," says Tiffany Field, Ph.D., founder and director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School ofMedicine and author of the forthcoming Complementary and Alternative Therapies (APA Books, 2007). Here are two types that can fortify energy-depleted bodies:
Shiatsu and Acupuncture
Two forms of bodywork that target the Chinese meridian system, or the 12 main channels through which energy circulates in the body, are shiatsu and acupuncture. Meridians are said to relate to major organs, and blockages in them are thought to lead to disease, emotional disorders, and fatigue, says Ted Thomas, a shiatsu therapist in Vancouver, Canada, and member of the American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia (aobta.org). With shiatsu, a Japanese therapy, practitioners apply pressure-using hands, thumbs, fingers, and sometimes elbows and knees-to open blocked meridians. Acupuncture, which uses fine needles to target meridians, also fights fatigue. A 2006 Mayo Clinic study found that it significantly reduced fatigue and anxiety in patients with fibromyalgia. Homework:Rub both ears between the thumb and first finger for 20 to 30 seconds for instant energy. "All meridians go through the ears, so rubbing the ears stimulates the whole body," says Kona, Hawaii-based Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., medical director of Fibromyalgia & Fatigue Centers, Inc. A foot rub can have the same effect, he adds.
by Trish Riley www.naturalhealthmag.com
Bodywork
Massage can help improveblood flow, allowing oxygen, nutrients, and hormones to travel more effectively. "We know that massage slows down heart rate, blood pressure, and the production of stress hormones," says Tiffany Field, Ph.D., founder and director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School ofMedicine and author of the forthcoming Complementary and Alternative Therapies (APA Books, 2007). Here are two types that can fortify energy-depleted bodies:
Shiatsu and Acupuncture
Two forms of bodywork that target the Chinese meridian system, or the 12 main channels through which energy circulates in the body, are shiatsu and acupuncture. Meridians are said to relate to major organs, and blockages in them are thought to lead to disease, emotional disorders, and fatigue, says Ted Thomas, a shiatsu therapist in Vancouver, Canada, and member of the American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia (aobta.org). With shiatsu, a Japanese therapy, practitioners apply pressure-using hands, thumbs, fingers, and sometimes elbows and knees-to open blocked meridians. Acupuncture, which uses fine needles to target meridians, also fights fatigue. A 2006 Mayo Clinic study found that it significantly reduced fatigue and anxiety in patients with fibromyalgia. Homework:Rub both ears between the thumb and first finger for 20 to 30 seconds for instant energy. "All meridians go through the ears, so rubbing the ears stimulates the whole body," says Kona, Hawaii-based Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., medical director of Fibromyalgia & Fatigue Centers, Inc. A foot rub can have the same effect, he adds.
Relationship Rules: Tips on how to build a healthy love life with your spouse
By: Hara Estroff Marano
Human beings crave intimacy, need to love and be loved. Yet people have much trouble doing so.It's clear from the many letters I get that lots of folks have no idea what a healthy relationship even looks like. Because I care about these things, and care about the environments children grow in, I'm using this space as an attempt to remedy the problem-again.From many sources and many experts, I have culled some basic rules of relationships. This is by no means an exhaustive list. But it's a start. Print them out and pin them up on your refrigerator door. I won't test you on them-but life will.
Choose a partner wisely and well. We are attracted to people for all kinds of reasons. They remind us of someone from our past. They shower us with gifts and make us feel important.
Evaluate a potential partner as you would a friend; look at their character, personality, values, their generosity of spirit, the relationship between their words and actions, their relationships with others.
Know your partner's beliefs about relationships. Different people have different and often conflicting beliefs about relationships. You don't want to fall in love with someone who expects lots of dishonesty in relationships; they'll create it where it doesn't exist.
Don't confuse sex with love. Especially in the beginning of a relationship, attraction and pleasure in sex are often mistaken for love.
Know your needs and speak up for them clearly. A relationship is not a guessing game. Many people, men as well as women, fear stating their needs and, as a result, camouflage them. The result is disappointment at not getting what they want and anger at a partner for not having met their (unstated) needs. Closeness cannot occur without honesty. Your partner is not a mind reader.
Respect, respect, respect. Inside and outside the relationship, act in ways so that your partner always maintains respect for you. Mutual respect is essential to a good relationship.
View yourselves as a team, which means you are two unique individuals bringing different perspectives and strengths. That is the value of a team-your differences.
Know how to manage differences; it's the key to success in a relationship. Disagreements don't sink relationships. Name-calling does. Learn how to handle the negative feelings that are the unavoidable byproduct of the differences between two people. Stonewalling or avoiding conflicts is NOT managing them.
If you don't understand or like something your partner is doing, ask about it and why he or she is doing it. Talk and explore, don't assume.
Solve problems as they arise. Don't let resentments simmer. Most of what goes wrong in relationships can be traced to hurt feelings, leading partners to erect defenses against one another and to become strangers. Or enemies.
Learn to negotiate. Modern relationships no longer rely on roles cast by the culture. Couples create their own roles, so that virtually every act requires negotiation. It works best when good will prevails. Because people's needs are fluid and change over time, and life's demands change too, good relationships are negotiated and renegotiated all the time.
Listen, truly listen, to your partner's concerns and complaints without judgment. Much of the time, just having someone listen is all we need for solving problems. Plus it opens the door to confiding. And empathy is crucial. Look at things from your partner's perspective as well as your own.
Work hard at maintaining closeness. Closeness doesn't happen by itself. In its absence, people drift apart and are susceptible to affairs. A good relationship isn't an end goal; it's a lifelong process maintained through regular attention.
Take a long-range view. A marriage is an agreement to spend a future together. Check out your dreams with each other regularly to make sure you're both on the same path. Update your dreams regularly.
Never underestimate the power of good grooming.
Sex is good. Pillow talk is better. Sex is easy, intimacy is difficult. It requires honesty, openness, self-disclosure, confiding concerns, fears, sadnesses as well as hopes and dreams.
Never go to sleep angry. Try a little tenderness.
Apologize, apologize, apologize. Anyone can make a mistake. Repair attempts are crucial-highly predictive of marital happiness. They can be clumsy or funny, even sarcastic-but willingness to make up after an argument is central to every happy marriage.
Some dependency is good, but complete dependency on a partner for all one's needs is an invitation to unhappiness for both partners. We're all dependent to a degree-on friends, mentors, spouses. This is true of men as well as women.
Maintain self-respect and self-esteem. It's easier for someone to like you and to be around you when you like yourself. Research has shown that the more roles people fill, the more sources of self-esteem they have. Meaningful work-paid or volunteer-has long been one of the most important ways to exercise and fortify a sense of self.
Enrich your relationship by bringing into it new interests from outside the relationship. The more passions in life that you have and share, the richer your relationship will be. It is unrealistic to expect one person to meet all of your needs in life.
Cooperate, cooperate, cooperate. Share responsibilities. Relationships work ONLY when they are two-way streets, with much give and take.
Stay open to spontaneity.
Maintain your energy. Stay healthy.
Recognize that all relationships have their ups and downs and do not ride at a continuous high all the time. Working together through the hard times will make the relationship stronger.
Make good sense of a bad relationship by examining it as a reflection of your beliefs about yourself. Don't just run away from a bad relationship; you'll only repeat it with the next partner. Use it as a mirror to look at yourself, to understand what in you is creating this relationship.
Change yourself before you change your relationship.
Understand that love is not an absolute, not a limited commodity that you're in of or out of. It's a feeling that ebbs and flows depending on how you treat each other. If you learn new ways to interact, the feelings can come flowing back, often stronger than before.
Psychology Today Magazine, Oct/Nov 2004Last Reviewed 3 Nov 2008Article ID: 354
Human beings crave intimacy, need to love and be loved. Yet people have much trouble doing so.It's clear from the many letters I get that lots of folks have no idea what a healthy relationship even looks like. Because I care about these things, and care about the environments children grow in, I'm using this space as an attempt to remedy the problem-again.From many sources and many experts, I have culled some basic rules of relationships. This is by no means an exhaustive list. But it's a start. Print them out and pin them up on your refrigerator door. I won't test you on them-but life will.
Choose a partner wisely and well. We are attracted to people for all kinds of reasons. They remind us of someone from our past. They shower us with gifts and make us feel important.
Evaluate a potential partner as you would a friend; look at their character, personality, values, their generosity of spirit, the relationship between their words and actions, their relationships with others.
Know your partner's beliefs about relationships. Different people have different and often conflicting beliefs about relationships. You don't want to fall in love with someone who expects lots of dishonesty in relationships; they'll create it where it doesn't exist.
Don't confuse sex with love. Especially in the beginning of a relationship, attraction and pleasure in sex are often mistaken for love.
Know your needs and speak up for them clearly. A relationship is not a guessing game. Many people, men as well as women, fear stating their needs and, as a result, camouflage them. The result is disappointment at not getting what they want and anger at a partner for not having met their (unstated) needs. Closeness cannot occur without honesty. Your partner is not a mind reader.
Respect, respect, respect. Inside and outside the relationship, act in ways so that your partner always maintains respect for you. Mutual respect is essential to a good relationship.
View yourselves as a team, which means you are two unique individuals bringing different perspectives and strengths. That is the value of a team-your differences.
Know how to manage differences; it's the key to success in a relationship. Disagreements don't sink relationships. Name-calling does. Learn how to handle the negative feelings that are the unavoidable byproduct of the differences between two people. Stonewalling or avoiding conflicts is NOT managing them.
If you don't understand or like something your partner is doing, ask about it and why he or she is doing it. Talk and explore, don't assume.
Solve problems as they arise. Don't let resentments simmer. Most of what goes wrong in relationships can be traced to hurt feelings, leading partners to erect defenses against one another and to become strangers. Or enemies.
Learn to negotiate. Modern relationships no longer rely on roles cast by the culture. Couples create their own roles, so that virtually every act requires negotiation. It works best when good will prevails. Because people's needs are fluid and change over time, and life's demands change too, good relationships are negotiated and renegotiated all the time.
Listen, truly listen, to your partner's concerns and complaints without judgment. Much of the time, just having someone listen is all we need for solving problems. Plus it opens the door to confiding. And empathy is crucial. Look at things from your partner's perspective as well as your own.
Work hard at maintaining closeness. Closeness doesn't happen by itself. In its absence, people drift apart and are susceptible to affairs. A good relationship isn't an end goal; it's a lifelong process maintained through regular attention.
Take a long-range view. A marriage is an agreement to spend a future together. Check out your dreams with each other regularly to make sure you're both on the same path. Update your dreams regularly.
Never underestimate the power of good grooming.
Sex is good. Pillow talk is better. Sex is easy, intimacy is difficult. It requires honesty, openness, self-disclosure, confiding concerns, fears, sadnesses as well as hopes and dreams.
Never go to sleep angry. Try a little tenderness.
Apologize, apologize, apologize. Anyone can make a mistake. Repair attempts are crucial-highly predictive of marital happiness. They can be clumsy or funny, even sarcastic-but willingness to make up after an argument is central to every happy marriage.
Some dependency is good, but complete dependency on a partner for all one's needs is an invitation to unhappiness for both partners. We're all dependent to a degree-on friends, mentors, spouses. This is true of men as well as women.
Maintain self-respect and self-esteem. It's easier for someone to like you and to be around you when you like yourself. Research has shown that the more roles people fill, the more sources of self-esteem they have. Meaningful work-paid or volunteer-has long been one of the most important ways to exercise and fortify a sense of self.
Enrich your relationship by bringing into it new interests from outside the relationship. The more passions in life that you have and share, the richer your relationship will be. It is unrealistic to expect one person to meet all of your needs in life.
Cooperate, cooperate, cooperate. Share responsibilities. Relationships work ONLY when they are two-way streets, with much give and take.
Stay open to spontaneity.
Maintain your energy. Stay healthy.
Recognize that all relationships have their ups and downs and do not ride at a continuous high all the time. Working together through the hard times will make the relationship stronger.
Make good sense of a bad relationship by examining it as a reflection of your beliefs about yourself. Don't just run away from a bad relationship; you'll only repeat it with the next partner. Use it as a mirror to look at yourself, to understand what in you is creating this relationship.
Change yourself before you change your relationship.
Understand that love is not an absolute, not a limited commodity that you're in of or out of. It's a feeling that ebbs and flows depending on how you treat each other. If you learn new ways to interact, the feelings can come flowing back, often stronger than before.
Psychology Today Magazine, Oct/Nov 2004Last Reviewed 3 Nov 2008Article ID: 354
Are you taking too many supplements? Not enough?
Nutritional status is a vital foundation of health and performance. Spectracell’s FIA™ test, now available at Triune Wellenss, is an innovative assessment of nutritional status. Unlike traditional serum, hair and urine tests, Spectracell’s FIA™ evaluates how an individual’s white blood cells respond to varied environments of over 30 vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. As a result, individual differences in metabolism, age, genetics, health, prescription drug usage, absorption rate or other factors are taken into consideration.
A simple non-fasting blood draw is necessary to run the test and your follow up visit At Triune will provide you with your results and repletion suggestions.
We will be testing for the following deficiencies:
Vitamins
Vitamin A • Vitamin B1 • Vitamin B2 • Vitamin B3 • Vitamin B6 • Vitamin B12 • Biotin • Folate • Pantothenate • Vitamin C • Vitamin D
Minerals
Calcium • Magnesium • Zinc • Copper
Amino Acids
Asparagine • Glutamine • Serine
Antioxidants
Alpha Lipoic Acid • CoenzymeQ10 • Cysteine • Glutathione • Selenium • Vitamin E
Spectrox™ for Antioxidant Function
Carbohydrate Metabolism
Chromium•Fructose Sensitivity•Glucose-Insulin Metabolism
Fatty Acids
Oleic Acid
Metabolites
Choline • Inositol • Carnitine
Testing is now available at TRIUNE! Patients with eligible Insurance pay $160-$315 and Medicare patients $98 (total value $1,842). Call today to schedule your appointment. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the office for further information at 215-627-6279 or visit our website www.tri-une.com.
A simple non-fasting blood draw is necessary to run the test and your follow up visit At Triune will provide you with your results and repletion suggestions.
We will be testing for the following deficiencies:
Vitamins
Vitamin A • Vitamin B1 • Vitamin B2 • Vitamin B3 • Vitamin B6 • Vitamin B12 • Biotin • Folate • Pantothenate • Vitamin C • Vitamin D
Minerals
Calcium • Magnesium • Zinc • Copper
Amino Acids
Asparagine • Glutamine • Serine
Antioxidants
Alpha Lipoic Acid • CoenzymeQ10 • Cysteine • Glutathione • Selenium • Vitamin E
Spectrox™ for Antioxidant Function
Carbohydrate Metabolism
Chromium•Fructose Sensitivity•Glucose-Insulin Metabolism
Fatty Acids
Oleic Acid
Metabolites
Choline • Inositol • Carnitine
Testing is now available at TRIUNE! Patients with eligible Insurance pay $160-$315 and Medicare patients $98 (total value $1,842). Call today to schedule your appointment. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the office for further information at 215-627-6279 or visit our website www.tri-une.com.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Winter Sports Safety for Kids: Sledding, Skiing, Snowboarding, And Skating
There's a blizzard outside…and school is cancelled. Kids are constantly nagging their parents about going outside to slide down the huge, snow-covered hill in the backyard. Before the parents have the chance to say “yes” or “no,” the child only puts on his jacket, no hats or mittens, and grabs the broken, old sled in the corner and rushes outside. But will the child be properly prepared for winter’s harsh elements? The answer is most likely not. What can parents and coaches do to make sure their kids are safe while playing winter sports like sledding, skiing, snowboarding, or ice skating?
The following are some tips from the Nemours Foundation on how to play it safe on the snow or ice this winter:
Stay Warm:
Dress in layers and don’t forget the hat, mittens and gloves! Your body needs to stay warm to work properly and the more layers you have, the longer you can stay outside.
Fun in the Sun:
Put on sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15 when you are playing winter sports outside during the daylight hours. Sunlight reflects off all that bright white snow and ice and back onto your face.
Sledding:
* Type of sled:
o Have a sturdy sled that you can steer;
o Handholds should be easy to grab;
o The seat of the sled should be padded;
o Never use homemade sleds like garbage-can lids, plastic bags, or pool floats because these are dangerous and hard to steer; and
o Never use a sled that has any sharp, jagged edges or broken parts.
* Before you slide down the hill:
o If using one sled, don’t go over the weight limit and look at the label for the number of pounds the sled will hold;
o If there is one sled per person, make sure the person sledding before you is well out of the way before you take off; and
o Sit on the sled, don't lie down because this increases the chance of losing control and flipping over.
* What to wear:
o Wear gloves, mittens, and boots to help keep you warm and prevent you from injuring your hands and feet; and
o Wear a bike helmet to protect your head.
* Where to sled:
o Make sure the hill isn’t too steep and that it’s covered with snow, not ice;
o Avoid sledding down hills with bushes, trees, and rocks; and
o Sled only during daylight hours or in well-lit areas.
Skating:
* Only skate on approved ice that is marked by the police or recreation department as safe;
* Stay within the designated skating area
* Ice skates must fit properly;
* Skate in the same direction as the rest of the crowd;
* Watch where you're going and make sure you have lots of room to move;
* Remove gum or candy from your mouth to prevent choking oron it or have it fall out of your mouth and trip on it.
* If playing hockey, don’t step out on the ice without the proper gear — padding and the right helmet; and
* If you are not sure what gear is needed, ask an ice-hockey coach or professional at a sporting goods store.
Skiiing and Snowboarding:
* Wear equipment that fits you properly, including the boots, bindings, skis, googles, knee pads (snowboarding), and helmets;
* Take at least one skiing or snowboarding lesson before you take off because this can prevent frustration and injury before you have chance to enjoy the sport;
* Have parents or instructors choose the right trail for you based on your skill level — start off on the easier slopes and move to the harder ones later;
* Be aware of your surroundings to avoid collisions with others; and
* Take it slow, don’t rush!
Source: The Nemours Foundation.
The following are some tips from the Nemours Foundation on how to play it safe on the snow or ice this winter:
Stay Warm:
Dress in layers and don’t forget the hat, mittens and gloves! Your body needs to stay warm to work properly and the more layers you have, the longer you can stay outside.
Fun in the Sun:
Put on sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15 when you are playing winter sports outside during the daylight hours. Sunlight reflects off all that bright white snow and ice and back onto your face.
Sledding:
* Type of sled:
o Have a sturdy sled that you can steer;
o Handholds should be easy to grab;
o The seat of the sled should be padded;
o Never use homemade sleds like garbage-can lids, plastic bags, or pool floats because these are dangerous and hard to steer; and
o Never use a sled that has any sharp, jagged edges or broken parts.
* Before you slide down the hill:
o If using one sled, don’t go over the weight limit and look at the label for the number of pounds the sled will hold;
o If there is one sled per person, make sure the person sledding before you is well out of the way before you take off; and
o Sit on the sled, don't lie down because this increases the chance of losing control and flipping over.
* What to wear:
o Wear gloves, mittens, and boots to help keep you warm and prevent you from injuring your hands and feet; and
o Wear a bike helmet to protect your head.
* Where to sled:
o Make sure the hill isn’t too steep and that it’s covered with snow, not ice;
o Avoid sledding down hills with bushes, trees, and rocks; and
o Sled only during daylight hours or in well-lit areas.
Skating:
* Only skate on approved ice that is marked by the police or recreation department as safe;
* Stay within the designated skating area
* Ice skates must fit properly;
* Skate in the same direction as the rest of the crowd;
* Watch where you're going and make sure you have lots of room to move;
* Remove gum or candy from your mouth to prevent choking oron it or have it fall out of your mouth and trip on it.
* If playing hockey, don’t step out on the ice without the proper gear — padding and the right helmet; and
* If you are not sure what gear is needed, ask an ice-hockey coach or professional at a sporting goods store.
Skiiing and Snowboarding:
* Wear equipment that fits you properly, including the boots, bindings, skis, googles, knee pads (snowboarding), and helmets;
* Take at least one skiing or snowboarding lesson before you take off because this can prevent frustration and injury before you have chance to enjoy the sport;
* Have parents or instructors choose the right trail for you based on your skill level — start off on the easier slopes and move to the harder ones later;
* Be aware of your surroundings to avoid collisions with others; and
* Take it slow, don’t rush!
Source: The Nemours Foundation.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Posture and Back Pain
If you’ve ever suffered from back pain (whether lower or upper), the pain you have could be attributed to your posture. According to the Health Education Bureau, although bad posture may not cause significant discomfort, continual poor posture will cause back pain in the long term. Maintaining good posture is one of the easiest ways to prevent back pain.
Posture is the position in which you hold your body upright against gravity while standing, sitting or lying down. In order to have good posture, you must train your body to stand, walk, sit and lie in positions that places the least stress on supporting muscles and ligaments during movement or weight-bearing activities. According to the Cleveland Clinic, maintaining proper posture is important because it:
* Keeps bones and joints in the correct alignment, allowing muscles to function properly;
* Helps decrease the abnormal wearing of joint surfaces that could result in arthritis;
* Decreases the stress on the ligaments holding the joints of the spine together;
* Prevents the spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions;
* Prevents fatigue by allowing the body to use less energy;
* Prevents strain or overuse problems;
* Prevents backaches and muscular pain; and
* Contributes to a good appearance.
Aside from maintaining fitness and flexibility and developing a reserve of strength, it is important to be able to identify poor posture, its risks, and to avoid potentially harmful situations. Spine-health.com offers these four basic rules:
1. Prolonged static posture is the enemy: Your body can only tolerate being in one position for approximately 20 minutes. This is why driving or sitting at your desk can become uncomfortable after a short period of time. Holding the same position slowly stretches the elasticity out of tissues and as stress builds up, it causes discomfort. The solution? Change positions frequently. Sit down if you’ve been standing for a while, and move around if you’ve been standing. Take short breaks throughout the day and alternate posture and if you must sit or stand for long periods of time, alternate your position frequently.
2. Frequent or repetitive stretching can bind joints: This is especially true when you continually stretch to the end range of motion or maintain awkward, angled postures. Injury is very likely if you do a lot of lifting from the floor, lifting overhead, moving bulks loads, or find yourself twisting while picking up materials.
3. Heavy loads offer greater risk: To prevent injury, be sure to have the proper tools or another person to help when you must lift or move heavy or bulky objects.
4. Fatigue makes you move more awkwardly: If you are overtired or feel fatigued, avoid lifting heavy objects alone.
When you are standing or sitting with good posture, your spine takes on an “S” shape. When your body is continually subjected to bad posture, your spine often adapts a “C” shape. Unfortunately, this is the position most people sit in on a daily basis. Sitting in the “C” position puts a great deal of pressure on the spine. This stress is progressively built up, with most stress down in the lumbar spine (where most back pain occurs).
PREVENTING BACK PAIN
Back pain is often the result of poor posture, heavy lifting, or any activity that puts the spine at an abnormal position. Spine-health.com offers some suggestions for preventing injury during daily tasks:
Lifting
* Lifting heavy objects is hard on your lumbar spine: It is extremely important to use a diagonal foot position and get as close to the item as possible. Lift with your knees, not with your back, and keep the item as close to your body as you can when standing up.
* It is easier to move loads that are waist-high (or off the floor): Repetitive lifting from the floor is particularly risky, so try to get the material off the floor using the help of another person or a mechanical device.
* Keep all loads as close to your center of gravity as possible: Carrying loads on your shoulder is safer for long and narrow material. An example of such material would be a roll of carpet.
* If the item has a handle, place a hand on your knee to get additional leverage: Also be sure to use a diagonal foot position. Carrying two objects of the same weight will balance the load as long as the weight of the load is reasonable.
* Pivot, don’t twist: Pivoting means moving your shoulders, hips and feet with the load in front of you at all times. The lower back is not designed to torque or twist repetitively. Whether you are using a shovel or moving something, always avoid twisting your back.
Pushing Versus Pulling
* Pushing an object is often easier on your back than pulling. You should use your arms and legs – not your back – to provide the leverage to start the push.
* Handles that are waist high are easiest for pushing.
* If you have to pull something, keep it at your side: This prevents twisting of your lower back.
* For very large loads, turn around and use your back to push against the object: This allows you to get the best effort from your legs while protecting your back at the same time.
Sources: The Cleveland Clinic, Spine-health.com, The Back Shop.
Posture is the position in which you hold your body upright against gravity while standing, sitting or lying down. In order to have good posture, you must train your body to stand, walk, sit and lie in positions that places the least stress on supporting muscles and ligaments during movement or weight-bearing activities. According to the Cleveland Clinic, maintaining proper posture is important because it:
* Keeps bones and joints in the correct alignment, allowing muscles to function properly;
* Helps decrease the abnormal wearing of joint surfaces that could result in arthritis;
* Decreases the stress on the ligaments holding the joints of the spine together;
* Prevents the spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions;
* Prevents fatigue by allowing the body to use less energy;
* Prevents strain or overuse problems;
* Prevents backaches and muscular pain; and
* Contributes to a good appearance.
Aside from maintaining fitness and flexibility and developing a reserve of strength, it is important to be able to identify poor posture, its risks, and to avoid potentially harmful situations. Spine-health.com offers these four basic rules:
1. Prolonged static posture is the enemy: Your body can only tolerate being in one position for approximately 20 minutes. This is why driving or sitting at your desk can become uncomfortable after a short period of time. Holding the same position slowly stretches the elasticity out of tissues and as stress builds up, it causes discomfort. The solution? Change positions frequently. Sit down if you’ve been standing for a while, and move around if you’ve been standing. Take short breaks throughout the day and alternate posture and if you must sit or stand for long periods of time, alternate your position frequently.
2. Frequent or repetitive stretching can bind joints: This is especially true when you continually stretch to the end range of motion or maintain awkward, angled postures. Injury is very likely if you do a lot of lifting from the floor, lifting overhead, moving bulks loads, or find yourself twisting while picking up materials.
3. Heavy loads offer greater risk: To prevent injury, be sure to have the proper tools or another person to help when you must lift or move heavy or bulky objects.
4. Fatigue makes you move more awkwardly: If you are overtired or feel fatigued, avoid lifting heavy objects alone.
When you are standing or sitting with good posture, your spine takes on an “S” shape. When your body is continually subjected to bad posture, your spine often adapts a “C” shape. Unfortunately, this is the position most people sit in on a daily basis. Sitting in the “C” position puts a great deal of pressure on the spine. This stress is progressively built up, with most stress down in the lumbar spine (where most back pain occurs).
PREVENTING BACK PAIN
Back pain is often the result of poor posture, heavy lifting, or any activity that puts the spine at an abnormal position. Spine-health.com offers some suggestions for preventing injury during daily tasks:
Lifting
* Lifting heavy objects is hard on your lumbar spine: It is extremely important to use a diagonal foot position and get as close to the item as possible. Lift with your knees, not with your back, and keep the item as close to your body as you can when standing up.
* It is easier to move loads that are waist-high (or off the floor): Repetitive lifting from the floor is particularly risky, so try to get the material off the floor using the help of another person or a mechanical device.
* Keep all loads as close to your center of gravity as possible: Carrying loads on your shoulder is safer for long and narrow material. An example of such material would be a roll of carpet.
* If the item has a handle, place a hand on your knee to get additional leverage: Also be sure to use a diagonal foot position. Carrying two objects of the same weight will balance the load as long as the weight of the load is reasonable.
* Pivot, don’t twist: Pivoting means moving your shoulders, hips and feet with the load in front of you at all times. The lower back is not designed to torque or twist repetitively. Whether you are using a shovel or moving something, always avoid twisting your back.
Pushing Versus Pulling
* Pushing an object is often easier on your back than pulling. You should use your arms and legs – not your back – to provide the leverage to start the push.
* Handles that are waist high are easiest for pushing.
* If you have to pull something, keep it at your side: This prevents twisting of your lower back.
* For very large loads, turn around and use your back to push against the object: This allows you to get the best effort from your legs while protecting your back at the same time.
Sources: The Cleveland Clinic, Spine-health.com, The Back Shop.
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