Muscle Cramps During Exercise - Causes And Solutions

 

It has happened to all of us.  In the middle of exercising, the muscles suddenly cramp and you have to stop and wait for the muscle to quit cramping.  It always happens at the wrong moment. My mother always handed me a banana to take care of the problem but it didn't always work.  In addition, things have changed so that isn't always the recommended method of treating exercise induced muscle cramps.

By definition, a muscle cramp is when contracts strongly without your control.  Although any muscle can spasm, the calf muscles, foot muscles, the quadriceps, and hamstrings are the ones most likely to act out during exercising.  According to research a person's chances of experiencing exercise induced muscle cramps increases with age and with increased body mass index or BMI.

Should muscle cramps occur while exercising, you should immediately stop exercising to slowly and gently stretch the muscles,  The stretching position should be held at least 30 seconds because you want the muscles to relax. Each stretching exercise may need done multiple times to relax the cramping muscle.  You might also need to gently rub the muscle or drink a hydrating liquid to provide electrolytes if you are dehydrated.

Suggest exercises for spasming calf muscles include standing in a lunge position with the affected leg stretched out behind you.  Push your heal towards the ground and hold for 30 seconds or pull the toes and foot upward towards the shin and hold for 30 seconds.  If the muscles in your feet cramp, grab the toes and pull upwards for 30 seconds.

Should the front of your thigh or quadriceps spasm, grab your toes or ankle and pull backwards towards the back of your thigh and hold for 30 seconds.  On the other hand, if your hamstrings spasm, sit on the ground, with both legs straight in front of you and reach down towards your toes.  Hold for 30 seconds.  You can repeat any of these exercises as necessary.

Unfortunately, no one knows what causes muscles to cramp during exercise but there are a few things you can do to cut down on the possibility of getting them. First and foremost, always do a proper warmup so your muscles are ready to go and don't forget to stretch the muscles regularly.  Next, make sure you have enough liquids so you do not become hydrated.  Keep an eye on your electrolytes because it is easy to sweat enough salt out of the body to cause cramps.  Finally, eat a healthy diet so you have enough carbohydrates as this helps cut down on muscle fatigue.

Although muscles cramps cannot be totally avoided, you can cut down on their happening by following the above guidelines.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

What To Look For In Sunscreen.

 

Although one should always wear sunscreen, people don't think about it much until the days get longer and the temperature rises.  I admit, it is hard thinking about wearing sunscreen when it is still in the negative temperatures but I also know how important it is to wear, no matter what.  Since we are almost at the time of year that we spring forward into daylight savings time, I've decided to visit the topic of what one should look for when purchasing sunscreen.

The problem with sunscreens is that not all of them are created equally. You want one that will allow protect you from sunburn, skin cancer, and help slow down early signs of premature aging.  It is fine to have skin that is not tanned. Did you know that one in five people will develop skin cancer in their life time? 

When shopping for sunscreen, look for a SPF of 30 or higher for the best protection. Although you can find sunscreens with SPF's of higher than 50, most organizations state that anything higher than a 50 is not any more effective than a 50.  An SPF of 30 prevents about 97 percent of UVB rays from reaching your skin while one containing an SPF of 50 prevents about one more percent of rays from reaching your skin. In addition, make sure that it is labeled as being broad spectrum.  This means it will protect you from both UVA and UVB rays as both can damage your skin.  It is important to make sure the sunscreen is water resistant so you know it will stay on wet or sweaty skin for a while.  Most water resistant sunscreens stay on either 40 or 80 minutes before it needs to be reapplied.  It should say on the bottle.

Furthermore, it is advised that one use one ounce of sunscreen or the equivalent of a shot glass worth every time you put it on.  This provides the best coverage and it should be reapplied every couple of hours for the best protection. In addition, know whether you are using a mineral or chemical sunscreen.  A mineral sunscreen remains on top of the skin where it filters out the suns rays.  Mineral sunscreens usually contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.  On the other hand, a chemical sunscreens containing oxybenzone, avobenzone, or homosalate  are absorbed into the skin where they turn UV rays into heat and reflected off the body.

When you shop for sunscreen, look for one that matches your skin type so that you do not make your oily skin oilier or dry out your skin too much.  Now a days, sun screens are made for a variety of skin types.  In addition, look at whether it is a spray, solid stick, or liquid.  The problem with sprays is you don't know when you've put an ounce of sunscreen on and to get the most effectiveness out of the product, rub it in once you've finished spraying it.

 Having looked at what to look for in a sunscreen, there are some ingredients you should avoid so read the bottles very carefully.  Try to avoid any product with parabens, since they could possibly cause cancer. In addition, try to avoid sunscreens with fragrances, chemicals, or dyes because they might irritate your skin and many people have a sensitivity towards fragrances. 

Finally, even if your makeup has sunscreen, apply a layer of sunscreen on top of it to provide maximum coverage. If you don't like sunscreen per say, think about getting a tinted sunscreen that matches your skin tone so you get the look you want with the best protection.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

Best Ways To Increase Metabolism.

 

We've all heard that our metabolism slows as we age but that isn't quite true. Sometimes it is not that our metabolism is slowing due to age but that we no longer do the same activities we did when we were younger.  In fact, there are studies that show metabolism does not really start slowing until we reach the age of 60.

Earlier this year, I discovered I'd gained several pounds in a rather short period of time.  The doctor didn't seem too concerned but I was since I knew that gaining wait could lead to certain health issues.  So I took time to sit down and realize that I was not exercising as much and eating more.  I immediately looked for ways to increase my metabolism. The above mentioned study indicates that the best step to take to have a good metabolism is to have a lean body mass.

Metabolism is defined as the amount of energy your body burns in calories. If you eat more calories than your body uses, your metabolism will seem slower but if your body uses more calories than it consumes, your metabolism will seem faster.

When you talk about metabolism, you are referring to one of three things.  The first is the basal metabolic rate which refers to the rate your body burns calories when you are at rest. Second looks at how fast your body burn calories when it is digesting the food you eat.  The third focuses on how many calories are burned when you move around. Although some of it is controlled by genetics, there are choices a person can make to help improve their metabolism.

One step you can take is to eat more protein since it takes more calories to burn a gram of protein as compared to a gram of carbohydrates. So if you replace some of the carbohydrates with protein, your body will use more calories when it is a rest.  A study showed that people whose diet contained about one third protein tended to burn over 200 calories more each day while at rest than people whose died was composed of about 11 percent protein.

Another is to exercise more.  It is important to choose exercises that build muscles since increasing the amount of muscle also increases the amount of calories burned. Don't forget to  improve your cardio health at the same time.  As for gaining muscle, think about lifting weights, using resistance bands, or other forms of resistance training. Think about adding High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT to help increase your metabolism. The nice thing about HIIT training is that it helps to build muscle while increasing the amount of energy your body burns. In addition, it helps your body keep burning muscles for up to one day after doing it.

Eliminate sugared drinks from your diet and replace with cold water.  The cold water requires your body to burn calories to raise its internal temperature.  There are people out there who tell you to drink more coffee or green tea because they supposedly increase your metabolism but it appears this is not true based on several studies.

Finally, make sure you get enough sleep every single night.  When you don't get enough sleep, your body tends to demand you eat more calories so it is strongly recommended that you get 7 to 8 hours every night.

The best way to help your metabolism is to eat a healthy diet without over indulging. It doesn't matter how how many things you do to improve your metabolism if you are eating all the wrong things or eating too many calories.  The three biggest things you can do is to sleep more, exercise more, and eat better.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

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The Best Ingredients For Face Creams.

 I admit that it is always so hard when I go looking for face cream.  The aisles are filled with so many different types, different ingredients, and the number is mind boggling. I tend to find face creams I like and I stick with them until they are no longer manufactured since I hate trying to figure out which ones I want.  So today, we'll visit at what you should look for in a face cream.

One should begin using face cream in your mid to late 20's to experience the most benefits.  In addition, it is recommended you purchase a cream designed specifically for your skin type. If you aren't sure what type of skin you have, talk to a dermatologist. It is also recommended that you use two different creams - one in the morning and one at night.

The biggest reason to use a face cream is that the cream helps seal in your skin's moisture and helps the skin retain elasticity. A face cream also helps provide a protective barrier for your skin. When you look at face creams, look for one that says its noncomedogenic which means that it does not block pores so you won't break out. 

During daylight, you should use a day cream. A day cream is lighter on your skin than the night cream which is designed to penetrate to help repair your skin.  A day cream should contain sunscreen and vitamin C.  Vitamin C helps brighten your skin, even the color, and helps cells overall.  If your day cream does not include sunscreen, it should be applied separately year round so you don't experience sun damage. 

For a night cream, one should look for ingredients such as Retinol, or Hyaluronic acid because night creams are designed to moisturize your skin while repairing and soothing it at the same time over night as you sleep.  One should look for retinol which is a derivative of vitamin A. It helps with fine lines, wrinkles, and brown spots but it can irritate sensitive skin so only use it three times a week at first.  Next, check for alpha and beta hydroxy acids since these gently exfoliate nd soften your skin so the cream penetrates better.  Hyaluronic acid is great since it helps your skin absorb and retain moisture so your skin looks more alive.  There should also be vitamin E as it is a antioxidant that helps both moisturize and brighten your skin.  

If you have sensitive skin or you are older , you should look for ceramides since they are a natural protein found in the outer layer of the skin.  They help keep moisture in your skin and protect it from the enviornment.  If you are older, your skin does not produce as many ceramides as it did in your twenties, so this ingredient helps.

Another ingredient to look for if you have sensitive skin is glycerin because it is a natural moisturizer that helps heal the skin.  A gentler exfoliant is lactic acid and it removes dead skin cells so your skin absorbs moisture better.  

So these are ingredients to look for in your face cream.  Next week, I'll look at ways to increase your metabolism naturally and ingredients one might find in moisturizers that are really beneficial and were not discussed here.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great weekend.

Metabolic Conditioning.

 

I have been following a program to help me get in better shape. It is an eight week course with lots of DVD's filled with toning, cardio, and so much more.  The other night, I did the one called metabolic conditioning.  It was a good workout but I wondered if there really was an exercise routine by this name or if it was something created by the instructor.  Turns out, metabolic conditioning is real.

Metabolic conditioning is a series of exercises designed to increase the amount of energy both stored in and released by your body. In other words, this workout helps you burn the maximum number of calories within a specific time frame.  Metabolic conditioning or MetCon for short uses high intensity exercises to help your body lose weight, gain lean muscle, and improve performance.  One experiences results in a shorter time than many other programs but if the exercises are not done correctly, one can become injured or even die.

MetCon contains specific exercises designed to improve how well the body works short, intermediate, and in the long term.  As you know, metabolism refers to how the body converts food and drink into usable energy. In the process, your body makes andenosine triphosphate or ATP which fuels the contractions of muscles. The amount of ATP used by your body depends on the intensity of physical activity.  Basically, when you do low intensity exercises your body produces ATP from the long term part, medium intensity exercises from the intermediate area, and high intensity produces ATP immediately.  The exercises in metabolic conditioning are geared to work with the intermediate pathway so your body is conditioned to do more work in less time.

It makes your energy production more efficient, helps you burn more calories so you lose weight, it increases the amount of oxygen your body uses, and increases lean muscle while reducing body fat.  A MetCon workout can be designed to take a person from where they are right now, to an improved level.  It might be as simple as walking up hill, riding a stationary bike with bursts of sprints, or up to ones that demand a lot.

Although it may sound like it is similar to something like HITT or high intensity interval training, they are different.  Metabolic conditioning has you workout at the maximum for longer periods of time than the HITT training.  If you are new to this, find a trainer who can help tailor a program to your needs so you get the best results and decrease the possibility of injury.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.