I was reading over the latest issue of Consumers Report on Health for any advice on how to stay healthy. One short article mentioned walkers and the use of a cell phone. I sit out in my front yard and watch a number of walkers pass by. I would estimate that 65% of them are looking at a cell phone. The article mentioned that cell phone user walkers are 46% more likely to collide with an object in their path. Since there are no sidewalks on my street the collision might be a little more serious. There are also a number of bike riders on my street and the cell phone walkers and bikes are a perfect match to collide. I haven’t seen it yet but walkers move in both directions on my street and I am just waiting for someday to see the two meet in a head-on collision. The scary scene is a walker watching a cell phone and a driver also watching a cell phone as they pass each other. I keep my cell phone handy just in case I need to call for medical aid.
Another article mentioned what the dangers are for a body shape. It turns out if you are apple shaped there is a 55% higher risk of heart disease. I eat a lot of apples and there are 100’s of varieties of apples. Which variety did the researchers pick? Most are round, but others are wide at the top and narrow toward the bottom. I’ll never be able to look at an apple the same again. The researchers followed the different body shapes for nine years to gather the data. They found that the rounded body shape was the most likely to have elevated cholesterol, hypertension, inflammation and diabetes. In a weak moment I started to try and fit body shapes to fruits and vegetables. I came up with pear shaped for the folks that have more body weight around the hip area. Then the runner that is thin I managed a string bean shape. Ironically eating apples is one healthy way to get the fiber and health benefits to lose that apple shape.
The major article was about stopping muscle pain. The opening statement caught my attention when it stated, “As you age your muscle fibers become less dense, which makes them less flexible and more prone to injury.” Since I now fit that category, I read a little more of the article. It seems that up to 60% of older adults live with persistent muscle pain. The sources of these pains come from muscle strains (pulled muscles). Those twisting movements and fast movements of the limbs is just not the same as it was 30 years ago. Treatment is the athletic trainer word for such injuries: RICE. Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. They also mentioned slightly moving the injured area to get some blood flow to the location. A short walk or a light activity. Watching TV ads for these cycling machines that move your feet and legs while you sit down might be an option. I personally don’t think they will build that much strength and flexibility as the ad mentions but I haven’t tried them so just falling back on old training methods for an opinion.
One other treatment is massage. I have taken classes where the exercisers sat on a tennis ball and rolled it over the injured area. The key to that is to be able to control how much weight you put on that tennis ball. There are ‘rollers’ that offer the same massaging effect that can be purchased at sporting good stores. I took an entire semester’s class on massage and have used hand massage on those tight muscles on myself and others to loosen up that cramp or tight muscle. The article warned against using a massage gun that gives short bursts to the injured area. For older people this machine might be too rough for the muscle condition and for some it may fracture a bone for those that have osteoporosis.
The article mentioned ‘night cramps’ and at one time or another a number of people have been awakened by a lower leg or foot cramp. The key is to stretch the cramped muscle out. Having had a few muscle cramps this is a somewhat painful procedure but within a short time the pain is gone and the cramp is a thing of the past. I usually follow the now relaxed muscle with a little massage to further loosen the tight muscle. One method to prevent the cramps is to stretch the muscles out before you climb into the bed and go to sleep. This is a good practice to follow. The one thing I noticed about stretching at night was when I woke up in the morning for a run the muscles were more responsive and easier to stretch without being so tight. It was a regular practice for my morning runs.
Moe Johnson Running with Moe
