Shin Splints

Whether you're running after a soccer ball, jogging around the neighborhood or training for a marathon, you're at risk of running-related injuries. One of the most common injuries is shin splints (medial tibial stress syndrome).
The term "shin splints" refers to pain along the shinbone (tibia) — the large bone in the front of your lower leg. The pain is the result of an overload on the shinbone and the connective tissues that attach your muscles to the bone.
Shin splints are common among runners and other athletes. But the risk of shin splints is no reason to give up your morning jog or afternoon aerobics class. Most cases of shin splints can be treated with rest, ice and other self-care measures — and wearing proper footwear and modifying your exercise routine can help prevent shin splints from recurring.

Symptoms of shin splints:
Tenderness over the inside of the shin.
Lower leg pain which goes after a period of rest but comes back when running starts again.
Sometimes some swelling.
Lumps and bumps may be felt when feeling the inside of the shin bone.
Pain when the toes or foot are bent downwards.
A redness over the inside of the shin.

Possible causes include:
· Tight Achilles and calf muscles.
· An inexperienced runner just beginning to run.
· Running on uneven terrain.
· A sudden increase in faster running (speed work).
· A sudden change from soft to hard running surfaces.
· Running in worn down shoes.
· Excessive uphill running.
· Poor running mechanics which include excessive forward lean, excessive weight on the ball of the foot, running with toes pointed outward, landing too far back on the heels causing the foot to flap down, and overpronation.

There is a drill called silent running. Try running as quiet as possible. With the feet landing properly very little noise should be heard. Of all of the possible causes, pronation is the most likely to be overlooked.

Shin Splints Treatment
Treatment for shin splints is a simple as reducing pain and inflammation, identifying training and biomechancial problems which may have helped cause the injury initially, restoring muscles to their original condition and gradually returning to training.

What can the athlete do about shin splints?
Rest to allow the injury to heal.
Apply ice in the early stages, particularly when it is very painful. Cold therapy reduces pain and inflammation.
Stretch the muscles of the lower leg. In particular the tibialis posterior is associated with shin splints.
Wear shock absorbing insoles in shoes. This helps reduce the shock on the lower leg.
Maintain fitness with other non weight bearing exercises such as swimming, cycling or running in water.
Apply heat and use a heat retainer or shin and calf support after the initial acute stage and particularly before training. This can provide support and compression to the lower leg helping to reduce the strain on the muscles. It will also retain the natural heat which causes blood vessels to dilate and increases the flow of blood to the tissues.

Strengthening Exercises
· With a partner hold down the others feet which are flat on the ground. With resistance on their toes, have them lift their toes up.
· Sitting with left ankle on right knee, apply pressure to inside of foot (near large toe) with hand, and turn foot up and in, using leg muscles.
· Same position as above, apply pressure to outside of foot (near small toe) with hand, and turn foot down and out using leg muscles.
· Same position as above, apply pressure to top of foot (near toes) with hand, and lift foot using leg muscles. Repeat with right ankle on the left knee.
· Sitting on a table or chair attach a weight (a bucket filled with rocks works well) around the foot. Without bending your knee move the foot up and down from the ankle.
· Anchor one end of an elastic band to the leg of a table or sofa. Stretch the band, and then loop it around the end of the foot. Move the foot up and down and side to side against the bands resistance.
· Draw each letter of the alphabet with the big toe of each foot in the air.
· While standing erect raise up and down onto your toes several times. If that is too easy you can make it more challenging by performing the same exercise while standing on a step and allow your calves to stretch over the edge of the step.
· In a sitting position lower and raise the feet with the heels on the ground as high and quickly as possible for 60 seconds.
· Walking down steep hills.
· Walking on toes.
· Walking on heels.
· Walking with feet turned inward and outward.
· With socks off, gather up a towel that is flat on the floor, using only the toes.
· Pick up marbles using the toes.
· An increase in mileage should never exceed more than 10% per week.

Important
Anti inflammatory drugs along with rest and ice can help reduce inflammation, particularly in the early stages. However if the underlying causes such as tight muscles are not treated through stretching and sports massage techniques then the likelyhood of the injury returning is higher.

Power of Our Words

You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world's happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime." -- Dale Carnegie

It is amazing what power our words have to lift others up. You know how it feels when someone says something nice to you: Your spirit soars, sometimes for hours or even days. This is one of the great gifts of human kind. Just as you have the ability to have your spirit lifted high, you also have the ability to lift someone else's spirit. Your kind words may be the fuel that gets someone through the day. Your words of encouragement may be what pushes someone to finally try something that becomes a tremendous success. The fact is, you never know what will result other than that the person will enjoy it very much, and that in and of itself may be the best reason of all to say those words you hold in your heart.

Here is a new challenge for you... tell someone how much you appreciate them. Be specific. Pick up the phone, walk into the other room, or email them. Whatever you need to do. How many times have you looked back on your days and wished you would have told someone something but for some reason held back. Short and sweet that is all someone needs.

Survivors and Thrivers

I hope you have enjoyed the Summer. School is back in session & everyone’s routines should be getting established. As you look over you calendars & put priorities into place don’t forget your exercise routine. An important addition not only for your overall physical health but it's amazing what it can do for your mental well being.

One of the most watched television shows today is Survivor. We admire those who survive. We tune in every week to see who makes it next. But even better than being a survivor is to be one who thrives.

What are the differences between someone who survives and someone who thrives?

• A survivor gets by, a thriver gets ahead.
• A survivor is tired at the end, a thriver feels full of energy.
• A survivor has barely enough, a thriver has an abundance.
• A survivor is always on the edge, a thriver is on firm ground.

So how do we shift from being a survivor to becoming a thriver?

Here are a few steps to put you on your way.

First, start with some good input. Subscribe to some good magazines that will change your outlook and inspire you. And don't just subscribe to them - read them. Get audios and videos and listen to them and watch them. Renew your mind to become a person whose mindset is one of a person who thrives.

Second, get around people who are thriving. Join clubs and groups with people who are already thrivers. Develop friendships with them. Learn from them. Mimic their habits of thriving.

As you commit to these first two, you will see the time you spend watching and listening to junk go out the door. You will see that you are spending less and less time with those kinds of people who just want to survive.

Third, make a personal evaluation of your skills. What areas do you need to grow in? Now, get to work on those skills. An old quote says that the race isn't always won by the fast or the strong, but that's the way to bet! I'll take the person with skills to be the one who thrives every time. It won't work like that every time, but it will most of the time.

Fourth, make a commitment to a long-term, tenacious outlook. We have to do this in order to turn the ship around. If you are just a survivor, you can be a thriver, but it may take some time. Remember, this is for the rest of your life. There will be times of weakness. There will be times of hardship. If you are tenacious, you can, and will, thrive.

Fifth, understand that thrivers are almost always people of methodical discipline and order. They know that they have to have order in their lives and the order is what produces the ability to thrive. They thrive financially because they discipline themselves to save and invest rather than spend. They thrive physically because they are disciplined in what they eat and in how they exercise. Discipline will make you thrive.

Now is the time, take the above and get to work. You will no longer just survive. Instead, you will thrive. And that is going to feel great!

Foods that Build Brain Power

Every cell in your body needs a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients in order to stay alive and work properly, including brain cells. Because oxygen and nutrients are carried in the blood stream, anything that impedes blood flow will starve those all-important brain cells. The plain truth is that a healthy heart makes for a healthy brain. So keep your blood pressure and cholesterol in check, exercise regularly, don’t smoke and get at least seven hours of sleep each night. Some foods help the brain work better, some foods drag down brain performance. Be smart and feed your family foods that will make them smart (and also eat these foods yourself, too).

Brain Builders

· Avocados
· Bananas
· Beef, lean
· Berries
· Brewer's yeast
· Broccoli
· Brown rice
· Brussel sprouts
· Cantaloupe
· Cheese
· Chicken
· Collard greens
· Eggs
· Flaxseed oil
· Legumes
· Milk
· Oatmeal
· Oranges
· Peanut butter
· Peas
· Potatoes
· Romaine lettuce
· Salmon
· Soybeans
· Spinach
· Tuna
· Turkey
· Wheat germ
· Yogurt
Brain Drainers
· Alcohol
· Artificial food colorings
· Artificial sweeteners
· Colas
· Corn syrup
· Frostings
· High-sugar "drinks"
· Hydrogenated fats
· Junk sugars
· Nicotine
· Overeating
· White bread

Self Myofascial Release

Self myofascial release techniques (SMRT), although not new, have become more and more prominent amongst athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike. Therapists have embraced the use of myofascial release massage to reduce chronic pain and rehabilitate a range of injuries. Some therapists claim a long list of benefits, from curing tennis elbow to IBS relief. While some claims may be contentious, it seems likely that many sports men and women can benefit from this regenerative therapy.

It’s important to understanding two key terms in order to appreciate how self myofascial release technique acts favourably on the body. They are ’fascia’ and ’trigger points’.

Fascia is a specialized connective tissue layer surrounding muscles, bones and joints and gives support and protection to the body. It consists of three layers - the superficial fascia, the deep fascia and the subserous fascia. Fascia is one of the 3 types of dense connective tissue (the others being ligaments and tendons).

Trigger points have been defined as areas of muscle that are painful to palpation and are characterized by the presence of taut bands. Tissue can become thick, tough and knotted. They can occur in muscle, the muscle-tendon junctions, bursa, or fat pad. Sometimes, trigger points can be accompanied by inflammation and if they remain long enough, what was once healthy fascia is replaced with inelastic scar tissue.

It has been speculated that trigger points may lead to a variety of sports injuries - from camps to more serious muscle and tendon tears. The theory, which seems plausible, is that trigger points compromise the tissue structure in which they are located, placing a greater strain on other tissues that must compensate for its weakness. These in turn can break down and so the spiral continues.

According to many therapists, trigger points in the fascia can restrict or alter the motion about a joint resulting in a change of normal neural feedback to the central nervous system. Eventually, the neuromuscular system becomes less efficient, leading to premature fatigue, chronic pain and injury and less efficient motor skill performance. An athlete's worst nightmare!

What causes a trigger point to form?
The list of proposed causes includes acute physical trauma, poor posture or movement mechanics, over training, inadequate rest between training sessions and possibly even nutritional factors. Self myofascial release is a relatively simple technique that athletes can use to alleviate trigger points.

Self Myofascial Release Exercises
For these exercises you will need a foam roll (which is very inexpensive). You can get them from anywhere that sell sports medicine or physical therapy supplies. Online, try http://www.power-systems.com/ who sell a variety of foam rolls.

Adductor Extend the thigh and place foam roll in the groin region with body prone (face down) on the floor. Be cautious when rolling near the adductor complex origins at the pelvis. If a “tender point” is located, stop rolling, and rest on the tender point until pain decreases by 75%.

Hamstring Place hamstrings on the roll with hips unsupported. Feet can be crossed so that only leg at a time is one the foam roll. Roll from knee toward posterior hip. If a “tender point” is located, stop rolling, and rest on the tender point until pain decreases by 75%.

Quadriceps Body is positioned face down with quadriceps on foam roll. It is very important to maintain proper core control (abdominal drawn-in & tight gluteus) to prevent low back compensations. Roll from pelvic bone to knee, emphasizing the lateral (outside) thigh. If a “tender point” is located, stop rolling, and rest on the tender point until pain decreases by 75%.

Iliotibial Band Position yourself on your side lying on foam roll. Bottom leg is raised slightly off floor. Maintain head in “neutral” position with ears aligned with shoulders. This may be PAINFUL for many, and should be done in moderation. Roll just below hip joint down the outside thigh to the knee. If a “tender point” is located, stop rolling, and rest on the tender point until pain decreases by 75%.

Upper Back

Place hands behind head or wrap arms around chest to clear the shoulder blades across the thoracic wall. Raise hips until unsupported. Stabilize the head in a “neutral” position. Roll mid-back area on the foam roll. If a “tender point” is located, stop rolling, and rest on the tender point until pain decreases by 75%.

General Guidelines
· Spend 1-2 minutes per self myofascial release technique on each each side.
· When a trigger point is found (painful area) hold for 30-45 seconds.
· Keep the abdominal muscles tight which provides stability to the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex.
· Remember to breathe slowly as this will help to reduce any tense reflexes caused by discomfort.
· Complete the self myofascial release exercises 1-2 x daily.

(by the way...I have no idea who the guy is in the pictures. I looked online to show you examples)

AUGUST - Questions, Insights, Adventures, Life

Be a People Builder

A very good friend of mine sent this to me. I am passing it along.
Every one of us has seeds of greatness inside. Many times, we need others to come along and help stir up our gifts through an encouraging word. The Bible says to encourage one another daily. We should always be looking around us to see who we might bless with our words. We may never know how someone's entire life can change just through a simple, "You can do it. I believe in you."
For many of us, we would not be where we are today if someone had not cheered us on and believed in us. Their simple encouragement impacted our lives and caused us to rise higher. But, not everyone has lived in a positive, uplifting environment. You may be the only person that can speak life into those around you. Look for potential in others. Speak encouraging words to your friends, family and co-workers. If you do, then lives will be changed through a simple, "You can do it. I believe in you."