Strengthening core muscles is important to preventing injury as we age.

Core strengthening is essential as we age. Maintaining strength in our abs, back and pelvic muscles prevents injury, reduces back pain, improves posture and makes it easier to do physical activities. The following core strengthening exercises are designed to do just that. The frequency, duration and number of repetitions appropriate for you should be discussed with your doctor first.

1. Crunches – Lay on the floor with your lower legs on a chair so knees are bent at 90 degrees. Use your abdominal muscles to lift your head, shoulders and shoulder blades off the floor. Hands can be crossed over chest. Be careful not to pull your neck forward.

2. Oblique Crunches – go to one side i.e. bring your right elbow to your left knee vice versa.

3. The Plank – Lay face down, lift your body up off the floor so you are on your elbows and toes only. Keep your body straight and rigid and hold this position.

4. Oblique Plank – Lay on your side, lift your body up onto one elbow and the side of one foot. Keep your body straight and rigid and hold this position.

5. Static Leg and Back – Lay on your back, bend your knees to 90 degrees, and lift your hips off the floor.

6. Dynamic Leg and Back – Lay on your back and push small of your back into the floor; a pelvic tilt.

7. Hamstring Raises – While on all fours, bring one foot up towards ceiling; an upward “donkey kick”.

8. Superman – On all fours, lift one arm and opposite leg, hold (Advanced – lift same arm and leg)

9. Straight Leg Hold – Lay on your back, raise legs 4 inches off floor and hold. Legs should be kept straight so that you are only bending at the waist.

10. Controlled Lowering and Raising Legs – Do above exercise, but instead of holding, raise and lower your legs slowly.

11. Hundreds – Lay on your back with legs out straight.  Lift your feet slightly off floor and bring them towards your rear end and back down to straight legs position. The feet should not be lifted high. Heels should glide just over floor, towards your upper body and then back down.

12. Leg extensions – Lay on your back and bring your feet up and peddle as if on bicycle.

[image by sergeant killjoy]

Proper bike fitting is important to preventing injury.

Biking can be a very good exercise, especially for those who cannot undergo sustained weight bearing movements. However, in order to prevent injury and improper joint wear, the bike should be properly fitted to your body. 

Seat Height
Using a doorway or other method of support to hold the bike upright, have someone stand behind you and watch your hips while you pedal backwards.  If your hips rock side to side, the seat is probably too high.  If there is more than a slight bend (15 degrees) in the knees at the bottom of the pedal stroke (6:00), the seat is probably too low.

Seat Fore/Aft
The seat is a proper distance from the handlebars when a plumb-line (any piece of string with a weight on the end) hanging from your kneecap, touches the end of the crank arm.  If you’re over 6 feet tall, ride long distances, climb a lot and pedal at about 90 rpm, you may prefer to be as much as 1 to 2 cm behind the end of the crank arm.  If you’re less than 6-feet tall, spin at 95 rpm or faster and like to sprint, you’ll probably prefer to be directly over the end of the crank arm.

Handlebar Height
For the recreational rider, your trunk should be 40-80 degrees from horizontal.  The shoulder to trunk angle should be 80-90 degrees.  For the road cyclist, trunk position should be 30-40 degrees and the shoulder angle 90-100 degrees.  Rule of Thumb:  In general, the top of the handlebar should be about one to two inches lower that the top of your saddle (for accomplished cyclists interested in aerodynamics [on the road] and good weight distribution [off the road] sometimes go as much as 4 inches).

Hand width
For the recreational rider, hand width should be slightly wider than shoulders.  For the road cyclist, hands should be approximately 2 centimeters wider than the shoulders.

Leg angles
When leg is at 3:00 in pedal stroke, knee should be directly over pedal and bent knee angle should not be more than 90 degrees.  When knee is at 6:00, there should be approximately 15 degree angle, only a slight bend.  The knee to pedal angle should be 35-45 degrees for a recreational cyclist, and 30-35 degrees for a road cyclist.

COMMON PAIN COMPLAINTS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

Knee Pain is usually associated with a seat position that is too high, low, forward or back.  Improper bike shoe or cleat position can also cause knee pain.

• Pain in the back of the knee, backside or outside of thigh: seat may be too high or too far back, too much pedal float
• Pain in the front of the knee: Seat too low, foot too far forward on pedal, pushing BIG gears
• Pain at medial knee: foot position too wide, toes pointed out, or too little pedal float
• Pain at lateral knee: cleat position to narrow, toes pointed in, or too little pedal float

Another cause of knee pain is using too high of a gear.  Try to use a gear that allows you to pedal quickly, about 70-100 strokes per minute.

Foot numbness may be due to the a toe clip that is too tight, shoes that are too tight, or sole of shoe is too soft thus compressing the digital nerve

Neck pain is commonly due to riding a bike that is too long or having handlebars that are too low.  Tight hamstrings or hip flexors can also cause this by forcing your spine to round or arch, and your neck to hyperextend.

Hand pain/numbness can be prevented by wearing padded gloves and slightly bending elbows.

[image by ryoichitanaka]

Taking a long, hot bath is an easy and enjoyable way to detoxify your body.

All of us accumulate toxins in our bodies. We are exposed to them through our environment, food and water. They can be many forms including pesticides, car exhaust, manufacturing fumes, plastics or food additives. Our body is programmed to isolate and eliminate these toxins, but it can get overwhelmed if we don’t do our part to help the process along. Fortunately, there are several things you can regularly do at home to enhance your body’s natural detoxifying functions.

1. Detoxing through your skin:

The skin is one of the largest organs of the body. For it to eliminate toxins properly, you must first have adequate water. To find the amount that is right for you, take your weight and divide it in half. This is the number of ounces of pure water that you need every day. While you are showering, alternate the temperature between warm and cool and stimulate the skin by giving it a good scrub to increase elimination. The use of steam baths, far infrared saunas, and soaking in natural mineral pools can also be very therapeutic. Getting enough sunshine, at least 15 minutes per day is essential. Finally, working up a good sweat can help detoxify your body via the skin.

2. Detoxing through your interstitial fluid and lymphatic system:

Interstitial fluid is the liquid that surrounds each of your cells is partly controlled by your lymphatic system. To effectively detox through the interstitial fluid, you must first supply your body with an abundant amount of water. Then, you can enhance elimination through movement such as jumping on a trampoline, jumping rope, stair climbing, or even deep belly breathing.

3. Detoxing through your lungs:

In order to more effectively detox through your lungs, you must teach yourself to be a deep breather. Take time each day to inhale and exhale slowly and deeply, letting the air feel like it’s filling down deep into your belly followed by a deep and total exhalation.

4. Detoxing through your kidneys:

If your urine is extremely concentrated, darker in color, or has strong odor, you might not be getting enough water causing your kidneys to have to work harder in detoxing you. In addition to drinking more pure water, eat more seasonal fruits to stimulate increased urination. Some good examples of such fruits include grapefruit, cherries, watermelon, and apples.

5. Detoxing through your bowels:

To give your bowels a thorough cleaning, many alternative healthcare providers recommend the periodic use of coffee enemas, followed by a clear water rinse. Instructions for this protocol are generally available from alternative healthcare providers. Also important for bowel health and detox is a sufficient amount of fiber in the diet, found in whole grains and produce. The fiber supplies food to the “good” bacteria in your intestines which are vital to maintaining health.

Working with your doctor, you can incorporate these and other simple suggestions into your daily life to assist in the detoxing process.