Lydia Miranda
Choosing a Personal Trainer When You Have a Bad Back
I needed to get in shape – not because I wanted to wear a show-all swimsuit, but because I needed to get my back better. It was very frustrating experience. My doctor wrote a prescription for me to see a phsyical therapist. But when I arrived at the physical therapy site, I was told that my back was fine “for a person of my age.” You see it’s not my discs that are the problem. I’m prone to muscle spasms. When I’m fine I’m fine and then I’m not. So they don’t see a problem when I’m fine. Just tell me to keep on doing what I’m doing. For a few months I’m fine and then bam another muscle spasm.
The medical community basically told me to sign up at a gym and work with the personal trainers there. Well that really didn’t work out so well either. The 22 year old kids who were the trainers there wanted me to do exercises that were way too stressful for my lower back. Then they wanted me in a yoga class doing back bends. I honestly am not a wimp and decided they were crazy.
I realized at that point I had not asked them about their qualifications to be making those decisions for me. Would you believe that they became certified personal trainers by taking an online course for like 60 hours. Then they just took exercise classes and worked in the health club with other similarly trained people.
So I needed a middle ground between a medical prescription for physical therapy and the online certification group at the health club. I returned to the physical therapist and asked if she knew of any physical therapists who work with healthy people. To my happiness she said she had a friend who was a Board Certified Physical Therapists and an experienced yoga teacher. I called and made an appointment immediately.
What a difference. She carefully examined my back and determined it’s weak areas. Then she laid out a plan of aerobic exercise and yoga to increase strength and flexibility. The exercises were challenging but within my realm.
For the first two months, I worked alone with her 3 hours a week. This allowed her to tailor my exercise routine and make sure that my alignment was perfect. After about six weeks my back began to feel stronger and I was able to join one of her exercise groups. Even in that group she is able to adapt yoga poses to individual poses because she is so familiar with each of us. As a result I make gradual but steady progress without fear of damaging my back or neck.
Is working with a highly-qualified physical therapist as personal trainer expensive? Yes about $75 an hour. The classes are now $20 an hour. Worth every penny, to fee this much better.
Tips to Avoid Running Your Way to a Foot Injury
All avid runners dread the idea of a doctor telling them, “you can’t run anymore”. But the fact of the matter is that running, whether as a sport or hobby, can be quite risky, especially if you fail to look after the health of your feet.
Running today has become one of the easiest and most practical ways for many of us to shed some extra pounds and get a natural high. More than this, doing sprints regularly helps build the body’s stamina and endurance, while giving you a boost of confidence. Sadly, a foot injury can easily sidetrack any runner and prevent them from staying on course. Here are some ways to improve your running routine so that you don’t have to search for foot pain solutions.
1. Include “off-days” in your running schedule – just as you have 2 days off each week from work, you also need to set a specific day or days each week to give your feet and body a rest. This is essential in allowing your body to relax and adapt to your rigorous training.
2. Hire a running coach – if you are not careful enough, you can do too much and injure yourself on a run. Overtraining yourself, for instance, is one of the leading causes of plantar fasciitis which means it is not only risky but also ineffective. If you are coming in a bit wet behind the ears, it is always best to consider hiring a coach or an experienced running trainer.
3. Try the “talk” test – if you are running more for personal fitness, you can try doing the talk test with your running partner. If you can continue to talk to your buddy in a somewhat comfortable manner even when on a run, then you are on the right track.
4. Understand your surroundings – running is also about taking in your environment. Every time you go out for your morning jog, you need to understand the kind of terrain and weather conditions you are up against. Sprinting on harder concrete pavement adds harsher pounding to your every run, which is why it is better to opt for softer surfaces like a track or dirt trail. Check on weather reports to make sure that you won’t be rained out in the middle of a long run.
5. Switch between hard and easy runs – unless you are a professional runner or athlete, it is always best to alternate between intense and easy runs. This is to give your muscles time to relax and avoid placing additional strain on your foot.
6. Know your body – as a runner, you need to also keep track of your own body and know just how much strain and exercise your body can take. While there are some who are more tolerant when it comes to pain, there are also those who feel incapacitated when under less than intense fatigue. When your gut is telling you to lay off the trail runs for a while, it is better to do so. If the rest doesn’t help you feel better or the pain gets more extreme, it is best to see your physician. Besides, no one knows your body better than yourself, which is why you need to pay more attention to it.
Running keeps many of us on track towards a healthier, stronger self. Knowing some of the tricks that keep your body in tune with your active lifestyle will help you keep moving forward.
