Bartley Center Wellness News – 71

November 2006

1. Fitness Training Elements and Components:

2. Arthritis (osteoarthritis) Introduction

3. Burns: First aid

4. Remedies for Laryngitis

5. Quotes

6. A Wellness Challenge

Wellness News quiz:

1.      A strong core helps correct poor posture and low back pain. True/False

2.      How well you live with osteoarthritis often depends on your behaviors and attitude. True/False

3.      The most serious burns are painless and involve all layers of the skin. True/False

4.      Who said - "The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change."

Answers are below in the reading material.

1. Fitness Training Elements and Components:

Regardless of your level of physical fitness, it is important to base your exercise upon these elements and components of fitness:

• cardiovascular/aerobic fitness,
• muscular fitness,
• flexibility,
• stability and balance, and
• nutrition

Cardiovascular/aerobic fitness:  Any activity you do requires oxygen.  Aerobic activity increases your body’s ability to use oxygen.  How well you use oxygen is your “aerobic capacity”.  When your aerobic capacity is high, your heart, lungs and blood vessels transport and deliver large amounts of oxygen throughout your body.  The key to achieving aerobic capacity is to find activities that you enjoy and can do regularly.  At the Bartley Center examples of cardiovascular/aerobic training are eliptical machines, treadmills, steppers, rowers, walking, jogging, biking, dancing, group exercise, sports;    off campus you can try swimming and other indoor and outdoor alternatives.  

Specifics:

1.      Frequency:  3-5 x week

2.      Intensity:    Minimally, an exercise intensity which elevates HR and breathing rate above normal levels                    

Specifically, an exercise intensity of 50-90% of max HR, depending on fitness level.

3.      Duration:    20-60 minutes.       

Getting started: Choose an exercise which can be sustained continously for at least 20 minutes.

Muscular fitness:  Muscular fitness refers to the strength and endurance of your muscles.  The more fit your muscles are, the easier your daily tasks become.  Strength training can help you improve your muscular fitness.  It also enables you to increase your body’s lean muscle mass, which helps with weight loss.  You can use free weights, resistance bands, weight machines or your body weight to increase muscular strength and endurance. At the Bartley Center examples of resistance training/ muscular fitness are selectorized weight machines, free weight (dumbbells), bands and tubing.

Specifics:

1.      Frequency: 2-3 x week on non-consecutive days

2.      # of Exercises:Begin with 8-12 exercises that work the full body musculature.

3.      # of Sets:1-3

4.      # of Reps: 2-20, depending on goals

5.      Amount of Rest: Rest ½ to 3 minutes between sets of the same exercise, depending on intensity of the sets and

goals.

Key Point: A muscle will only become stronger and function more efficiently if the involved muscle exerts a force against a resistance greater than what is normally encountered.

Flexibility:  This is the ability to move your joints through their full range of motion.  You maintain this by stretching.  When you are flexible, routine tasks are easier and less tiring.  Fitness training activities that lengthen your muscles increase your flexibility.  Yoga and tai chi can be very effective for improving flexibility.  Key points:

1.         When to Stretch: Before and after every exercise session.

2.         How to Stretch: Perform stretches slowly, holding 20-30 seconds at the point where you feel mild tension or

discomfort (not pain).

3.         Why Stretch: To increase range of motion, prevent injuries, prepare the body of activities, and to reduce muscle

tension.

Stability and Balance:   These are associated with your body’s core muscle strength – the muscles in your lower back, pelvis, hips and abdomen, which provide the support system for almost any activity or motion.  You can improve your stability and balance through core exercises that strengthen the muscles at the center of your body, where your center of gravity is located (around your trunk).  A strong core helps correct poor posture and low back pain.

Whether you are just beginning your fitness plan or trying to improve your already vigorous workout, remember to include aerobic fitness, muscular fitness, flexibility, core strengthening for stability and balance and nutrition.

Nutrition (Body Composition): Proper nutrition happens every day.

1.      You must fuel your body for the activities you will perform.  For numerous reasons, you will not successfully reach

your goals or maximize your performance unless you eat a consistently healthy diet.

2.      Generally speaking, one’s diet should consist primarily of a variety of complex carbohydrates with moderate

protein and low-fat consumption.  Plenty of water should also be consumed to maintain proper hydration.

3.      Body Mass and Body Mass measurements are useful measures to aid in nutrition and exercise programs.

General Comments

To maximize the benefits of exercise, all the above areas should be addressed and included in

an overall fitness program.

2. Arthritis (osteoarthritis) Introduction

Osteoarthritis, sometimes called degenerative joint disease or osteoarthrosis, is the most common form of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is characterized by the breakdown of joint cartilage and may affect any joint in your body, including those in your fingers, hips, knees, lower back and feet. Initially osteoarthritis may strike only one joint. But if your fingers are affected, multiple hand joints may become arthritic.

The word "arthritis" is a blend of the Greek words "arthron," for joint, and "itis," for inflammation. In other words, arthritis literally means "joint inflammation." Although arthritis is often referred to as one disease, it's not. Arthritis has more than 100 forms and is common cause of disability.

There's no cure for osteoarthritis, but available treatments can relieve pain and help you remain active. In addition, how well you live with osteoarthritis often depends on your behaviors and attitude. If you actively manage your osteoarthritis, you may be able to gain control over your pain. Check out arthritis exercise programs at the Bartley Center.

3.   Burns: First aid

To distinguish a minor burn from a serious burn, the first step is to determine the degree and the extent of damage to body tissues. The three classifications of first-degree burn, second-degree burn and third-degree burn will help you determine emergency care:

First-degree burn

The least serious burns are those in which only the outer layer of skin (epidermis) is burned. The skin is usually red, with swelling and pain sometimes present. The outer layer of skin hasn't been burned through. Treat a first-degree burn as a minor burn unless it involves substantial portions of the hands, feet, face, groin or buttocks, or a major joint.

Second-degree burn

When the first layer of skin has been burned through and the second layer of skin (dermis) also is burned, the injury is termed a second-degree burn. Blisters develop and the skin takes on an intensely reddened, splotchy appearance. Second-degree burns produce severe pain and swelling.

If the second-degree burn is no larger than 2 to 3 inches in diameter, treat it as a minor burn. If the burned area is larger or if the burn is on the hands, feet, face, groin or buttocks, or over a major joint, get medical help immediately.

For minor burns, including second-degree burns limited to an area no larger than 2 to 3 inches in diameter, take the following action:

• Cool the burn. Hold the burned area under cold running water for at least 5 minutes, or until the pain subsides. If this is impractical, immerse the burn in cold water or cool it with cold compresses. Cooling the burn reduces swelling by conducting heat away from the skin. Don't put ice on the burn.
• Cover the burn with a sterile gauze bandage. Don't use fluffy cotton, which may irritate the skin. Wrap the gauze loosely to avoid putting pressure on burned skin. Bandaging keeps air off the burned skin, reduces pain and protects blistered skin.
• Take an over-the-counter pain reliever. These include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Aleve) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). Never give aspirin to children or teenagers.
• Minor burns usually heal without further treatment. They may heal with pigment changes, meaning the healed area may be a different color from the surrounding skin. Watch for signs of infection, such as increased pain, redness, fever, swelling or oozing. If infection develops, seek medical help. Avoid re-injuring or tanning if the burns are less than a year old — doing so may cause more extensive pigmentation changes. Use sunscreen on the area for at least a year.

Caution

• Don't use ice. Putting ice directly on a burn can cause frostbite, further damaging your skin.
• Don't break blisters. Broken blisters are vulnerable to infection.

Third-degree burn

• The most serious burns are painless and involve all layers of the skin. Fat, muscle and even bone may be affected. Areas may be charred black or appear dry and white. Difficulty inhaling and exhaling, carbon monoxide poisoning or other toxic effects may occur if smoke inhalation accompanies the burn.

For major (third-degree burn) burns, dial 911 or call for emergency medical assistance. Until an emergency unit arrives, follow these steps:

• Don't remove burnt clothing. However, do make sure the victim is no longer in contact with smoldering materials or exposed to smoke or heat.
• Don't immerse severe large burns in cold water. Doing so could cause shock.
• Check for signs of circulation (breathing, coughing or movement). If there is no breathing or other sign of circulation, begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
• Cover the area of the burn. Use a cool, moist, sterile bandage; clean, moist cloth; or moist towels.

4. Wellness note:  Remedies for Laryngitis

Disc jockeys get laryngitis. So do actors, coaches, teachers, politicians, and others who talk for hours. But ordinary people who overuse their voices get laryngitis, too. Perhaps you cheer too loud and too often at a basketball game. Or perhaps you lose your voice for no apparent reason.

Air pollution--spending an evening in a smoky room, for example--can also irritate the larynx (voice box) and cause laryngitis. Infections, too, can inflame the larynx. When your larynx is irritated or inflamed, your voice becomes hoarse, husky, and weak. Sometimes, laryngitis is painless, but you may experience a sore throat, a tickling sensation in the back of the throat, fever or dry cough, or have trouble swallowing.

Smoking, drinking alcohol, breathing cold air, and continuing to use already-distressed vocal cords all aggravate the situation. Conversely, resting your voice will usually allow acute laryngitis to heal within a couple of days. If laryngitis persists for more than a week or is accompanied by other symptoms, such as fever or coughing up blood or yellow-green sputum, consult your doctor for treatment.

Home treatment for laryngitis is simple.

·         Don't talk if you don't need to. Use a note pad and pencil to communicate.

·         If you must speak, do so softly but don't whisper. Wispering is more stressful than  speaking in soft tones.

·         Use a cool mist humidifier to moisturize the air in rooms where you expect to spend a lot of time (like the bedroom).

·         Drink plenty of warm liquids. (Tea sweetened with honey is a good choice.)

·         Take a hot shower or steam bath.

·         Don't smoke, and avoid smoky environments.

• Suck on over-the-counter throat lozenges. (Do not give to childeren under 5 years of age.)
• Take aspirin to relieve discomfort, if necessary.

5.  Quotes:

“Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense.” - Gertrude Stein

“Start every day off with a smile and get it over with. “ - W. C. Fields

“I don't have a bank account because I don't know my mother's maiden name. “ - Paula Poundstone

“It is lamentable, that to be a good patriot one must become the enemy of the rest of mankind. “ – Voltaire

“The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change. “ - Carl Rogers

“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” - Michelangelo

“Ads are the cave art of the twentieth century. “ - Marshall McLuhan

“Flying is hours and hours of boredom sprinkled with a few seconds of sheer terror.” - Pappy Boyington

“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.” – Archimedes

“It is a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.” - Somerset Maugham

6. A Wellness Challenge - keep it simple: find and preserve the simplicity in well-being, live healthy by eating healthy and participating in regular, meaningful physical exercise. Not only does it sound simple, it is simple.