How to Find Relief from Knotted Muscles

by Sandra Koury | Sep 25, 2019 | All, Fitness, Home, Wellness | 1 comment

Knotted muscles are uncomfortable, to say the least, but they can also be debilitating if they’re bad enough. They can affect the surrounding muscles, be tender to touch, change how we’d normally do things, and can be painful to get rid of.

We’re going to give you some ideas on what you can do to find relief from this common problem.

What Do Muscle Knots Feel Like?

A knot can feel like a tender, swollen, or tense spot in your muscles. Normally, when you run your fingers over a muscle, it should give slightly under the pressure. When you come across a knot, it may feel like there is a bump or hard spot that isn’t as supple as the surrounding muscle. If there is a lot of tension in the muscle, or if there are multiple knots that are close together, it can be harder to isolate each individual knot.

Where are Knots Typically Found?

Knots can form pretty much anywhere in your body where there is muscle. Registered Nurse, Rachel Nall, identifies the following as the most common problem-areas:

Calves
Shins
Lower back
Neck
Shoulders
Trapezius

What Causes Muscle Knots?

Anything that strains your muscles in a manner that’s inconsistent with what they are used to can result in a knot.

They can come from stress, muscle overuse or underuse, injury, or bad posture. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that can cause knots.

How to Find Relief

On the bright side, there are also a lot of things you can do to help with the pain. You can:

Gently stretch the affected muscle
Increase blood supply to the muscle with aerobics
For example: If you have a knot in your shoulder, some jumping jacks will activate your shoulders and get blood circulating through the area
Massage the knot with a comfortable amount of pressure
Apply and hold pressure on the knot until it releases. Try not to exceed 100 seconds of this.
Apply a muscle rub to the area
Take anti-inflammatories

In addition to these, we’ve found some stretching techniques presented by Physical Therapists Bob Schrupp and Brad Heineck in their YouTube video: 60 Second Stretches to Get Knots from Shoulders, Upper Back, and Traps. Most of these stretches can be done from a seated position which makes them easy to do pretty much anywhere. One exercise is similar to a shoulder shrug. Schrupp explains that you should:

Shrug both your shoulders up
Bring them back as if you’re pulling them behind your ears
Hold that position for 5 seconds
Relax
Repeat as needed

Another exercise they talk about looks like this:

Elevate one shoulder
Bring that shoulder backwards
Tilt your head up to look at the sky
Tilt your head to bring your ear to your raised shoulder
Turn your head slightly so your nose is facing away from your raised shoulder
Hold that position for 5 seconds
Relax
Repeat as needed

The idea behind these exercises, Heineck explains, is to fatigue the muscles into relaxing. They will feel tight during the exercises but will tend to relax afterwards.

As with any type of exertion on your body, pay attention to what hurts to minimize your risk for injury. Start gradually and don’t over-do it, because it is possible to have too much of a good thing. To learn how you can handle and prevent back, knee, and shoulder injuries, listen to our Podcast, Episode 28. To help prevent future knotted muscles, read our post on The 10 Most Popular Exercises and How to Perform Them Properly. To access our monthly blog post highlights, subscribe to our newsletter today!

Hydration and Cognition are Linked!

by Sandra Koury | Sep 20, 2019 | All, Home, Wellness

We’re slowly leaving summer behind and with the cooler months we start to think less about the importance of staying hydrated. It’s just as important now as it was in July to drink water, and what it does for your body and mind is pretty amazing.

Did you know that drinking water can actually improve your mood, memory, attention, and learning? The human brain is made primarily of water: over 75%! It makes sense that, when the body becomes dehydrated, the brain has a more difficult time doing what it needs to.

It’s easy to lose water if you’re not consuming enough throughout your normal day. If you’re losing more water than usual because of hot weather or exercise, you’ll need to take-in even more.

How to Stay Hydrated

According to the Mayo Clinic, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends that on average, men should consume approximately 15.5 cups, or 3.7 liters, of fluid every day. For women, the recommended amount is 11.5 cups, or 2.7 liters.

Yes, that sounds like a lot!! We’re also used to hearing that we should drink (a much more reasonable) 8 cups of water a day. However, you should take another look at that information.

The word “consume” means you don’t necessarily need to drink the water you need. You can eat foods that contain water and still meet the recommendations. It also says “fluids,” which means you can drink a water-containing beverage like milk or juice and still get the needed H2O.

Here are some ways to get the water you need, to keep track of your intake, and to remind you of your next water break.

01.

Drink from a Marked Container

A container that’s marked according to how much fluid it can hold is going to be your best friend. It’ll be easy to keep track of how much you’ve had to drink. For example, if you drink from a 32-ounce bottle, you can make it your goal to drink 2 or 3 of those bottles every day. This will put you at approximately 1.9- or 2.8-liters respectively. You should be able to get the rest of your water needs by eating.

02.

Eat Foods with High Water Content

Healthline published a list of water-rich foods that can help you determine which foods to add to your day. Some great foods from this list include:

Watermelon
Cucumber
Skim Milk
Lettuce
Zucchini
Celery
Plain Yogurt

As you can see, there’s a solid mix of sweet/salty flavors and crunchy/creamy textures. There are enough options to find at least one thing you enjoy!

03.

Use an App to Track Your Intake

Some fitness apps have a section where you can log your water intake. Other apps exist solely for the purpose of reminding you to drink and to help you track your intake. You can simply go to your App Store from your smartphone and do a search for water tracking apps. If you just want some of our random finds, take a look at these free-to-download apps:

Waterlogged – iOS

Daily Water – iOS

Water Time Pro – Android

Drink Water – Android

04.

Test Your Hydration

An easy way to tell if you’re hydrated enough is if the color of your urine is pale yellow to clear. Darker urine colors may indicate that you’re not getting enough water. There are other reasons why urine color may change so never take it strictly as a sign of dehydration!

Another quick test is the skin elasticity test. If you pinch the skin on the top of your hand, it should quickly drop back to its original position. If it holds the pinched shape and slowly comes back down, you might be dehydrated.

Remember that every body is different

Keep in mind that the amount of water your body requires to function healthily is going to be different from what someone else’s body requires. Even if you’re generally the same in terms of age, health, and fitness level, your body may simply need more or less. Listen to your body and focus on you!

To read what our Registered Dietician, Debbie James, had to say about Drinking Too Much Water, read her response to our guest’s question. Or, to learn more about different types of water, read her response to this question on Distilled Water. To access our monthly blog post highlights, subscribe to our newsletter today!

Cholesterol and Exercise – How to Manage Your Numbers Naturally

by Sandra Koury | Sep 18, 2019 | All, Exercises, Home, Wellness | 1 comment

(Evidence Based)

Does Exercise Help Manage Cholesterol?

Typically, we might hear that changing our dietary habits is the key to reducing bad cholesterol and to increasing good cholesterol. However, studies have shown that exercise also plays an important role in cholesterol management.

Combining proper nutrition and regular exercise is the key to healthy cholesterol numbers.

The research appears to disagree on whether the frequency or intensity of the exercise is important to improving cholesterol. However, the consensus lies in the duration of exercise.

From Kodama and colleagues’ review of over 25 studies, all seem to agree that regular aerobic exercise, performed for a longer amount of time per session, is what will lead to improvement in overall cholesterol levels.

What are HDLs and LDLs?

Before we dive in, let’s take a moment to talk about some of the key terms we’ll be using.

LDL – Low-Density Lipoprotein is what’s commonly termed “bad cholesterol.” High levels of this stuff are what put you at risk for cardiovascular complications.

HDL – High-Density Lipoprotein is what we like to call “good cholesterol.” This is what carries bad cholesterol and triglycerides to the liver in order to get rid of them.

Triglyceride – These come from the fats you consume. Like LDL, a high amount of triglyceride is also linked to cardiovascular disease.

What Can Exercise Do for Cholesterol?

A study on activity and cholesterol found that physically active individuals had lower levels of LDL and Triglyceride, and higher levels of HDL, than individuals who lived a sedentary (non-active) lifestyle.

The levels of activity among the participants were mixed. This means that low, moderate, and high intensity exercises all made a difference. This is great news for people who are afraid to start exercising for fear they aren’t “fit enough” to exercise. If this is you, read our post on The Common Misconception of Getting Fit Before Joining a Gym.

Exercises You Can You Do to Lower LDLs and Raise HDLs

Regardless of our suggestions, you should choose an exercise that you can comfortably do for extended periods of time. It may also be necessary to have your doctor monitor how your heart responds to any new exercise routine.

The American Heart Association recommends about 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week (that’s about 30 minutes a day if you’re working out 5 days a week), or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week.

You can mix and match different amounts of moderate and vigorous exercise. The idea is to aim for some amount of time in the AHA’s general ballpark and work your way to a level that feels good for you.

Aerobics

Aerobic exercises include activities like jogging, running, swimming, bicycling, dancing, and others that elevate your heart rate.

To effect cholesterol, one study suggests that an effective level of weekly exercise is approximately 17 to 18 miles of jogging at a moderate pace. If that’s too much, 11 miles is still effective but to a lesser degree.

If 30 minutes a day sounds a bit vague, this jogging recommendation may give you a more focused perspective on how much exercise you should aim for.

Low to Moderate Intensity Resistance Training

Resistance training may involve the use of objects, like dumbbells, or your own body weight to improve your muscle strength, tone, mass, or endurance. Examples include lifting free weights, bench press, deadlift, squats, lunges, and more.

A review conducted by Mann and colleagues investigates the effects of resistance training on cholesterol. Their findings suggested that low to moderate intensity workouts were just as effective as high-intensity workouts! More good news!

This type of exercise can be done independently to improve cholesterol or be paired with aerobic exercise.

Conclusions

Long story short:

Regular exercise, performed for extended periods of time, is the big game changer
Cardio and resistance training are shown to improve cholesterol
It’s more about quality than quantity

To learn from our Registered Dietician, Debbie James, about how to lower cholesterol with the right food choices, read the answers to her Q&As on low carb and low fat diets and cholesterol friendly foods. To access our monthly blog post highlights, subscribe to our newsletter today!

Sources

“American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids.” Www.heart.org, 2018, www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-adults.
Kodama, Satoru, et al. “Effect of Aerobic Exercise Training on Serum Levels of High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol.” Archives of Internal Medicine, American Medical Association, 28 May 2007, jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/486847.
Kraus, William E, et al. “Effects of the Amount and Intensity of Exercise on Plasma Lipoproteins: NEJM.” New England Journal of Medicine, 2002, www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa020194#t=article.
Mann, Steven, et al. “Differential Effects of Aerobic Exercise, Resistance Training and Combined Exercise Modalities on Cholesterol and the Lipid Profile: Review, Synthesis and Recommendations.” SpringerLink, Springer International Publishing, 31 Oct. 2013, link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-013-0110-5.
Skoumas, John, et al. “Physical Activity, High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Other Lipids Levels, in Men and Women from the ATTICA Study.” Lipids in Health and Disease, BioMed Central, 12 June 2003, lipidworld.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1476-511X-2-3.

Member Spotlight | The Reward is Worth the Effort

by Sandra Koury | Sep 16, 2019 | All, Home, Member Stories

“There have been days where I really didn’t want to attend a class, but I convinced myself the reward was worth the effort”

Henry B.

LAF Member

Henry has been a member at LA Fitness for the last 10 months, and if you’re not sure how to take advantage of what the gym has to offer, then his story may be just what you need to read today.

Henry’s Story

“I had a regular fitness routine that included 6am brisk walks with weights, followed by various sit-up/push-up exercises. While this regimen kept my heart in good shape, the rest of the body was ‘soft’.

I did monitor my weight but stopped getting on the scale when I saw the number 215 pounds. This was about the time I separated from my wife of 20+ years, so I used this event as the beginning of the ‘transformation’.

I changed my eating habits and met a wonderful woman who was an LA Fitness member. She convinced me to ‘try the gym for a week’ to see how I would like it.

I was very skeptical at first, I mean, I knew how to work out so what benefit would a gym bring to me? We started with a daily exercise class routine, from Body Works Plus Abs, to Power Circuit, to Cardio Jam, to Boot Camp Conditioning. After the first week, I signed up for the annual membership and have been very active since. We have now added yoga to our routine and attend a class 6 days a week. My current weight is 165 pounds, and I feel fantastic!”

Like Henry, many people who want to make changes to their health and fitness don’t know how to navigate all that the gym offers. For him, what worked was to pretty much try everything! He eventually found a routine he enjoyed and customized his workout schedule to include his favorite exercises or classes.

The other major influence was the support of his gym companion. Having someone to attend class with can be a great motivator, can help keep you accountable, and can help push you through the last 5 minutes when your body would much rather quit.

What’s Next for Henry?

“The only next step is to maintain what we have built. Perhaps a role as a motivational speaker at LA Fitness?”

Henry, you may be closer than you think! Just by sharing your story, others who aren’t sure where to begin can look to your success story.

A Piece of Advice

If Henry could offer you a piece of advice from what he learned along his journey, he wants to emphasize discipline.

“My dad was an MP at a Marine air base, so I knew the meaning of discipline from a young age. As I have gotten older, this has become necessary to maintain the routine. There have been days where I really didn’t want to attend a class, but I convinced myself the reward was worth the effort. My wonderful woman agrees!”

Closing Thoughts

The major takeaways from Henry’s story are:

Try as many classes as you can to find what works best for you
Having a gym buddy can be a great advantage
It is important to cultivate the discipline needed to maintain your new routine

Do you have an inspirational story you’d like to share with us? Email us at blog@lafitness.com for a chance to be featured in an upcoming post!

For length and clarity, minor edits – none of which alter the original or intended meaning – have been made to the quotes provided.

6 Ways to Decrease the Time You Spend Sitting

by Sandra Koury | Sep 13, 2019 | All, Fitness, Home

Over the course of a year, the average American spends about 293 hours behind the wheel and about 4,380 hours sitting down. That’s a lot of sedentary time! While it’s not always avoidable, leaving your car behind is one great way to get more active. Read on to learn how you can take opportunities today, and every day, to spend less time in the car and more time moving your body.

Ditch the Drive

Some places, you simply can’t walk to. Not unless you’re planning on an extended backpacking trip. However, if you’re taking the kids to the park or making a run to the store for an item or two, going by foot may be perfect! Grab the sunscreen (rain or shine), put on some comfortable shoes, and bring a hat or umbrella if you think you might need it.

Remember that bike you bought a while back? The one gathering dust in storage or slowly becoming one with the grass in the yard? It’s time to find your helmet. Wherever is too far to travel on foot, is probably accessible by bicycling!

If you already spend a lot of time driving, when it’s time to do something fun for yourself or with the family, see if you can find some local events to attend. Maybe there’s a farmer’s market, a carnival, or a music festival nearby. If you know you’re going to drive anyway, choose something close to home so you can spend less time on the road and more time enjoying what you want!

When Not Driving Is Not an Option

You might live in a state with some serious weather, or because of some other factors, being without your car is nearly impossible. We have some tips for you too! If your health and ability permit, incorporating any amount of activity into your day will always be better than doing nothing at all. Take a look at some of these options for adding movement to your day:

Take the time you spend waiting – waiting in line at the coffee shop, waiting to use the copy machine, waiting for your lunch order – to do some simple exercises. Done right, calf raises can set your legs on fire (in a good way), and they are subtle enough to do while standing in one place.

Every so often, take a moment to stretch. Stretching will increase your blood circulation and give your muscles a break from whatever position you’ve been holding them in during the day. If your responsibilities require you to sit, hunch over, stand, or type all day, your body will thank you when you give it the opportunity to do something different.

Set an alarm on your watch, phone, or computer to remind you to move. You can go up and down the stairs a few times, walk around the block, or even around your desk a few times. If none of those are good options, do some exercises from your seat. You can try some seated crunches, arm or ankle rotations, or simply tighten and release your muscles to improve blood flow.

To learn more about how activity enhances your health, read our post on the Benefits of Living an Active Lifestyle, or get some nutrition tips by listening to our podcast on Fast Food and Your Body. To access our monthly blog post highlights, subscribe to our newsletter today!

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