FitSugar

Side Stitch: What Causes It and How to Prevent It

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 05:50:26 PDT

You got all geared up for a run, and five minutes into it, you suffer from a twanging pain in your rib cage. Ugh, the dreaded side stitch. They can be so painful you have to stop in your tracks, which can be really frustrating. Experts believe it's caused when the ligament that attaches your liver to your diaphragm becomes overstretched. Breathing in and out heavily combined with the jarring motions of running can cause this pain. And here's a cool fact - those who exhale when their right foot hits the ground are more prone to side stitches. That's because when the right foot hits the ground, it pulls the liver down and the exhale is simultaneously forcing the diaphragm up. The ligament gets overstretched, and you're left with that sharp, nagging pain.

To learn how to prevent this annoying pang,

Before hitting the treadmill or trail, be sure to warm up your tight muscles with some brisk walking or slow jogging. Once you begin your run, try concentrating on exhaling as your left foot hits the ground. If that doesn't feel natural to you, focus on taking deep, even breaths as you run. When you exhale fully, the diaphragm can lower completely, which allows the ligament to relax. Also avoid eating one to two hours before a run, but make sure you've had water (about 12 ounces 30 minutes before your workout) since dehydration can lead to muscle cramps.

If you're suffering from a side stitch in the middle of a run, slow down your pace and your breath. If that doesn't help, stop completely and press your hand into the right side of your body and push up. This will lift your liver slightly and bring it closer to your diaphragm, so it's not overstretched. Once the pain goes away, feel free to jump back on the running wagon.

5 Ways to Deal with Side Stitches

FitSugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 03:30:00 PDT

You're running full speed ahead and suddenly you get an excruciating pain in your side: the dreaded side stitch. Nothing kills a good workout like getting cramps and luckily there are a few things you can do to keep them at bay. Here are five easy to follow tips:

Try to avoid eating one to two hours before a workout. If you must eat then avoid fatty foods and proteins and stick to carbohydrates.
Hydrate before and during exercise; contrary to popular belief, dehydration can increase muscle cramps.
Focus on your breathing. Take a few deep breaths every once in a while to stretch your diaphragm as well as to ensure that all parts of your body are receiving the amount of oxygen they need to keep going.
Once you first experience cramping slow down your pace until the pain subsides.
Massaging or pressing on the area and bending over can help reduce the pain.

Do you have a no-fail remedy for side stitches? Share them below.

Source

What's the Deal With Charley Horses

FitSugar — Wed, 30 May 2007 03:00:00 PDT

Ever been awakened by an excruciating cramp in your calf? Your foot? Both at the same time? If you have experienced one of these nocturnal muscle cramps poetically known as a Charlie Horse you will know exactly what I am talking about.

While no one has yet to pin point a single cause for these cramps there are many theories as to why they happen, what actions (or inactions) contribute to them, and there are many steps you can take to prevent them.

A Charlie Horse could be caused by overexertion of the muscles, structural disorders like flat feet, prolonged standing on concrete, prolonged sitting, inappropriate leg positions while sedentary (another reason why crossing your legs is really a no-no), or dehydration. Some alternative health practioners believe magnesium and/or calcium levels are too low and that leads to the cramping.

No matter why you get them, you want to know what you can do to avoid them. I suggest staying well hydrated (if you're interested in seeing how much water you should be drinking daily check out the Fit calculator) and stretch your calves regularly throughout the day, before you got to bed and especially if you were wearing high heels for an extended period of time. Light exercise before bed can also help, as can keeping your blankets loose at the foot of your bed since the tight sheets can force the muscles of the foot and calve to engage and then cramp.

Interested in knowing what to do when you get a Charlie Horse? Then

Here are a few ways to ease the cramping and the pain:

Walk on or jiggle the affected leg and then elevate it.
Stretch the calf by straightening your knees and flexing your foot toward your knee.
Increase the stretch by actively pulling your toes upward toward your knee.
Take a hot shower or warm bath, or apply an ice massage to the cramped muscle.

Sure do hope these help and just try to remember to breathe while you are in the throes of a Charlie Horse.

Amp Up Your Workout With These Balance Exercises

Susi May — Thu, 03 May 2012 02:37:25 PDT

If you're looking to amp up your fitness routine, you need to get unstable. Performing classic single-leg exercises while standing on a foam pad, like the one pictured above by Aeromat, is simple way to do this. The squishy surface forces your core and legs to work harder, increasing your strength gains and caloric burn. Standing on the soft surface also strengthens your feet and ankles, which is important if you're flirting with the barefoot running trend or plan to spend lots of time hiking hilly terrain this Summer.

To get started, try this three-exercise progression I learned from my Equinox trainer Lauren. Once you've mastered a variation, try the next level up. As you experiment with these moves, you will feel your weight shift from side to side on your foot, which means the muscles that support your arch and ankle are working. If you find your feet cramping, spread your toes wide in your shoes or try the exercise in just socks.

Learn the moves after the break.

Things to Never Do While on a Short-Distance Run

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:14:00 PDT

With last week's Boston Marathon kicking off marathon season, there's been a lot of talk about how to tackle long-distance runs and how to recover from an endurance run once it's over. All great advice, but for many of us, a 30- to 40-minute run is all we want to handle. For all you short-distance runners out there, here's a list of things to never do during your workout.

Skip the warmup: Even though you're not running for very long, you still need to warm up your cold muscles. Walk briskly, do some jumping jacks, or run up and down your stairs for five minutes to get your blood flowing and to prepare your muscles and joints for the workout ahead. Skip the warmup and you might as well sign yourself up for a pulled muscle.
Carbo load: Depending on how much you weigh and how fast you're moving, a half-hour run burns 300 calories, more or less. Compare that to someone burning 1,200 on a two-hour run and you'll see that it's not necessary to carbo load beforehand with a huge spaghetti lunch. Follow these tips for choosing an appropriate pre-workout snack, don't eat a thing during your workout, and when you're run is complete, nosh on one of these low-cal post-workout snacks.

Keep reading to find out more short-distance running mistakes to avoid.

How to Travel to a Destination Race With Success

Michele Foley — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 01:37:33 PDT

Competing in a race is already a challenge in itself; add to that a bit of travel, and you've got a new set of factors to consider. To find out how to achieve race-day success when traveling across the country - or world - we went straight to the expert, Thom Gilligan, founder of Marathon Tours, a specialized travel agency for runners that provides travel packages to destination marathons. Here are Thom's tips to ensure traveling won't prevent you from having a successful race day, whether you're doing a 10K or a marathon.

Pack race-day gear in your carry-on: Airlines lose luggage - it just happens. "Take precaution by packing all race gear in your carry-on," Thom says. The last thing you need is to be without your running shoes or outfit on the day of the race. Sure, you can buy new gear, but as any expert will tell you, running in new sneakers or clothing on the day of a race is bad all around. You don't want unexpected factors like chafing, pulling, or rubbing to prevent you from having a good day or causing bad form.
Arrive before the day of the race: Jet leg and tight muscles from a cramped airline seat are not a good look when it comes to race day. To feel alert on the day of the race, try to get there as far in advance as possible. Thom says the rule of thumb is to "arrive one day earlier for every hour you may be gaining or losing." But even he knows how impractical this sounds. Ideally give yourself two to three days to acclimate to your new surroundings, he says. The most important thing, Thom says, is adapting your sleep patterns to the current time zone. Fight urges to nap during the day or stay up late at night. Instead, go to sleep at the general bedtime hour of wherever you might be; this will help reset your circadian rhythm to the local sleep-wake cycle. Here are more tips on preventing jet lag.

See more tips for destination races after the break!

Prego and on the Run: Round Ligament Pain

FitSugar — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:14:36 PDT

If you used to run regularly before there was a little bundle of joy growing inside you, doctors think it's safe to continue with your running routine while pregnant. You should def get the OK from your OB though, and once you do, you may find it helps with some common pregnancy symptoms such as constipation, leg cramps, lower back pain, and fatigue. Yeah, being with child is fun!

Running with a bun in the oven is much harder than running solo. You get winded more easily, your muscles tire quicker, and since your body is changing so much, you may experience some aches and pains. In my fifth month of pregnancy with a "popped" belly, I experienced aching in my lower belly that felt like the muscles were overstretching. This pain is known as round ligament pain and it's really common for pregos in their second trimester.

Keep reading to find out if it's harmful to your baby or if it means you should give up running.

How to Deal With PMS Symptoms and Still Work Out

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:56:25 PDT

From pimples to bloating, cramps to spontaneously bursting into tears, PMS and period symptoms not only have the ability to ruin your day, but they can also put a damper on working out. Since exercise actually alleviates many of these uncomfortable feelings, here are some of the best ways to handle common PMS symptoms while working out.

Bloating: Swelling in your lower abdomen doesn't always inspire you to sport a fitted tank or leggings. Forget impressing anyone and go for comfort by wearing loose-fitting pants that have wide waistbands and these tanks that hide a pooch.
Cramps: When your uterus contracts, you can feel mild to debilitating cramps. If you aren't bound to your bed in the fetal position, get moving. Doing some cardio that gets your heart pumping such as jogging, brisk walking, riding your bike, or swimming releases pain-relieving beta-endorphins to alleviate your discomfort, and it also helps to decrease those cramp-inducing muscle contractions. If the pain is really bad, try these yoga poses for relieving menstrual cramps.

Keep reading to learn how to work out when dealing with other period symptoms.

5 Things You Should Never Do During a Workout

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:27:58 PDT

There are many things you shouldn't do before a workout, such as cold stretching (learn more prewrokout no-nos here). To make the most of your actual workout, here are a handful of things to avoid while getting your sweat on.

Exercise on an empty stomach: Used as a common weight-loss technique, exercising on an empty stomach can actually prevent weight loss. Without fuel in your system, calories burned will come from muscle instead of fat. Eat before your sweat session and it'll provide energy for your workout, boost your metabolism, and studies show you'll consume fewer calories throughout the day.
Gulp water: Preventing dehydration is a must, so do drink water throughout your workout, especially in the heat. Sip between about one to six ounces every 15 to 20 minutes. Gulping down larger amounts of water at a time can not only cause stomach cramps, but could cause hyponatremia, also called water intoxication. Overhydrating can lead to low amounts of sodium in the body, causing dizziness, cramps, slurred speech, and nausea. Stick to drinking small amounts of water during regular workouts, and during intense workouts or those longer than an hour, sip on a sports drink to replace lost electrolytes.

Keep reading to find out three more things you shouldn't do during a workout.

Healthy Computing: How to Create an Ergonomic Desk

Anna Monette Roberts — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 01:39:47 PDT

You might not be able to swing a professional ergonomic evaluation, but you can make simple changes to your desk environment to sit up a little bit straighter and avoid neck, wrist, and back strains. While ergonomics is about proper seating position, it also includes common habits you might be unaware of, like your line of sight toward a computer screen and how you type. Try out these adjustments to your work space and your moving habits, and tell us if you notice the difference.

To sit ergonomically, your knees and ankles and shoulders to wrists should be positioned in 90-degree angles to your keyboard. If you are on the shorter side, keep a footrest underneath your desk, so your feet aren't dangling. Your back should remain neutral, with something supporting your lumbar spine. Here's a helpful diagram of correct sitting and typing ergonomics.
Keep your keyboard, mouse, and phone within your forearm's length. When you are typing or clicking on your mouse, your wrists should be in a neutral position (not angled up or down) and up in the air rather than rested on the table or on a squishy "wrist support." Resting your wrists actually places greater strain on the sensitive tendons. Also, your elbows should remain close to your body throughout the day.

Find out more tips by clicking here.