Five Accessories Every Runner Should be Using to Help with Recovery

Whether you’re a casual jogger or a competitive runner, you’re probably well acquainted with stiffness and muscle soreness.

Recovery for runners isn’t just about feeling less sore. It’s also important for preventing injuries and improving overall performance.

If you’ve been overtraining -- or just not maximizing your off-days as much as you could -- keep reading. Listed below are five accessories that can help runners (and other athletes) speed up the recovery process.

1. Massage Stick

Whether it’s your quads, calves, hamstrings, or even your feet that could use a little extra attention, a massage stick will help relieve your pain, relax your muscles, and get you ready for your next run.

Massage sticks are light and portable, so they’re ideal for runners who frequently travel (or just don’t have a lot of storage space at home).

With a foam roller, you can roll out large muscle groups easily, but it’s a little harder to focus in on the specific areas that are in need of the most TLC. Massage sticks help you get a more targeted massage, and you have more control over how much pressure you use.

2. Compression Socks

Many athletes, especially runners, swear by compression socks to help reduce swelling, soreness and fatigue after a long workout.

The idea behind compression socks (and all compression clothing) is that they put gentle pressure on the blood vessels, which prevents the blood from pooling in the extremities, particularly the legs and feet, while you are sitting or lying down.

Compression socks are particularly helpful for runners who suffer from plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the connective tissue that runs along the feet). There are even compression socks specifically designed to help treat this condition. You can learn more about them by checking out this list of plantar fasciitis socks.

3. Yoga Strap

Stretching is an essential part of recovery, but many runners tend to neglect it.

A yoga strap makes stretching a little easier, especially for people with tight hamstrings. Wrap the strap around the balls of your feet and think of it as an extension of your arms when doing forward bending stretches.

Straps are another great on-the-go recovery tool. They take up even less space than a massage stick!

4. Epsom Salts

Sometimes, a hot bath is the only thing that will cut it after a long day of training.

To make your bath even more effective for easing sore muscles, add two cups of Epsom salt to the water.

Epsom salt is not actually a salt, but a mineral compound also known as magnesium sulfate. When you soak in a bath with Epsom salts, the minerals are absorbed into the skin to help with aches and inflammation.

There are several different types of Epsom salts that you can use in your bath, including aromatherapy styles that contain essential oils. Try some lavender or peppermint oil for even more relief and relaxation.

5. Topical Pain Relief Products

Runners with sore muscles can also benefit from topic pain relief products. These products come in many forms, including creams, gels, and balms.

Many topical pain relief products contain ingredients known as counterirritants. Popular counterirritants include menthol, methylsalicylate, and camphor. They cause either a burning or cooling sensation that helps to distract you from your pain.

Topical products often contain salicylates as well. Salicylates are found in aspirin and help relieve pain and soreness.

Final Thoughts

Sore muscles and stiffness are part of life for runners. However, these five recovery tools can help your aches and pains and get you back on the road as soon as possible. Give one (or more) of them a try today!

This is a guest blog entry

Five Easy Ways to Soothe Aching Joints at Home

A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that nearly 15 million Americans suffer from severe joint pain (ranking a seven or higher on a scale from one to ten) on a regular basis. If you’re part of this group and find that joint pain is affecting your daily life, keep reading.

Listed below are five tips to help you ease your pain and home and get back to doing the things you enjoy most.

At-Home Treatments

These five at-home treatments will help ease your aches and pains and leave you feeling better than ever.

1. Take a Bath

A warm bath can work wonders for aching joints. You can up the ante even more by adding Epsom salts to the water.

Epsom salt is a chemical compound known as magnesium sulfate. Magnesium sulfate has been proven to help reduce inflammation and muscle spasms while relaxing tense spots in the body.

Add two cups of Epsom salts to your bathwater and soak for at least twenty minutes for relief from pain and stiffness.

To make your bath even more effective, add some essential oils to the water as well. Lavender oil is a great addition when your pain is caused by stress or anxiety, and peppermint oil can help further reduce swelling and inflammation.

2. Try Topical Treatments

There are also many topical creams and gels out there that are helpful for people dealing with joint pain and soreness.

Some of these products are meant for general pain relief, while others are specially formulated to help with conditions like arthritis. For more information on arthritis cream click here.

If you don’t want to go out and buy arthritis cream or a topical pain reliever, you can make your own with products you might have in your own condition.

Mix a couple dashes of cayenne pepper with 2-3 teaspoons of olive oil. Use gauze or a cotton ball to apply the paste to the skin around the joints that are experiencing pain. You can apply the paste several times per day. You’ll feel a mild burning sensation at the beginning, but most people get used to it fairly quickly.

3. Move More
 
It might seem counterproductive at first, but more movement is actually beneficial for people dealing with joint pain and stiffness.

When you remain sedentary, your muscles tense up and weaken. This increases your risk of injury and also causes you to compensate for weak muscles when you do have to move. Compensation leads to imbalances throughout the body that will only result in more pain and tension.

If you’re feeling stiff and sore, try to get up and do some kind of low-impact exercise. Walking, cycling, or yoga are all great options that will help loosen up your muscles and give you the relief you’re looking for.

Incorporate these movements into your schedule regularly, as well, to prevent soreness from occurring in the first place.

4. Eat (or Drink) More Ginger

Ginger is an anti-inflammatory herb that has been found to mimic the effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

There are several different ways that you can incorporate ginger into your diet. One of the easiest is to simply add a few slices of fresh ginger to boiled water to make tea.

You can also make a ginger poultice by making a paste of minced fresh ginger and olive oil. Apply the paste to the painful joint, wrapping in place with gauze if necessary. Leave it for 10-15 minutes.

5. Try Aromatherapy

Lavender and peppermint essential oils are some of the most popular pain- and stress-relieving aromatherapy options. However, plenty of others, including marjoram and rosemary oil, have also been found to soothe aching joints.

To experience the benefits, mix a teaspoon of any of these oils with a quarter-cup of almond or coconut oil. Then, simply take a deep inhale whenever you need some relief.

Preventing Joint Pain

All of these tips are great for soothing aching joints. But, it’s also important to take steps to prevent joint pain from occurring in the first place.

Some options for preventing pain and inflammation include:

•    Regular exercise
•    Managing weight to prevent excess pressure on the joints
•    Taking joint-protecting supplements like collagen, Omega-3 fatty acids, and glucosamine
•    Staying hydrated

Final Thoughts

Lifestyle changes like improving your diet and getting enough exercise can help prevent joint pain. When it does occur, though, the tips discussed above can help relieve the pain and allow you to continue living your life. Try them out today!

This is a guest blog entry.

How To Improve Your Chances Of Successfully Recovering From An Addiction

Overcoming an addiction is not an easy process. When you first start down the path toward recovery, it may feel like you aren't making progress as quickly as you would like. Keep in mind that you won't recover overnight. However, as long as you commit to the process, you will eventually beat your addiction. Try using these steps to improve your chances of successfully recovering from an addiction:

1. Participate in regular counseling sessions. People who meet with a counselor or therapist on a regular basis are far more likely to recover than those who try to go it alone. These professionals can help you stay on the right path.

2. Don't expect immediate results. Chances are, you didn't become addicted overnight. You also won't recover overnight. Old patterns of thinking can be extremely hard to break. You may find your thoughts returning to drugs or alcohol again and again. Don't feel discouraged. The longer you stick with it, the less intrusive these thoughts will become until eventually you are free from your addiction.

3. Fill up your free time. As an addict, nothing is worse than having too much free time. If you don't keep yourself busy, you are far more likely to spend time thinking about your addiction. Pick up some new hobbies and do your best to stay occupied.

Consider looking for hobbies that involve other people. Being able to get together with friends who share your interests can be a great way to keep yourself occupied so that you don't return to old, negative patterns.

4. Focus on the present. One of the first things that people learn when they seek treatment for drugs or alcohol is that you have to take the process one day, one hour, or one minute at a time suggest the experts at Sage Recovery Villa. Anytime you are tempted to drink or do drugs, stop yourself. Tell yourself that you can make it one more day without. If necessary, you can even break it down into smaller increments, telling yourself you can make it another hour or another minute without. Typically, cravings pass quickly. By the time you get through the next hour or day, you will most likely be in a much better position to resist.

5. Figure out what to do with all of your time. One of the hardest parts of recovering from addiction is suddenly finding yourself with a ton of free time. If you don't find new activities to fill your time, you will be more likely to relapse. Try to come up with some productive activities that you can do to keep yourself from drifting aimlessly through the day.

6. Tell people about your addiction. One of the worst things that you can do when you are recovering from an addiction is to try to hide it from others. Although you don't have to tell everyone, you should tell a few key people in your life. Find trusted friends or family members that you can confide in. That way, you will have a support system in place that you can count on if you find yourself tempted to relapse.

7. Stick with it. No matter what happens or how tempted you are, stick with your recovery. The more dedicated you are to getting better, the more likely you are to succeed. Don't allow minor setbacks to throw you off the path toward recovery. Instead, stay focused on your goal and you will eventually get there.

This is a guest blog entry.

3 Common Challenges for People with a Chronic Disease

Managing chronic illness is nothing new for older adults. In fact, AARP reports that over 70% of adults 45+ have at least one chronic condition, and 20% are reported to have three or more. Most commonly older adults suffer from obesity, heart disease, depression, diabetes, cancer, and emphysema, though as you age, rates of conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia rise as well.

Medication Management
Many chronic conditions are managed in part by a fixed medicine schedule aimed at keeping symptoms at bay and even reversing recent damage. Unfortunately, prescriptions and supplements for a chronic disease can be numerous and complex. Take, for example, a patient with advanced Parkinson’s Disease who also has seizures, arthritis, and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing). They may need to have seizure medicines crushed up and administered with applesauce, Parkinson’s medication applied as a patch to a different part of the body every day, topical arthritis aids applied to their joints, and then additional liquid supplements and over-the-counter medicines thickened and given orally multiple times a day.

The Mayo Clinic reports that upwards of 50% of patients with chronic disease don’t actually take their medicine as prescribed, leading to countless hospitalizations and alarming mortality rates. For a number of reasons including confusion, complicated medicine schedules, cost, health illiteracy, lack of caregiver support, and communication barriers between doctors and patients, it’s no surprise that many suffering from chronic illness are unable to adhere to their prescribed treatment plans.

Experts recommend that patients with chronic conditions use pill organizers to sort and manage daily medicines as well as alerts - be they smartphone apps or alarm clocks. Alerting caregivers when medicine hasn’t been taken has also been shown to increase adherence rates for patients. Continuing a dialogue with medical providers is also key as they can help simplify medicine schedules by altering frequencies or dosages, and provide greater insight into side effects, drug interactions, and more.

Completing Basic Daily Tasks
Whether it’s neuromotor changes like you see with multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease, peripheral neuropathy like is common with diabetes, joint stiffness and pain like with osteoarthritis, or confusion and disorientation like someone suffering from dementia may experience, varying symptoms of chronic disorders can negatively impact a person’s ability to complete daily tasks. Dressing, showering, brushing teeth, eating, toileting, etc. are all key markers of basic functioning, however, they often become more and more difficult as a person’s disease progresses.

Patients and their caregivers can benefit from adaptive equipment and ease-of-use tools which simplify everyday tasks and empower greater independence and self-reliance. The best grabbing aids, for example, will allow a person to reach up to a shelf or down to the floor to pick things up (i.e. keys, jars, etc) without having to bend or stoop over, or awkwardly strain up and possibly lose their balance. Additional tools might include bed rails, shower stools, dressing aids, and mobility aids like walkers, canes, or knee scooters.

Organizing Care Networks
Sometimes a chronic condition will qualify a patient for in-home health care which simply means medical professionals like nurses, physical therapists, home health aides, and speech therapists can come to the home to administer treatment and train caregivers. Unfortunately, the rules for receiving this type of skilled care are strict and not every patient with a chronic condition will qualify. Broadening the care network and finding ways to coordinate friends and family to pitch in becomes of utmost importance.

Some free online tools like CaringBridge.org and LotsaHelpingHands.com help people set up online signups, care calendars, meal trains, and other resources to organize a network of friends and family who can help with caregiving tasks like transportation to appointments, picking up prescriptions, making meals, etc. New hospital and family caregiver laws, like the one that passed in California in 2015, are also requiring hospitals to communicate with family caregivers when their loved one is discharged from the hospital. Hospitals must provide counsel and training about continuing care at home, medication management, and even skilled tasks like dressing wounds and managing incontinence.

This is a guest blog post.

All You Need to Know About the Vampire Facial

Have you ever wanted a rejuvenated look but was too scared to go under the knife and commit fully to the procedure? Well, you might've missed out on a brand new treatment called the Vampire Facial.

Royalty Free Photo

This method is being used by many celebrities throughout the world and it utilizes non surgical techniques, making it a great option for those who are scared of going under the knife. In this article, we’re going to introduce you to what they are exactly and let you judge whether they’re the good choice for you.

What Exactly Is a Vampire Facial?

The whole procedure is rather simple compared to surgery. First, a blood sample is taken and Platelet-Rich Plasma, also known as PRP, will be separated from it. The areas to be treated will be injected with a hyaluronic acid filler that will help sculpt and change the shape of the face.

After that portion of the procedure is finished, the PRP is injected to promote collagen and fatty tissue production while improving blood flow and refreshing the look of your skin.

The effectiveness of the facial is owed solely to the PRP portion of the therapy. PRP is what promotes those rejuvenating effects you will experience after getting this treatment. The plasma helps stimulate collagen located in your face while at the same time encouraging your body to regenerate new skin cells.

What Are the Benefits of the Vampire Facial

One of the major benefits of the vampire facial is the skin rejuvenation and revitalization. After receiving the treatment, you will automatically notice an increase in your skin's tightness and firmness and some areas will look less saggy. Aside from the cosmetic benefits, the vampire facial comes at a far more reasonable price than many other facial treatments. Not to mention that these treatments also use artificial, synthetic materials which may leave you with unwanted consequences.

In regards to safety, the vampire facial has almost no side effects and your body will easily accommodate to the filler material since it came directly from you and your body.

What is the Price of the Treatment?

The whole process, including extraction of PRP and the process of injection that takes place almost immediately after can cost anything from 800 to 1500 dollars, depending on where you choose to take the procedure. Bigger cities like New York or Los Angeles will require you to pay slightly more than you would in some smaller ones. The recovery period is only a couple of hours after the procedure.  During that time, you might experience a reddened face but nothing dramatic.

Many new patients decide to go for this treatment over a surgical procedure because of the low risk and less dramatic results it offers. The recovery time is also considered quite low which will allow you to get back to your usual routine much faster. The procedure itself takes a small amount of time and the pain is almost non-existent. This is probably the best, non-invasive to rejuvenate your face and improve your appearance.

This is a guest blog entry.

5 Bath Accessories That Benefit Your Health

A warm bath at the end of a long day can do wonders to help relax tense muscles and bring you peace of mind, but did you know that with the right accessories it can also benefit your health? Don’t miss this essential guide to bath accessories that are good for your body and mind:

Essential Oils
The oils extracted from various plants like lavender, sandalwood, bergamot, peppermint, and rosemary, have been used homeopathically for centuries to aid all types of ailments including headaches, anxiety, and brain fog. A warm bath serves as a great carrier for an essential oil which can benefit your mental clarity and calmness. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil straight to your bathwater, or if you are taking a shower, add a few drops to a washcloth you leave on the shower floor (the essential oil will aerosolize when hot water runs over it).

Back Scrubber
Straining to scratch and scrub hard to reach parts of your back can seem impossible and cause you to awkwardly twist and contort your body. This might do more harm than good leading to tense and inflamed low back muscles and neck pain. Using a back scrubber solves this issue by giving you an extendable loofah-like scrubby on an ergonomic handle or belt with which to rub and clean your back. Different types of scrubbers for your shower or bath can be found online or in many drugstores and grocery stores.

Dry Brush
Dry brushing prior to your shower or bath can do wonders for your appearance and health. As a type of exfoliator, a dry brush helps to slough off dead skin cells and built-up impurities on the surface of your skin that are clogging up your pores. As well, the long, upward strokes up your legs and arms towards your heart help to stimulate lymphatic drainage, boosting your immunity and encouraging the flow of lymph which helps to pull toxins out of your tissues. Experts recommend dry brushing while standing nude in the shower and then rinsing off before you take a bath to experience the best effects.

Music
Listening to soothing music while you soak in the tub can have more powerful effects on your mental well-being than you may know. Music bears a unique connection to specific parts of the brain linked to emotion and research has shown its ability to play a positive role in your health. Researchers at McGill University, for example, reviewed 400 research papers covering the neurochemistry of listening to music and discovered that it aided mood and stress management and even gave the immune system a boost.

Shower Chair
For older adults especially, easy-to-use equipment that both simplifies the bathing process and helps prevent falls is a must for staying safe and mobile. Shower chairs can provide a much needed non-slip seat on which to sit when legs feel weak or tired, grab bars help to support and stabilize you when standing or sitting in the bathtub, and non-slip tape or textured mats on the floor of the bath or shower can prevent you from slipping when the water is running or soap bubbles build up.

In addition to mental wellness and relaxation, baths offer myriad health benefits including helping to clear nasal congestion, alleviate muscle aches, cleanse and hydrate skin, and even induce sleep when taken right before bed. It’s important to remember that you want your bath water to stay between lukewarm and very warm; water that is too hot can actually increase your heart rate, make you excessively sweat, and potentially dehydrate you.

This is a guest blog entry.