the wellness beacon - july 2012

The Wellness Beacon Your Guide to Living Healthy and Staying Physically Fit

July 2012

It is with great pleasure that I introduce the third edition of “The

Wellness Beacon”, a planned series of quarterly newsletters that will

provide a researcher’s perspective on a diverse range of issues

including preventative health and wellness, fitness, exercise, weight

management, and nutrition.

There are two articles presented in this issue. The first article focuses on

the causes of low back pain and potential strategies for treating it

with exercise. More and more people are experiencing low back

pain for reasons related to excess body weight, lifestyle, occupation,

injury, and aging. This article addresses the question of whether or not

exercise can help.

In lieu of the summer season, the second article focuses on a great

method of exercise that provides you with an opportunity to enjoy the

outdoors while doing so, aquatic (water-based) resistance exercise.

This type of exercise introduces a low-impact method of getting

physically fit as it enables you to improve both your muscular and

cardiovascular systems simultaneously without the discomfort and

strain on your muscles and joints that often accompanies traditional

land-based exercises. Finally, I’ll provide you with a delicious, heart-

healthy recipe to kick off the summer season.

Welcome to the third edition of The Wellness Beacon!

Causes of Low Back Pain: Can Exercise Help?

In This Issue:

Aquatic Resistance Exercise:

A Low-Impact Way To Get

Physically Fit

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2 July 2012, The Wellness Beacon

Commentary

Easy, Breezy Summertime Living

With the summertime here and in full effect I hope that you are sticking with

those resolutions to stay healthy and physically fit this year. Given that

summer is a season of vacations, picnics, cookouts, happy hour, pizza by

the slice, ice cream, sugary frozen beverages, and lazy days outdoors, it's

easy to slack off from practicing the healthy behaviors that brought you to

where you are today. With that said, as you’re enjoying your summer, take

full advantage of everyday opportunities to be physically active.

You can start by spending more time outdoors involved in physical activities

like biking, swimming, walking, and gardening. Performing such activities

continuously for at least 30 minutes a day is a great way to ward off

potential weight gain and other health problems during the summer

season. Also, it’s always important to engage in some type of resistance

(weight) training at least 2 days a week. Such training is important for

maintaining your muscle mass, boosting your metabolism, and enhancing

your overall health and well-being. If you don’t want to go to the gym,

invest in a set of adjustable dumbbells and an exercise ball instead and

have the option of training outdoors or in the comforts of your air-

conditioned home.

When it comes to summertime eating, exercise caution with the types of

foods you choose as those calories tend to really add up during this season.

Use this time to enjoy cool and refreshing foods and drinks like fresh

vegetable and fruit salads, healthy homemade sandwiches, fruit flavored

sorbets, iced tea, and, of course, plenty of ice cold water. If you grill a lot,

opt for seafood, poultry, and mixed vegetables, whenever possible and

add barbecue sauce in moderation. In addition, when frequenting

cookouts, reduce the amount of calories you consume by easing up on

classic side dishes like potato salad and macaroni and cheese.

The net-net is that staying healthy and physically fit during the summer

season isn’t rocket science. If you implement simple strategies that

promote physical activity and sensible eating you can maintain good

health all summer long while looking and feeling great.


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If you regularly experience pain in your lower back, you are certainly not alone. A large percentage of

people experience low back pain and its onset has a tendency to greatly increase with age. There are two

types of low back pain: acute and chronic. Acute low back pain is often associated with strenuous exercise

or physical activity, overexertion, incorrect body stance or faulty posture. This type of low back pain comes

on quickly and is profound but usually presents for a short period of time. Chronic low back pain, on the

other hand, continues in a repetitive manner. Any sort of motion can activate the pain and it stays

relentlessly.

Understanding Low Back Pain

The lower back is the most mobile region of the spine allowing movements such as turning, twisting, or

bending. It also plays a critical role during standing, walking, jumping, and lifting. The lower back is a

complex structure of bones, ligaments, and muscles with major nerves and joints. It connects the upper

body (chest and arms) to the lower body (pelvis and legs) and is primarily comprised of vertebrae (bones of

the spine) and intervertebral discs (cushions that sit between vertebrae) that bear much of the body’s

weight. As such, the soundness of these structures and proper functioning of the lower back is necessary for

almost all activities of daily living.

Unfortunately, many will experience some sort of low back pain in their lifetime because if the lower back is

misused in any way, it can fail. Disks can be ruptured, ligaments can sprain, and muscles can be strained.

Oftentimes such injuries are caused by accidents or sports related incidents, however, at times, routine and

simple movements can result in low back pain. Some of the major causes of chronic low back pain include:

excess body fat, spinal fracture (broken back), rupturing or bulging discs along the spine, degenerative

arthritis, hip problems, kidney disease, inflamed muscles or joints, tumors, or aneurysms (see Table 1 for “Major

Conditions Associated with Low Back Pain”).

Causes of Low Back Pain:

Can Exercise Help?

By: Nina Cherie Franklin


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Exercise as a Treatment for Chronic Low Back

Pain

If you have low back pain it is especially important

to treat it. Low back pain can restrict activity and

reduce work capacity and quality of enjoyment of

everyday living. Common treatments for low back

pain include hydrotherapy (the use of ice and heat)

and medications (which may include a combination

of prescription drugs and over-the-counter

remedies), however, exercise is one of the most

widely used treatments for low back pain. It is

indeed one of the cheapest and most effective

ways to prevent and speed recovery from low back

pain. In cases of severe low back pain, physical

therapy may be necessary. However, with mild to

moderate low back pain, it is possible to reduce

symptoms by performing the following exercises

targeted at maintaining and building joint flexibility,

muscular strength and endurance.

Exercises for Joint Flexibility

To decrease the intensity of low back pain, you can

perform the following stretching exercises at home

on a daily basis:

Single knee to chest stretch for your lower back

muscles

Lie on your back with both of your knees bent. Hold

your thigh behind your knee and bring the knee up

to your chest. Hold this position for 20 seconds, relax,

and then repeat the stretch 5 times on each side.

Piriformis stretch for your lower back and hip muscles

Lie on your back with both of your knees bent. Cross

one of your legs on top of the other and pull the

opposite knee to your chest until you feel a stretch in

your buttock/hip area. Hold this position for 20

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seconds, relax, and then repeat the stretch 5 times

each side.

Hamstring stretch for the muscles in the back of your

legs

Lie on your back with your legs bent. One of your

thighs should be held behind your knee. Slowly

straighten your knee until you feel a stretch in the

back of your thigh. Hold this position for 20 seconds,

relax, and then repeat the stretch 5 times on each

side.

Exercises for Muscular Strength and Endurance

To build muscular strength and endurance, you can

perform the following exercises at home on three

non-consecutive days per week:

Wall slide to strengthen your back, hip, and leg

muscles

Structure of the lower back technically called the lumbar spine.


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Stand with your back against a wall and your feet

shoulder-width apart. Slide down into a crouch with

your knees bent to about 90 degrees. Count to 5

and slide back up the wall. Repeat this movement 5

to 10 times.

Leg raise to strengthen your back and hip muscles

Lie on your stomach. Tighten the muscles in one of

your legs and raise it from the floor. Hold the leg up

for a count of 10 and return it to the floor. Do the

same with your other leg. Repeat this movement 5

to 10 times with each leg.

Leg raise to strengthen your abdominal and hip

muscles

Lie on your back with your arms at your sides. Lift

one of your legs off the floor and hold the leg up for

a count of 10 before returning it to the floor. Do the

same with your other leg. Repeat this movement 5

5

to 10 times with each leg. If that is too difficult, keep

one of your knees bent and the foot flat on the

ground while raising your leg.

Partial sit-up to strengthen your abdominal muscles

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet

flat on the floor. Slowly raise your head and

shoulders off the floor and reach with both hands

toward your knees. Count to 10 before returning

slowly. Repeat this movement 5 to 10 times.

Back leg swing to strengthen your hip and back

muscles

Stand behind a chair with your hands on the back of

the chair. Lift one of your legs back and up while

keeping the knee straight. Return slowly and then

raise your other leg and return slowly. Repeat this

movement 5 to 10 times with each leg.

Lower back exercise to reduce strain

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat

on a bed or floor. Raise your knees toward your

chest. Place both of your hands under your knees

and gently pull them as close to your chest as

possible. Do not raise your head and do not

straighten your legs as they are lowered. Start with 5

to 10 repetitions, several times throughout the day.

Low-Impact Cardiovascular Exercise for Muscular

Endurance

When coupled with the previously described

exercises for developing muscular strength and

endurance, low-impact cardiovascular (cardio)

exercise has been proven beneficial for minimizing

the symptoms associated with low back pain.

Continuous cardio exercise that increases your heart

rate over an extended period of time enhances the

efficiency and functional capacity of your heart,

Joint flexibility exercise: Piriformis stretch for your lower back and hip muscles


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lungs, and blood vessels in order to ensure that your body is able to deliver the necessary oxygen and nutrients

to your lower back. Such effects can lead to reductions in lower back stiffness and promote healing. You can

begin by performing 20 to 30 minutes of cardio exercise (in a gym or at home), at least 3 days per week with a

goal of progressing to 40 to 60 minutes of cardio exercise on most days of the week. Start with the following

low-impact cardio exercises, which are gentle on the low back:

• Water activity (i.e. swimming, water walking, aqua aerobics)

• Treadmill or over ground walking

• Bicycling outdoors, stationary bicycling, or “spinning”

In summary, exercise plays an essential role in the treatment of low back pain. With exercise the goal is to

minimize discomfort and restore your ability to perform normal movements and everyday activities efficiently

and effectively. Remember, if you are experiencing mild to moderate low back pain, you may be able to

perform exercises for joint flexibility, muscular strength and endurance on a regular basis in order to reduce

symptoms. However, if your low back pain is more severe, contact your healthcare provider for additional

treatment options.

Learn More About Low Back Pain

At some point in time, almost everyone will experience low back pain as its prevalence greatly increases with

age. To learn more about preventing and/or treating low back pain, visit The National Institute of Neurological

Disorders and Stroke at http://www.ninds.nih.gov/.

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Muscular strength exercise: Partial sit-up to strengthen your abdominal muscles


Table 1: Major Conditions Associated with Low Back Pain

Herniated Discs and Sciatica Sometimes referred to as a “slipped” or “ruptured” disk in the back, a herniated disc is a common

source of low back pain. A herniated disc characteristically produces a stabbing buttock and leg pain but not back pain. This pain that shoots from the buttocks into the leg is called sciatica. Sciatica may feel like a bad leg cramp that lasts for weeks before it goes away. There may be pain

during sitting, or even during a sneeze or cough. Sciatica may also result in weakness, or a burning or tingling sensation down the leg.

Spinal Degeneration or Degenerative Disc Disease Degeneration, or a breaking down of intervertebral discs is a normal process. With age, these discs undergo a great deal of wear and tear. A person with spinal degeneration may experience back stiffness upon awakening or may feel pain after walking or standing for an extended period of time.

Osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease characterized by a progressive decrease in bone density

and strength, which results in decreased bone mass and increased susceptibility to fractures. In this condition, bone is lost faster than it can be formed, which results in easy fracturing of these brittle, porous bones in the spine and hips.

Skeletal Irregularities Skeletal irregularities produce strain on the vertebrae and supporting muscles, tendons, ligaments, and tissues of the spine. These irregularities include scoliosis, a curving of the spine to the side;

kyphosis, in which the normal curve of the upper back is severely rounded; lordosis, which is an abnormally accentuated arch in the lower back; back extension, a bending backward of the spine; and back flexion, in which the spine bends forward.

Muscle Abnormalities The muscles that are most affected in individuals with low back pain are those that attach to the

lumbar spine, particularly those that are involved in bending forward and backward, sideways and/or twisting.

Fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia is a painful condition of at least three months duration that is characterized by widespread muscular achiness and tender points in the neck, spine, shoulders, and hips. Additional symptoms may include sleep disturbances, morning stiffness, and anxiety.

Spondylitis Spondylitis refers to chronic back pain and stiffness caused by a severe infection to or inflammation

of the spinal joints. Other painful inflammations in the lower back include osteomyelitis (infection in the bones of the spine) and sacroilitis (inflammation in the pelvic joints).


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Aquatic Resistance Exercise: A Low-Impact Way To Get Physically Fit By: Nina Cherie Franklin

If you are overweight, middle-aged with joint

problems, or just bored with your current workout

routine, aquatic resistance exercise may work for

you. Aquatic (or water-based) resistance exercise

enables you to improve both your muscular and

cardiovascular systems simultaneously without the

discomfort and strain on your muscles and joints that

often accompanies traditional land-based exercises

like jogging, running, or resistance training with free-

weights. Such exercise also allows you to control

your body weight by burning excess calories that

might otherwise be stored as fat while increasing

your muscle mass, which ultimately boosts your

body's metabolism. You do not have to know how

to swim to benefit from aquatic resistance exercise.

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How Does Aquatic Resistance Exercise Work?

The natural buoyancy offered by water reduces the

effects of gravity and decreases the joint

compression associated with land-based exercise.

In general, when water-based exercise is performed

it creates drag (or resistance) in the water. Adding

specialized aquatic resistance exercise equipment

greatly maximizes this drag without undue stress on

your muscles and joints. Even better, a full-body

aquatic resistance exercise program can be

executed continuously, without extended rest

periods, as you can move from one exercise to the

next without having to change equipment. Such

continuous exercise performed for 20 to 60 minutes

can lead to significant weight loss, successful

weight maintenance, and improved cardiovascular

fitness.

What Do You Need for Aquatic Resistance

Exercise?

Although there are various types of aquatic

resistance exercise equipment on the market (i.e.

hand buoys, water dumbbells, noodles, balls, etc.),

advanced and innovative tools known as Hydro-

Tone bells and boots are becoming increasingly


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lunge, heel kickers karate kickers, and side leg

lifts) with forward and backward water walking

interspersed (visit HydroTone.com for a list of

exercises with images and complete

descriptions). A bonus with aquatic resistance

exercise is that your abdominal muscles and

core are engaged for the majority of your

session. Initially, you can perform 2 sets of 12 to

15 repetitions without resistance in order to

familiarize yourself with the exercises. When you

feel comfortable, you can start using the Hydro-

Tone bells and boots to increase the resistance

offered by the water. You can continuously

increase your exercise intensity by varying the

amounts of repetitions and sets. In addition, you

can manipulate drag by changing the speed at

which you move, the position of your arms or

legs (straight or bent) and/or the position of your

hands (flat or cupped). Aquatic resistance

exercise can be performed from 1 to 4 days a

week, depending on your training goals.

Why Should You Try Aquatic Resistance

Exercise?

In order to improve your muscular strength,

endurance, and tone, performing some sort of

resistance training is an absolute must. When

training with resistance, you should incorporate

all major muscle groups into your program

(back, chest, shoulders, arms, legs, and

abdominals) to ensure that it is balanced.

Resistance training is specific to each muscle

group so fitness gains occur only if you train the

whole body, not just certain areas. Aquatic

resistance exercise helps to strengthen and tone

your muscles while also providing a completely

low-impact exercise for your joints. In addition,

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popular. These tools can transform something as

simple and easy as walking in shallow water into

an intense workout. Hydro-Tone bells are

handheld weights that are designed for upper-

body exercises while the boots (worn around the

lower legs and feet) are designed for lower-body

exercises.

What Does an Aquatic Resistance Exercise

Program Entail?

A typical aquatic resistance exercise session using

Hydro-Tone equipment can include about 5

exercises for the upper-body (Figure 1a) (i.e.

paddle wheel, cross-country arms, karate punch

and pull, lateral raise, and flys) and 5 exercises for

the lower-body (Figure 1b) (i.e. march, side step,

Image courtesy of HydroTone.com


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this type of exercise can effectively improve your ratio of fat to lean mass due to decreases in body fat and

increases in muscle mass, which, in turn, enhances calorie burn rates and weight loss. Aquatic resistance

exercise also improves your cardiovascular function through stimulation of adaptations within the blood

vessels that improve circulation thereby reducing your risk of heart disease and related risk factors (i.e. high

cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes).

How Can You Start an Aquatic Resistance Exercise Program?

If you want to begin an aquatic resistance exercise program check out your local gym, health club, or park

district for pool access and usage fees. You can purchase your very own Hydro-Tone bells and boots by

mail for use in any pool. Now, before starting any exercise program you should first make sure that exercise

is safe for you. If you are under the age of 55 years and generally in good health, it is probably safe for you

to exercise. However, if you are over 55 years of age and/or have any health problems, be sure to consult

with your physician before starting an exercise program.

Images courtesy of HydroTone.com

Side Options: This recipe pairs well with sautéed

spinach or asparagus and whipped cauliflower.

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A Personal Favorite:

Garlic and Thyme Sautéed

Shrimp

What You’ll Need:

• 2 lbs. of fresh shrimp, peeled

and deveined

• 3 cloves of garlic, minced

• ½ tsp. dried thyme

• 2 tsp. tamarind paste

• 2 tsp. soy sauce

• 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

How To Prepare:

Mix the shrimp with all other ingredients in a bowl and allow

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them to cool in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Once cooled, carefully place the

shrimp in a pan and sauté them over medium heat. Do not let them touch. Cook the shrimp

on a single side for 1 minute then flip them to the other side and allow them to cook for an

additional 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the heat and cover the pan with foil. Allow the shrimp to sit for 2 to 3

minutes and then serve them immediately. This delicious recipe makes 8 servings at 100 calories each.

Submit Your Article This publication is a product of Complete Health Solutions, L3C. Copyright © 2012. We are always looking for new contributors and welcome unsolicited submissions. Contact us by mail or phone: Complete Health Solutions, L3C P.O. Box 829 Flossmoor, IL 60422 (888) 571-4998

For general questions or comments, contact Nina Cherie, PhD Email: [email protected] Website: www.ninacheriephd.com

the wellness beacon - july 2012

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