Why Weight Lifters Should Protect Their Spine
November 19, 2021
How To Avoid Back Pain
Category: Exercise Injury Prevention
What’s The Difference Between A Sprain And A Strain?
April 8, 2021
MUSCLE STRAIN OR SPRAIN?
A strain is an injury to a muscle or a tendon. A tendon is a band of fibrous, connective tissue that connects muscle to bone.
Strains vary in intensity, from mild to moderate, to severe. Severe strains are very painful, and can be disabling.
Returning to activity too soon, can delay the healing of a muscle strain.
MUSCLE STRAIN SYMPTOMS
♦ You can’t use the muscle
♦ You feel pain when you try to use the muscle
♦ The muscle feels weak
♦ You feel pain while you rest
♦ The muscle show signs of swelling, bruising, or redness
MUSCLE STRAIN PREVENTION
♦ Practice daily stretching after exercise
♦ Warm up before you exercise with light cardio work
♦ Avoid over-exercising
A SPRAIN HAPPENS TO LIGAMENTS
A sprain is a partial or complete tear of a ligament. A ligament connects bone to bone. One or more ligaments can be injured at the same time.
SYMPTOMS OF LIGAMENT SPRAIN
In the picture below, ligaments are shown in red.
♦ Pain
♦ Swelling
♦ Bruising
♦ You can’t move the affected joint
♦ A popping sound is heard when a ligament snaps
Irene Pastore, is a Certified Personal Trainer, fitness blogger, health educator, and speaker. She has 23 years experience teaching exercise in New York City.. To read her complete bio, visit the About Page.
Hiking Accident Prevention: New Hampshire Rise In Backcountry Search and Rescue Report October 2020
February 24, 2021
Growing Ranks of Unprepared Hikers Need Rescue
Outdoors.org 10/26/20 Officials: Mountain Search And Rescue Went Up As The Unprepared Went Out, By Miles Howard
Pictured left: Mt. Washington – The highest peak in New Hampshire. Elevation 6,288 Feet
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Trip Planning Resources For Hikers And Backpackers
Irene Pastore, is a Certified Personal Trainer, fitness blogger, health educator, and speaker. She has 23 years experience teaching exercise in New York City. To read her complete bio, visit the About Page.
Walking Backward On A Treadmill
February 4, 2015
TV ANNOUNCER TAKING A FALL ON A TREADMILL
This is another post about fitness accidents. Only this time, it was a tv stunt gone bad.
Did you ever notice someone at the gym walking backwards on a treadmill? Did you wonder whether they were into a new, trendy form of cardio exercise, trying to break the monotony, or maybe you thought they were doing something risky?
This is another post about fitness accidents. Only this time, it was a tv stunt gone bad.
On January 15, the Price Is Right announcer, George Gray, fell while walking backwards on a treadmill.
He held his script in one hand, and his microphone in the other. While reading his script, he took a quick fall landing on his back. He managed to get up, gain composure, and continue the show. He was lucky he didn’t suffer a head injury.
Treadmills are made for improving heart health. If you enjoy using a treadmill, use it safely.
- Walking backwards on a treadmill, increases your chances of falling.
- Walking backward as a land exercise, is used to improve balance, not heart health.
It only takes a split second to be thrown off balance, landing on your head, or your back. At the very least you can strain muscles, which, depending on the severity, can take weeks to heal.
Muscle strains can be very painful. At worst, serious head injuries, lacerations, and broken bones. By all means, don’t use it for an entertainment stunt.
Copyright 2015 Irene Pastore and Tour De Core Personal Training
Brooklyn Man Dies Hiking Alone in Mexico
January 20, 2015
Exercise shouldn’t kill you. Most people would agree with that. But the reality is that exercise does kill, when you’re not prepared, don’t understand the risks, or your fitness level isn’t up to the task.
MOTHER NATURE DOESN’T FORGIVE
If you’re out in the wilderness, on a rocky hillside, riding the rapids, or up on a mountain, you need a plan, and know what you’re doing, because the mountains don’t care, and hikes can turn deadly.
Hiking alone in Mexico, 25 year-old Hari Simran Singh Khalsa of Brooklyn, New York, was found dead on January 2. Missing since December 30, his body was found in a ravine near the town of Tepoztlan.
Khalsa told his wife that he planned to go on a short hike, and in a later message told her he walked further than intended, and also told friends that he climbed too high onto another mountain by mistake.
His family said he died of head injuries from a fall over rough terrain, in the Tepozteco Mountains.
In his last text message to a friend, he said that he was on top of a very high mountain, and not sure how to get down. He had a liter (about 4 cups) of water and a bag of trail mix.
10 HIKING TIPS TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS
- Get in shape. Strengthen your core.
- Learn about the terrain.
- Check the weather forecast before you set out.
- Wear proper clothing, and footwear for the anticipated weather conditions, and terrain..
- Carry enough water and food for your trip.
- Don’t hike alone.
- As you ascend, make note of your ability to descend. If you think you won’t be able to navigate the terrain safely on the way down, turn around and go back.
- Study maps of the hiking trails before setting out on your trip.
- Keep in mind that in remote areas, your cell phone is useless.
- Know what type of wildlife you may encounter.
CORE STRENGTH MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE
A strong core prevents falls, by stabilizing your spinal muscles. Instead of landing on your head, back, or knees, you’ll remain upright, whether you’re walking on icy pavement in a city street, or engaged in wilderness sports and recreation activities.
Here’s a list of related articles about outdoor recreation safety.
Strong Core Muscles Can Save Your Life
How To Kill Yourself In A Kayak,
How To Prevent Hiking Accidents.
Copyright 2015 Irene Pastore and Tour De Core Personal Training
Senator Harry Reid’s Exercise Injury
January 9, 2015
This story is all over the internet, so I’ll just add my two cents. While Senator Harry Reid was exercising with an exercise band, it broke, hit his eye, causing him to lose his balance, and take a bad fall. He hit his head on nearby equipment, breaking bones near his right eye. He was also diagnosed with a concussion, and broken ribs. As of today, medical reports say that he may lose vision in his right eye.
CAN AN EXERCISE BAND CAUSE BODILY INJURY?
Indeed it can. In fact, any type of exercise equipment can cause injury if not used carefully.
Elastic bands seem innocuous, because they’re non-imposing, they don’t intimidate, they almost look like a child’s toy.
OLDER ADULTS AND EXERCISE BANDS
Senator Reid is 75 years old. He was standing while exercising with an elastic band.
Either he pulled the band beyond a safe range, causing it to snap, or the band may have been overused, and should have been replaced. He then lost his balance, and fell head first onto exercise equipment in his home gym.
Persons over 65 should use great care while exercising to prevent accidents. Loss of balance is more likely in an older adult.
HOW NOT TO USE AN EXERCISE BAND
- Do not pull the band beyond its’ capacity, causing it to break.
Do not stretch the band beyond its’s limits. - Don’t use the band while standing, if you think you might lose your balance during exercise..
- Don’t hold the band near your face, especially close to your eyes. If it breaks, you can suffer an eye injury.
- Don’t use the band if you have long fingernails, because they can puncture the band with holes, causing the band to break while in use.
- Don’t wear jewelry while using the band, to avoid puncturing the band.
- Don’t let your kids play with the bands. Elastic bands are not toys.
- Don’t allow distractions while you’re exercising with bands, and all other equipment. Stay focused on what you’re doing.
- Don’t store your exercise bands near heat or sun. Store them in a cool, dry place.
- Keep the bands away from dogs and cats to prevent injury to your animals.
- Replace bands after extended use.
Copyright 2015 Irene Pastore, and Tour de Core Personal Training.
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