NO PAIN – A Tremendous Gain

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With warmer weather more people are motivated to get out and enjoy the season. Exercise can be a wonderful activity and a great way to relax. Everyone at one point has participated in an exercise routine and has probably stopped due to some uncontrollable circumstance. Injury: It happens to the best of us and it usually happens at the worst possible time.

One of the best ways to reduce exercise injuries is to listen to your body. Most people believe if there is no pain when exercising you are obviously not trying hard enough. WRONG, there is good pain and bad pain; you just have to know how to tell the difference.

“Good pain” refers to the muscle soreness that can occur anywhere between four and forty-eight hours after a workout session. These muscles are sore as a result of what experts call the “tear down” process. When the muscle repairs itself it comes back bigger and stronger. In contrast “Bad pain” is generally much more localized, usually at the joint. This pain is usually much sharper, and often limits motion. “Bad pain” may be accompanied by numbness or swelling.

Prevention

The best way to avoid a sports injury is to prevent it. There are many steps you can take to prevent an injury. The majority of these preventative measures start on the inside. It is important to drink lots of water and to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet that includes whole grains. It is important to stay away from trans fats, processed foods and sugars. Soft drinks are especially important to avoid because they can rob vital nutrients from your body that support a healthy immune system.

Taking nutritional supplements are another way to help reduce injuries. Joint support supplements such as Glucosamine and Chondroitin can be beneficial when performing high impact workouts and will promote faster recovery time for your ligaments and tendons. A good cardiovascular support can lower blood pressure and improve blood circulation. This will enable your body to recover more efficiently. Krill oil can be used for cardiovascular support and is a great alternative to fish oil which usually has a fishy taste.

Taking a B vitamin complex everyday can boost your energy and make you feel better. B vitamins promote energy production, healthy nervous system, good digestion, and healthy skin, hair and nails. Consistency is key when working out and taking nutritional supplements. This will lead to maintained health and injury prevention.

Sometimes preventing an injury starts right before you workout. The importance of stretching before any physical activity can never be understated. Muscles that are stretched are less prone to injury and are more capable of handling the stress put on them during physical activity. It may be beneficial to talk with a fitness expert to ensure that you are using the correct form and technique to ensure injury does not occur.

What to do if you sustain an injury

If you do sustain an injury there are a multitude of options to help enhance and speed up the healing process. Within the first 48 hours after the injury you may attempt the R.I.C.E method (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate). This method may help reduce the swelling at the site of the injury. Swelling can cause an injury to hurt more and heal at a slower rate so it is important to try and prevent swelling within the first 48 hours. We recommend trying the Hot and Cold Therma-Wrap for easy and convenient care of these injuries. This product can be used with the ankle, knee, back or shoulder and can be placed in the freezer or the microwave for optimal hot and cold therapy.

Another strategy that professionals use is heat therapy. Heat therapy is believed to increase blood flow to the treated area which in turn speeds up recovery time.

The TDP Far-Infrared mineral heat lamp is a great form of heat therapy can help speed the recovery process. TDP lamps were developed in 1978 and the heating element is composed of 33 trace elements which are also found in the human body. All around the world people refer to the TDP Lamp as the “Miracle Lamp.” TDP Lamps emit Far Infrared in the 8 to 12 micron range which is optimal for soothing and relaxing damaged or sore muscles. Far Infrared heat will sink into the skin three to four inches versus an ordinary heat compress which may only sink in one to two inches.

Sound therapy is another method that has shown great success in healing sports-related injuries. Sound therapy reduces painful swelling and edema. It also relaxes muscles and improves circulation in the joints. Sound therapy works by increasing the local circulation of blood, lymph fluid and the activity of the nervous system. The Infratonic 8000 and SoniCalm devices activate local tissue, moving old fluids out of painful areas and drawing in fresh, oxygenated fluids to enhance the healing process, reduce swelling and relax muscles.

Conclusion

There are many ways to prevent these injuries before they happen. However, if you are unfortunate enough to sustain an injury there are a variety of ways to reduce your pain and speed up your recovery time. Not all products work for everyone and it is important to be patient and not expect immediate results. Your body usually knows best, so when you spend the time to listen you can learn a lot and hopefully prevent an injury.

Article written by Tobias Segal for PromolifeNews.com.
For more information on concepts and products used in this article, visit Promolife. If you like this, feel free to tell a friend.