Yoga & Hamstrings

No, it's not a new cop show. It's how having tight hamstrings can make it a challenge to reach correct alignment in many yoga poses like like seated or standing forward bends. It also impacts standing poses like Triangle pose, Reverse Triangle, and the Downward Dog.

People with tight hamstrings also struggle to sit with proper alignment in simple seated poses on the floor like Staff pose because the hamstrings pull the pelvis into a backward tilt, rounding and putting strain on the lower back.

Without correct alignment, not only is your practice less rewarding, the risk of injury is greater. When your hamstrings are tight, it tends to lock your pelvis, so you don't move as freely. As a result, many people end up overworking their low back.

While tight hamstrings are common among beginning yoga students, many advanced yoga students who are very flexible in their hamstrings, often stretch in ways that can cause injury, especially where the hamstrings attach to the sitting bones. Flexible yoga students tend to particularly overstretch the hamstrings on the inner leg. This can eventually cause tears at the hamstring tendons at the inner knee or at the sitting bones, resulting in mild or sometimes more severe injury, an increasingly common problem. Injuries to tendons and ligaments can last a long time if they are not treated properly.

Here's a quick test to determine how flexable your hamstrings are:

Lie on you back with your legs stretched out, arms by your side. Raise your right leg towards the ceiling keeping your foot gently flexed.

If your leg easily reaches straight up towards the ceiling (with the sole of your foot facing the ceiling), your hamstrings are normal. If your leg reaches further than that, towards your face and upper torso, your hamstrings are very flexible. Good for you!

However, if your raised leg forms less than a 90-degree angle to the floor, e.g. at an angle more like 60 degrees, 45 degrees or even 30 degrees in relation to the floor, you have tight hamstrings. Ok, don't panic...try bending your left knee and put the left foot on the floor, and then again reach the right leg towards the ceiling. You will see that the right leg now is able to reach further up towards the ceiling.

The reason is that your pelvic bowl now is tilted slightly back, shortening the distance between the hamstring attachments, and giving you a bit more slack. Try the other side also, as many people are more flexible on one side than the other.

A recent study in the American Journal of Physiology suggests that lack of flexibility might even be linked to cardiovascular disease. Improving flexibility with stretching, yoga, or Pilates should be integrated as part of a complete exercise routine.

SmartToes Toe Stretchers and Straightener unique design are beneficial to stretching your hamstrings, as well as, hammer toe and hammer toe treatment and bunion treatment.

SnartToes now available at Duane Reade.

Get To Know Your Hamstrings

The hamstrings are a group of three muscles on the back of the thigh. Two of them run from the pelvis along the inner thigh to the knee, and one runs along the outer leg to the knee. If you place your hands behind your knee, you can feel the hamstring attachments as firm, bone-like tendons -- one on the outside and two on the inside of the knee. On the other end, the hamstrings also attach to the ischial tuberosity sitting bones of the pelvis.

Tight hamstrings are a common cause of injuries, and are a source of many lower back pain issues as well. Tight hamstrings tend to flatten the lower back, causing people to lose the normal curve of the lumbar spine. That's a big contributor to lower back pain and lower back injuries.

Staying flexible is critical in keeping aches and pains away as you get older. When you lose flexibility, you lose range of motion. This doesn't just mean achy joints and muscles; it slowly makes you lose the ability to do the daily movements you take for granted.

A recent study in the American Journal of Physiology suggests that lack of flexibility might even be linked to cardiovascular disease. Improving flexibility with stretching, yoga, or Pilates should be integrated as part of a complete exercise routine.

SmartToes Toe Stretchers and Straightener unique design are beneficial to stretching your hamstrings, as well as, hammer toe and hammer toe treatment and bunion treatment.

SmartToes now available at Duane Reade.

It's Going To Take More Than Carrots

The National Eye Institute at the National Institutes of Health conducted the first Age-Related Eye Disease Study, which evaluated supplements for slowing the progression of age-related macular degeneration. The first study enrolled about 3,600 patients who took a combination of antioxidants and zinc. The formula included specific amounts of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, zinc and copper.

For people who had intermediate-stage age-related macular degeneration, or A.M.D., the formula reduced the risk of developing advanced disease by 25 percent. The formula also led to a 19 percent reduction in vision loss for people with intermediate A.M.D. in one or both eyes. The study also showed that age and smoking influenced progression of A.M.D.

Diet alone cannot provide the same high levels of antioxidants, however, diets including cold-water fish like tuna and salmon, which are rich in DHA and EPA, and lots of green leafy vegetables and colorful fruits have been shown to lower the risk of developing A.M.D. FlaxVibrance with flax hull lignans and milled chia seeds is another great source of antioxidants. Experience the benefit of chia seeds and and flax hull lignans.

Go Nuts

A new study reveals that eating red meat, and in particular processed red meat like bacon and hot dogs, raises the risk of Type 2 diabetes, and replacing just one of those servings a day with nuts or low-fat dairy can lower the risk.

The findings come from a broad analysis of three groups of male and female health professionals, totaling nearly 300,000 people ages 25 to 75. The researchers looked at their eating and health habits dating to 1976. The subjects answered detailed questions about their diets and medical history and provided updated information every two years.

The research found that eating a daily serving of unprocessed red meat, equivalent to a 100-gram cut of steak, roughly the size of a deck of playing cards, was enough to raise the risk of Type 2 diabetes by 19 percent. Eating just 50 grams a day of processed meat — one hot dog or sausage, for example, or a little more than two strips of bacon — increased the risk 51 percent. In addition to bacon and sausage, processed meats include deli and luncheon meats. Processed meat contains high amounts of sodium and chemical preservatives like nitrates, which can damage cells in the pancreas involved in the production of insulin. Red meat in general also has high levels of a type of iron called heme that, when consumed in high amounts, can increase oxidative stress and lead to chronic inflammation, which can also affect insulin production.

The benefits of replacing one serving of meat with nuts resulted in a 21 percent lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. A serving of Greek yogurt or another low-fat dairy product over red meat decreased the risk 17 percent, and whole grains reduced the risk by 23 percent. Even substituting poultry or fish for red meat lowered the risk of developing diabetes. A great breakfast is Greek yogurt with berries and FitFlax. FitFlax with golden roasted flax seed and chia seeds can also benefit people at risk for diabetes by regulating blood sugar. It slows down the body's absorption of sugar, reducing the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and helping to control existing cases of diabetes. Enjoy the benefit of flax seed and the benefit of chia seeds with FitFlax.

Yoga For Bone Disease

Bone loss is rapidly becoming a big problem, and the methods to prevent and treat it are far from ideal. Weight-bearing exercise helps, but not everyone can jog or walk briskly, and repeated pounding on knees and hips can eventually cause joint deterioration.

Strength training, in which muscles pull on bones, is more beneficial, and osteoporosis and resulting fractures are rare among regular yoga practitioners.

A study that began with 187 people with osteoporosis and 30 with its precursor, osteopenia, found that the patients who did 10 minutes of yoga daily for two years increased bone density in their hips and spines while patients who served as controls continued to lose bone. Also noted, was that yoga’s benefits decrease the risk of falls, which can result in osteoporotic fractures. SmartToes Toe Stretchers and Straightener unique design are beneficial to this and relieve foot and toe strain, as well as, hammer toe treatment and bunion treatment.

Deskercise II: The Wrath Of Kahn

The exciting conclusion...even more exercises you can try if you spend too much time sitting at a desk.

Don't aggravate Kahn or your back, try some shoulder shrugs. This motion massages out upper back and neck tightness and strengthens the upper back which helps you sit up straight. Inhale, hold the breath. Lift your shoulders high up to the ears and squeeze them straight back. Exhale, squeeze your upper shoulder blades together and drag them down the back. Keep the arms relaxed. Inhale, breath into your upper back. Exhale, pull your mid-shoulder blades together and down. Inhale, broaden the upper back. Exhale, squeeze the bottom tips of your shoulder blades together, elbows squeezing towards each other and drag down. Do three sets.

Follow the shrugs with a gentle neck release. First, put your left hand, palm down, under your left sit bone, fingers pointing toward tailbone. Lean right, relax your right ear toward your right shoulder. Keep the chest lifted. Breathe into the stretch on left side of neck; relax into the stretch. If you have a neck injury, leave your right arm down through this exercise. If your neck is okay, reach the right arm up over head and wrap the fingers lightly around the jaw. Allow the weight of the arm to increase the stretch in the neck, do not pull on your neck. Then, roll the head one inch toward chest. Breathe deeply into the new stretch on the left side of the neck, relaxing the neck. Finally, release the top hand, bow the chin towards the chest, putting both hands on your knees. Take one full breath into the back of the neck, keeping the back of the neck long. Then use the left palm at the center of the forehead, inhale and ease the head up. Repeat on both sides.

Also, get up and walk around whenever you can. Try SmartSole Exercise Insole to help you burn more calories with every step and turn your everyday footwear into toning shoes. Try SmartToes Toe Stretchers to relieve foot and toe strain, and to help with hammer toe treatment and bunion treatment. Both SmartSole and SmartToes are now available at Duane Reade.

Even More Metabolism Burning Foods

Salmon contain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) that increase the levels of fat-burning enzymes and decrease the levels of fat-storage enzymes. It's been shown to boost metabolism by as much as 400 calories per day. All fish contain large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which, besides being incredibly healthy, seem to affect metabolism. Omega-3 fatty acids alter levels of leptin, a hormone in the body that directly influences metabolism and determines whether you burn calories or store them as fat.

Lean protein helps to preserve muscle mass during weight loss, keeping metabolism running at full speed. Studies have shown that protein can help boost metabolism, lose fat and build lean muscle tissue so you burn more calories. For another source for protein, and for flax seed weight loss and chia seeds weight loss, check out FitFlax.

Spicy Peppers contain the chemical compound capsacin that speeds up your heart rate and metabolism. Eating a very spicy meal can actually speed up your metabolism by about 25 percent for up to three hours. Keep crushed red pepper on the table to spice up everything from scrambled eggs to soup to pasta.

Broccoli is not only high in calcium, but it's also loaded with vitamin C, which boosts calcium absorption. Study after study links calcium and weight loss. Broccoli has plenty of vitamin A, folate and fiber. At just 20-calories per cup, this weight-loss superfood fights fat and also contains powerful phytochemicals that boosts your immunity and protect against disease. FlaxVibrance with lignans and milled chia seeds also works to help boost your immunity.

Deskercise: Part One

Sitting all day is hard on the body. It leads to poor posture and low energy levels. It also shortens and contracts muscles in the legs and torso, and tends to exacerbate rounded shoulders and stress in the neck. Slouching inhibits digestion, and contributes to low back and neck pain. Slouching also compromises breathing, which impairs clear thinking and leads to brain fatigue and poor decisions. It can also dull the immune system so that you are more inclined to become sick and grouchy. FlaxVibrance with flax hull lignans and milled chia seeds is a great source of antioxidants and a great immune booster. When you are slumping, your productivity also tends to decrease dramatically. This is no good, here's what you can do:

While sitting in your chair, do a simple twist to release the back. Inhale, sit tall. Take your right hand across the torso to the left arm rest, left hand on the back of the chair. Exhale, twist to the left. Stay for five breaths and then switch sides.

Another exercise is for the thighs, hips and lower back. Cross one ankle over the opposite thigh, knee opening out to the side, exhale and lean forward over legs. Relax the neck and arms. Hold for five breaths and then do the other side. Try SmartToes Toe Stretchers to relieve foot and toe strain to help with hammer toe treatment and bunion treatment.

For your hands and wrists, try some simple wrist stretches. Straighten your arm in front of you, spread the palm facing away from your body, fingertips toward the floor. Use the other hand to pull one finger at a time slowly back, holding each finger for a full inhale and exhale. There, that's better...now back to work!