How to deal with joint pain

Exercise is a sport of passion, but when it is associated with pain in your joints it can certainly become a real drag, especially as we get older. This type of pain can affect many areas of your body like the shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and ankles.

Joint pain can be caused for many reasons. Perhaps a sports injury, or clumsiness as a few people I know, maybe arthritis, overuse or some sort of medical condition. In my case about eight years ago I broke my right wrist and the year after one of my fingers in my right hand; both times while playing football. With time I healed yet I'll admit I've paid the price ever since.

From time to time it hurts and limits what I can do while working out or performing other activities. I try to be careful, I also let it rest, I'll have a massage in that spot and if it's to painful I'll take some ibuprofen.

So I can related with most people when they incur in injuries or experience some sort of joint pain. Most folks experience knee or hip pain so I'll focus this on those only.

It can affect men or women. However women particularly suffer more from either knee or hip pain.



There could be many reasons as to why:

• rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia, bursitis, Chondromalacia patellae, gout, infectious diseases, osteoarthritis, osteomyelitis, a sports injury, a car accident, tendinitis and overuse among many other.

Kind of overwhelming, isn't it? From the fitness perspective, should you stop training?... In my case I know the cause of my injury and pain and there's nothing I can do besides rest at times, slow down a bit and suck it in. After a few days it goes away... then again it comes back. But there's no way I'll distance myself from training and sports.

Should you do the same? My advice: If you are unsure of the cause of your symptoms, or if you do not know the specific treatment recommendations for your condition, you should seek medical attention.

However recent research published in the Journal of Rheumatology, The Mayo Clinic, WebMD and many other sports injury clinics suggest that certain simple strength training routines can help.

In one of the study, individuals with arthritis engaged in a four month-long exercise program consisting of simple weight bearing exercises, such as squats in their own homes. The exercisers experienced a 43 percent reduction in pain and a 44 percent improvement in physical functioning. The exercisers were able to walk, climb stairs, sit, and stand more easily than their non-exercising counterparts.

According to the study, individuals who are self-motivated may be able to manage their arthritis pain with exercise and reduce the need for pain medication. While pills help pain and stiffness, they don’t do a thing for your muscles or joint strength.

The study concludes that exercise is effective because muscles act as shock absorbers for the joints; they are able to cushion the impact of their body weight on various joints during activity. The stronger the muscles, the better they are able to absorb this shock.

Some other recommendations for knee pain:

• Rest - take some time off to allow the acute inflammation to subside
• Heat & Ice application - Use ice when there's swelling like just after an injury or after activities that irritate a chronic injury (within 48 hours) and apply heat before activities that irritate chronic injuries such as muscle strains. Heat can help loosen tissues and relax injured areas... just don't burn yourself.
• Stretching - 
• Physical Therapy is sometimes recommended depending on the cause of your problem
• Anti-inflammatory medicine
• Certain supplements can also help like calcium, Glucosamine with Chondrotin,  MSM, vitamin D, fish oil, Omega 3, Omega 6, flaxseed oil, CLA among a few.

Pause for a moment and imagine where would you be or how will your body feel if you didn't eat properly, and exercised even a bit. Your joints and the rest of your body would be in some serious bad conditioning.

I hope the information here helps you out. Would like to know what you do to manage pain in your joints if you experiment these.

Get Fit - Stay Fit!

Eduardo Lorenzo, NASM-CPT specializes in sports performance, injury prevention, corrective exercises, physique enhancement, Boot Camp and weight loss programs.

3 Tips to Weight Loss

You are probably aware that there are a variety of different weight loss tips out there that involve a variety of different things such as that wonderful miracle pill that does not work. There is a way though that many people have called a quick fix that can help you lose weight fast. But sadly this is also untrue. Losing weight fast is none of the above. It involves hard work and discipline on your side in order for you to be successful at your quick weight loss goal. There are simple ways though that can help you along your way without having you spend a fortune.

You need to be aware though that these simple ways may work for some but may fail for others. The best thing that you can do is take ideas from these quick weight loss tips and build them into your own individualized plan. No two people have the same body structure so the plan you build may not work for other people. If you do happen to find a plan that works for you, you need to stick with it and achieve your quick weight loss goals.

The most common tips that you will probably be given, you will find are pretty simple and practical. You will also not need to burn a hole in your pocket by using some of these tips.

1. Exercise
The first thing that you can do to lose the weight is to burn the calories off by exercise.  You need to set aside some time to push yourself to your limits. This is one of the cheapest and available ways for you to burn off the calories. There are a variety of different exercises that you can do. Some of them are even fun such as playing ball with your kids or taking them for a walk. Anything that you are able to do to shed the weight the better off you are.

2. Carbohydrates
When you are trying to lose it does not mean that you will have to lose the carbohydrates completely. You need these to perform your daily tasks. You need to try and avoid complex carbohydrates however as they do not burn off as quickly. The better source of carbohydrates for you is from the fruits and vegetables.

3. Breakfast
You should also make sure that you are not skipping breakfast. This is one of the most important meals of the day for your body. It will also help you avoid hunger cravings throughout the day.

It is important for you to remember that not all the quick weight loss tips work the same on everyone. You just need to combine several different tips to create a plan that works for you.

Determination: the driving force to success.

Many people would like to be fitter, lean, sexy, healthy and much more, yet few actually put in the effort that is required to achieve such body. Sure sometimes it can all be vain, sometimes its a lifestyle we choose, or a goal we need to meet. Sometimes it's about having to be healthy and in the best condition possible.

For me this is what I chose to be, who I am and what I want out of life. I am my own battle field, and I fight... I don't back down even when sometimes failure is knocking in my door steps.

Listen nothing worth comes easy, it takes hard work, commitment and determination to succeed. You have to have a purpose in life and a drive to accomplish things. Every day I see people start a fitness program, saying they want to be healthy and fit and sexy. Sometimes its an e-mail I get from people asking about my services and what is required in order to be lean, drop fat and look sexy. The answer is the same: hard work, consistency and determination.

Some joke around about their weight and status in life, about how they got there or why they can't do this or that. I think we do that in order to have an excuse to hide behind it. I had a friend who said that behind every smile and laugh there's always a different story, the truth that haunts us day in and day out, and for every person its different and everyone has their own demons they must fight.

Honestly, who wakes up every day happy of being fat, unhealthy, sad, depressed, unloved, insecure and weak?

If you want something, fight for it!!! Never Back Down & Don't Give In To The Nay-sayers!

The difference from my clients who achieve their best (at least the one's I could say are my top 1%) is pure and simple: Determination!

Sure their training program, nutrition coaching and cardio is important... but it's the drive, the will to succeed that makes these people have success. Some drive from far away, after work, get up early, sacrifice time from other things, even make room in their budgets to fit their program into the equation. Some even train through certain injuries, with crutches around the gym.. I could go on and on.

Would they rather sometimes stay home, not go to the gym, wake up early and go workout. Would they like to indulge from time to time, give in to temptations? Sure... but they don't!! And when they do (after all were all humans), then they work extra hard to compensate and make it right.

The message is clear, these people don't quit at the first sign of problems or obstacles, they know what they want and they go for it.

The following is a video of total inspiration: I have a soul. Watch it and I hope you can find your drive to success!!

Holiday Survival Fitness Tips

I'm actually concern with the arrival of the holiday season. Truth is most people splurge over the holidays and since Halloween is just days away it's only fitting we speak about this. 

Halloween is the first major calorie bump on holiday road. Most people will host or go to parties, eat candies, eat all sorts of food and drink alcohol that will only make us fatter. So what can we do to limit the damage to our waistlines? 

When it comes to your kids, let them be kids but limit the amount and the type of candy they can eat. Plus make sure your get your kids on a regular activity/sports/fitness program, child obesity is increasing and it's a serious problem. So as a parent please set the example. 

Eating too much candy has a bad effect on your body. It loads you up on sugar which cripple's your body abilities to burn fat. And a combination of too much sugar, lack of exercise and depending on the parties you go (bad or excess food and alcohol) can destroy your metabolism, which will contribute to your weight gain during the holidays. Click here to read how alcohol makes you fat. 

My mission is to help people be fit, stay fit and appreciate their health. So with that in mind here are some basic rules that I've come up with to combat the potential catastrophe.

1) Limit the candy you eat to just one. And if possible eat only dark chocolate for the extra health benefit.

2) Eat a healthy snack of meal before going to a party, this way you'll be less tempted to eat unhealthy foods or too much candy.

3) If you are buying the candy, don't buy more than is necessary. That will only make you and others eat more and leave room for leftovers which is a big no-no. So if you have leftovers... get rid of them!!! Throw them out. I know, I know.. but it cost money. Listen "it's not a waste if your saving your waist".

4) Don't skip your exercise program to go to a party. instead make sure you get an early workout and be sure to add and extra 20 minute cardio the next day to burn off some unwanted calories.

5) If you are not a regular exerciser then what are you waiting for!!!

6) Buy your candy at the last minute to avoid eating the candy ahead of time.

7) For those with kids... stay out of their stash!!! But do keep an eye on what they are eating and limit how much they will eat. 

 

7) If you are a woman please join us for our Holiday Boot Camp Challenge starting November 9, 2010 to combat the holiday weight gain. Men and other women can follow our online training programs and personal training "6 Week Burn The Holiday Fat" program.

Be smart about your choices this holiday season starting with Halloween. And hopefully you'll avoid being haunted by the weight gain weeks after that!

Eduardo Lorenzo, NASM-CPT specializes in sports performance, injury prevention, corrective exercises, physique enhancement, Boot Camp and weight loss programs.

How alcohol makes you fat

Before you pass on judgment, cringe and say ‘woa’ Ed what are you talking about…? Understand that if your goal is to lose weight and drop body fat then alcohol is your enemy. Consider cutting it down or eliminating it entirely.

Most of us already have it tough trying to lose weight, drop body fat, exercise properly, and eat better and our increase performance, so this takes it over the top.

Some people jokingly say that alcohol belongs in the fruit section or that alcohol doesn't make you FAT, rather it makes you LEAN against walls, doors, cars and people… LOL

How Alcohol Makes You Fat

-Alcohol first passes through the esophagus as it travels to your stomach.

-From there, 20% of the alcohol is absorbed immediately by your bloodstream.

-The remaining alcohol travels to your intestines and is absorbed from there.

-The alcohol in your bloodstream then travels directly to your liver. It is here that the body breaks the alcohol down, something that is absolutely essential since alcohol is toxic to the body.

-Alcohol brakes down into acetate and acetaldehyde which IMMEDIATELY signals to your body to stop burning fat (note: once the acetate is taken into the bloodstream it is used as your primary source of energy, thus shutting down all process in your body to burn fat). Even worse, another waste product of alcohol, acetyl CoA, actually starts to make more body fat.

What Does this Mean?  

-Your body can only effectively process 0.5 to 1 ounce of alcohol per hour

-How much damage? A 12-ounce beer contains about 0.6 ounces of alcohol. If you consumed 5 of these, your body would be inhibited from fat burning for up to 6 hours. This is aside from the fact that your body will actually be storing fat during these 6 hours! The more you drink, the longer your body is inhibited from burning fat in addition to a greater fat build up from excess acetyl CoA. As you can see, one day of binge drinking can set you back days if not a full week when it comes to fat loss!

-What’s the worst-case scenario? Mixing alcohol with sugary beverages promotes even further fat gain due to the resulting insulin surge that triggers fat storage (e.g. regular beer or cocktails mixed with regular soda and/or fruit juice)

-Also it gives you a sense of false hunger which usually leads to you eating more, and since you are not processing all that food it leads to more fat storage in your body.

-How do you feel next day after a night of drinking? Exactly, like shit. Alcohol leaves you feeling tired and destroys your metabolism. Which also leads to dehydration and muscle loss, so after you’ve put all effort at the gym, boot camp, eating well for most of the week you can destroy it all in just one night of excessive drinking.

- Keep in mind alcohol leads to gaining fat, slows down your metabolism, makes you dehydrated, lose muscle which in turn leads to a significant loss of testosterone and that leads to a drop in your sex drive and overall performance in bed.

Don’t be mistaken, it’s not wrong to a drink once in a while. However if your goal is to lose weight, drop body fat and be lean then you must minimize alcohol consumption, even better eliminated it completely while you’re in the zone in your goal to lose weight.

If you must drink:

a.) Choose wine or hard liquor and “light” beer

b.) Limit alcohol consumption to 1 day per week with a 1-2 drink per day max.

If your goal is to lose fat and get in the best shape possible I encourage you to contact me for a FREE consultation of proper fat lose, solid nutrition and exercise programming.

Eduardo Lorenzo, NASM-CPT specializes in sports performance, injury prevention, corrective exercises, physique enhancement, Boot Camp and weight loss programs.