Barefoot and running...

(Sorry for the delay between blogs, but sometimes life takes over...anyway, back to the regularly scheduled blogging)

So, you've seen the weird looking five-toed shoes...that person running the Sydney marathon in bare feet...you hear the buzz at the gym...barefoot running...

...the explanation for what it is is reasonably straight forward - run without shoes on...

...that sounds a little confronting, doesn't it?? And sounds counter to everything we've been told about the cushioning effect, last corrections and arch preservation that used to promote certain running shoes...

"...you mean my $300 [BRAND DELETED] runners are no good??"

...not necessarily, but they're not necessarily doing you a lot of favours either...

...so, let's start at the beginning - what are the benefits of barefoot running??

...there's Harvard University research out there that suggests landing on your mid or forefoot will strengthen the shock absorption capabilities of your feet, knees and hips - therefore, protecting your lower back from injury...

...the other element that supports barefoot running is the concept that our bodies receive most of its proprioceptive feedback through the muscles on the bottom of our feet. Considering our modern environment means we walk on artificially flat surfaces in artificially flat shoes - the amount of feedback our body gains is greatly reduced. This feedback is generally used to give our body a greater awareness of our position in space and improve our balance - factors that become incredibly important as we age...

...so, there are obviously benefits to ditching the runners and going barefoot but the questions remains - should I run barefoot??

"...barefoot??...with the glass and broken twigs and stuff...doesn't sound awesome..."

...running barefoot is definitely something that will benefit most people, but it comes with a caution - barefoot running is actually very difficult to begin with - and you really need your technique to be correct when you're doing it...

...a lot of people believe that they just have to buy a pair of five-toed or minimalist shoes, and that's it...that's a long way from the truth...you need to learn to run all over again...

...my suggestion, if you decide that barefoot running is something you want to challenge yourself with, is that you start small...find an oval, beach or park near you, and find a very clear area of it...then run for 100-200 metres without placing your heel on the ground...walk back to the start in the same manner, and repeat...do this three times, and stop there for the day...

...I know that sounds really simple, and that it wouldn't be much of a challenge but I promise you it will be more challenging than you think...
...then come back in a couple of days, and try again - this time run an extra 50 metres...continue to slowly build up over time...barefoot running isn't something you'll be able to conquer overnight - you have a lifetime of running and walking habits to overcome...

Good luck, enjoy the experience - and if you need more tips or training suggestions, this is where to reach me: the.chiro@mail.com

Superhero facts III: sitting, the new enemy...

I've spoken previously about the muscular effects of sitting for long periods, but if you need a refresh - here it is...

"...okay, I'm getting a hint here - Reed Richards means this is going to talk about stretching somewhere, doesn't it??"

...very good assumption, but let's not get ahead of ourselves here...firstly, what does sitting do to our health?? I'll break it down for you:

...within 15-20 minutes of sitting down: the electrical activity in your muscles drops, and your ability to burn energy drops to about one calorie per minute (think about how little that is in food terms) - which is roughly a quarter of what you would burn if you were just walking...

...after five days of sitting for 6 hours a day: physiological changes will start...your body will drop it's glucose uptake by about 40%, which will eventually cause insulin resistance and may lead to type II diabetes. You can also expect the an increase in blood triglycerides (fat molecules) and LDL (bad) cholesterol...

"...yeah Caolan, for starters - no-one really sits like that - they really sit like this..."

...okay, that's scary - that barely looks human...

...after two weeks of sitting for 6 hours a day: muscle atrophy begins and your maximal oxygen uptake decreases (and you wondered why climbing the stairs was harder)...even if you're exercising every day, the deterioration will still occur as soon as you sit down...

...after a year of sitting for 6 hours a day: you should have experienced weight gain and an increase in your cholesterol levels...if you're female, expect to loss 1% of bone density for every year you're sitting down...

...after 10+ years of sitting for 6 hours a day: by now you will have lost 7 years of quality life...your risk of dying from heart disease is increased by 64%, and your risk of suffering from prostate or breast cancer is increased by 30%...

"...wow, thanks for the doom and gloom..."

...okay, that sounds bad...but there are ways to counteract it...

...the most simple way to counteract the effects of sitting is to make sure that you spend at least an hour of your day standing...that's a solid hour - not 20min and 20min there...this may mean you have to stand in front of your TV and watch your favourite show, or simply get out and walk during your lunch break...

...the second factor is that you need at least thirty minutes of solid activity (notice I said activity, not exercise - this is actually separate from the time you exercise in a day) every day. This might mean walking to work, or at least, setting yourself a longer distance to walk from work to your transport...even ride a bicycle to and from work every day (well, except when the heavens open and make conditions dangerous).

...the final piece of the puzzle for me, is a series of exercises invented by a fellow chiropractor, Eric Goodman, called "The Founder":

...and as always, if you wish to know more: the.chiro@mail.com

Anxiety and depression...

According to the statistics from BeyondBlue, approximately 3 million Australians are living with either anxiety or depression. That's a staggering statistic - that's roughly one in seven people living in this country are suffering from anxiety or depression, or both.

I saw an interview on The Project featuring Jeff Kennett - and offered some fantastic insights into the organisation BeyondBlue, and into anxiety and depression themselves. He spoke about the importance of getting help, and speaking to someone if you were concerned about the condition of yourself or of someone close - then he spoke of the importance of teaching people suffering with depression and anxiety how to look after themselves properly. He specifically spoke about teaching sufferers to eat and exercise properly...and I guess that's where this blog springs from...

Rather than re-hash definitions - if you want to know more about anxiety or depression, click on the links and read BeyondBlue's comprehensive site. There are also self-tests on the site to discern if you should seek further help...

I'll state this now to avoid confusion - nothing I write about here is a cure for anxiety or depression, what I'm covering here are everyday things you can to help manage the symptoms...

Anxiety

Foods to eat:

• foods that contain tryptophan - which is a precursor to serotonin, the "feel-good" hormone in our bodies: these include turkey, milk, bananas, oats, seaweed, nuts (especially almonds) and sesame seeds
• foods that contain thiamin (Vitamin B1) - which is a mood stabiliser: these include beef, legumes, pork, rice and nuts
• protein - which helps your body produce dopamine and norepinephrine ("anti"adrenalin)
• foods high in Omega-3 oils - Omega-3 oils are anti-inflammatory, improve overall mood and increase a person's ability to overcome substance abuse
• stay properly hydrated - your mood can be dramatically altered even by mild dehydration

Foods to avoid:

• sugar
• refined carbohydrates (white sugar, white flour, etc)
• processed foods
• sugar
• caffeine
• fried and fatty foods
• sugar
• alcohol
• food colourings and flavourings
• sugar
• gluten
• sugar (am I getting the point across, or should I throw this in a couple more times??)

Exercise:

Exercise is beneficial for anxiety in many ways:

• the release of "feel-good" hormones such as serotonin and dopamine
• aids the body in eliminating immune depressing chemicals in our systems
• increasing body temperature, which tends to have a calming effect on our nervous system
• distraction - either through concentration on the activity itself, or via social interaction

As far as what exercise is the best for anxiety, my honest answer is to choose something that you enjoy and feel comfortable with. Placing extra stress on your body by doing an activity you do not enjoy, or that is not suitable for you, is really not the aim. The more regular the exercise program, the more consistent the reduction in anxiety levels.

Depression

Foods to eat:

• nutrient rich foods - a depressed body is not a completely psychological or emotional happening, your immune system can become affected
• foods high in anti-oxidants - free radicals in the body can contribute to depression or premature aging: these include apricots, broccoli, carrots, peaches, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potato, blueberries, grapefruit, kiwi, oranges, strawberries, and tomatoes
• foods rich in protein - for the same reasons mentioned in the anxiety section
• foods rich in B vitamins - especially B1, B2, B3, B6 and B9: these include brown rice, oats, cabbage and eggs
• food high in Omega-3 - again, for the same reasons as above
• food rich in iron and vitamin C - there is no theory behind this yet, but it seems that most people who suffer from depression are iron deficient...vitamin C helps the body to absorb iron

Foods to avoid:

• caffeine
• sugar (yep, again)
• high fat foods - especially deep fried foods
• sugar (did you really think I was going to miss that opportunity??)
• alcohol
• while not a food, it has been shown that smoking and certain prescription medications (antibiotics, barbiturates, amphetamines, pain killers, ulcer drugs, anticonvulsants, beta-blockers, anti-Parkinson's drugs, birth control pills, high blood pressure drugs, heart medications and psychotropic drugs - just to name a few) have negative effects on depression

Exercise:

In the case of depression, more moderate exercise (think aerobic exercise like cycling, swimming or running instead of lifting weights) has been shown to benefit. There are studies that shown that exercise is just as successful in controlling depression as all the anti-depressant medications on the market today - I'd venture to say that it's probably cheaper too. It is also recommended that a depression sufferer should exercise outdoors, as vitamin D (synthesised in the body via sunlight) has also been shown to have positive effects on depression.

As always, if you want to know more: the.chiro@mail.com

Superhero fact - part deux...how important is protein??

(yeah, part deux - just because I want to keep the numbering consistent in this)

...it's probably the most common food group mentioned with exercise - it's protein...but why is it so important??

...well, protein is the essential building block of our entire bodies - our muscles (skeletal and cardiac), the highly important transportation of nutrients between our intracellular and extracellular spaces, right down to haemoglobin, the chemical complex that carries oxygen in our bloodstream...every workout you have causes microscopic tears in our muscle fibres, and protein is the critical factor is the repair and improvement of our muscle tissue...

...so, of course - this means every sports store and nutritional supplement supplier has protein supplements by the bucketload (and I mean, BUCKETLOAD)...

...the question remains, how much protein do you actually need??

...let's put this in simple terms - the maximum amount of protein that your body can absorb in a day is 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. This means for the 83kg of me, the absolute maximum amount of protein I can absorb in a day is 182.6 grams...

...however, the daily recommended intake for the average person in the street is only 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day (66.4 grams for me)...

...so, how do you get this?? Here's a good list of how much protein is actually in the food we consume...

...as always, if you need to know more - email me at the.chiro@mail.com, or ask these guys:

Flash fact #1 - Fuelling the body for long distance running...

"...umm, Caolan - flash??"

...no, not that sort of flash...I was thinking more this sort of Flash:

...hmm, in future these may be called superhero facts...anyway...

...seeing as we're coming up to a lot of running events on the calendar (the City to Surf, the Mother's Day Run, the Colour Run) it's important to know how to fuel your body for these events. The simple breakdown is this: does your running event go for 90 minutes or longer??

...if it doesn't, then your carbohydrate intake really isn't that relevant as we know that our body generally has stores of glycogen (our body's fuel source) for us to exercise or run for around 90 minutes...

...now, if your event is longer than 90 minutes, the next question is: how big are you?? If you're a reasonably sized guy, you will require an intake of around 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour of running. If you happen to be female, or of a very slight frame, an intake of around 30 grams per hour is more suitable for you...

...if you need a good guide of how much carbohydrate is contained in certain foods, a good guide can be found here. As always, if you need to know more: the.chiro@mail.com

Exercise: where to begin...the little stuff...

Okay, hopefully by now you've read my last blog about the benefits of exercise - now it's time to talk about where to begin...

Let's talk the little details...firstly, you need to pick an exercise that you enjoy or have an interest in...I can tell you know, if you don't enjoy what you're doing, you won't continue with it...this might mean a bit of trial and error at the beginning - and if you haven't found something you enjoy, then you haven't looked hard enough yet...

Secondly, you need someone to train with...

...having someone else there for your training sessions achieves a lot of things: it gives you someone to motivate and encourage you and provides you with someone to compete against...it also gives you a distraction when the going gets tough.

Thirdly, don't be afraid to start small...

...exercise is like anything - you need to build into it. You're not going to run a marathon next week, so keep your starting point in proportion to your current fitness level - this might mean just starting with a daily walk to build up your base level of fitness. 

Starting small is important for your mental and physical state - you train too hard and an injury may occur (which will set back your fitness goals or eradicate them all together), or set your goals too high and you may be disappointed by your early efforts and lose motivation...

And finally, having your first few training sessions with a trainer is a good start...I highly recommend using someone you have heard about through word of mouth, and that you consult with the trainer about your goals before you begin...

A trainer will make sure of a number of things: they will ensure that your exercise technique is correct and that you are doing things in a manner that will give you the most effective workout while preventing injury, and they should measure your fitness at different time intervals along the way to provide you with a picture of your developing fitness levels...

Your trainer should also be happy to work with and contact your health practitioners...this will provide the trainer with more relevant information on the physical state of your body (just remember, very few trainers have medical training or background and the added information from your practitioner should aid them in further catering your exercise program to your personal needs - be wary of a trainer who gives all their clients the same exercise program) and provide your practitioner with feedback on your progression...

Join me next blog for an explanation on how your training program should be tailored towards your goals, and I will attempt to dispel a few common exercise myths. As always, if you want to know more, you can email me at the.chiro@mail.com...

Why the "E" is so important...

"...oh, great - another one of those cryptic headings..."

...yeah, sorry - figured I'd have a bit of fun with this one...

"...so what "E" are you talking about??"

...haha, how about you guess...

"...ecstasy??"

...dude, seriously - this is me talking here...

"...oops, sorry...how about eggs??"

...hmm, nope...

"...existentialism??"

...did you buy a dictionary for that one?? Seriously...

"...can I buy a vowel?? Phone a friend, Eddie??"

...I'll make it easy for you - I'm talking about exercise...

"...ahh, you're building to something here, aren't you??"

...shh, I am - but let's stick to today's topic: why is exercise so important??

"...it has to be - you bang on about it enough..."

...okay, that's enough from you...but yes, we're told regularly and repeatedly that exercise is important and it is something that we should all be doing - but why??

...let's start with the physical effects:

...obviously, above is a demonstration of the aesthetic aspect of exercise - but along with the more pleasing appearance, regular (the schematics of exercise will be discussed next blog) exercise will help in the maintenance of body weight - the increase in exercise results in an increase in the amount of kilojoules (or calories if you're working in the American system) burnt in a day. 

Build up your exercise over a reasonable period, and your base metabolic rate (the amount of energy your body burns in a day) will increase - making it easier to control your weight over time...the increase in physical strength and aerobic endurance also make completing daily activities less of a chore, leaving you with more energy to undertake other hobbies...

Regular weight-bearing exercise (meaning, not in water) also stimulates the body to increase bone formation, resulting in an increase in bone density - which is extremely important for the elder section of the community...

...next come the physiological benefits:

...heart disease and high blood pressure are two of the biggest causes of morbidity and mortality in society, not to mention, two of the biggest dollar takers in money spent of the health of our society. Exercise has some fantastic effects on both - regular exercise increases the muscularity of our blood vessels (it's not just skeletal muscle that benefits from exercise), resulting in a decrease in our resting blood pressure. A regular exercise routine will also result in stimulating the body's creation of high density lipoproteins (often referred to as HDL), or "good cholesterol"...

...the loss of excess adipose (or fat) tissue that results from exercise also has been shown to aid in the prevention of type II diabetes, also referred to as "mature onset" diabetes...starting to see how much exercise could be benefiting the health of society??

...which bring me to the next aspect of physiological benefits:

(...apologies to my nephew, but I love that pic...hey, I could have used this one instead...)

...okay, now that I have thoroughly sidetracked myself - how many of us have problems with sleeping?? What if I told you that regular exercise reduces the amount of cortisol (our stress hormone, and one that also wakes us up first thing in the morning) and increases the amount of serotonin (the magical hormone that keeps us asleep at night) produced by the body?? I think a better night's sleep should be motivation enough for some of you to start exercising...

...okay, think all the benefits of exercise are physical or physiological?? We're only just starting - what about the effects of exercise on this guy??

...exercise has some amazing effects on the function of the brain, to the extent that exercise is now the most common suggested intervention for people with depression and anxiety...regular exercise increases the flood of blood and oxygen to the brain, which increases the body's capacity to produce nerve cells and promotes neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to adapt). The release of dopamine, glutamate, norepinephrine and serotonin also markedly improve the body's ability to learn new things, and the endorphin release (or "runner's high") post-exercise is amazing for improving one's general mood and reducing depression...

...and ever considered this?? Exercise has incredible benefits for sexual health (notice I didn't include a pic for this one?? You don't want to know what Google came up with when I typed that one in) - the increase in peripheral blood flow has been shown to enhance the arousal of women and decrease erectile dysfunction in men...

...so now you know why exercise is so important - stay tuned for next time when I run through the basics of starting an exercise program. As always, if you want to know more - email me at the.chiro@mail.com, find me on Twitter: @caolanthechiro and on Facebook here.

Why exercise and TV don't mix...

Now, it's that time of year where people make resolutions to make improvements on their own health...so, I'm here to give a few tips on doing it better...


...now, the most common resolution made for the New Year is to improve physical fitness - and the most common way for that to occur is for people to join a gym...and this is where my pet peeve begins. How commonplace is this scene:

...you see it at just about every gym - and I am not a fan...let me explain why...

...TV is bad...especially when exercise...in fact, your brain is more active when you're asleep than when you're watching television...

...here is a schematic of your average brain wave function when you're reading (these images are taken from this site):

...and here is the schematic when you're watching TV:

"...okay Caolan, they're some pretty pictures but what does it all mean??"

...it's simple - television watching slows the function of your brain, and tends to place it in an unfocused and overly receptive state...so, why is this a problem when you're exercising??

...if you're lacking those higher brain functions whilst exercising, you're doing the following to yourself:

1. you're deadening your bodies response to external stimuli, and therefore your body is not responding to exercise as it should - reducing the effectiveness of your workout
2. you're reducing the cognitive learning centres of your brain - meaning that your body is not properly learning any new skill you're attempting, and may actually mean that you are ingraining poor exercise habits
3. you're essentially making your body addicted to the stimuli provided by television rather than a healthier addiction to exercise and it's biochemical response within your body

"...great, so I have to do this boring exercise without the distraction of TV - thanks for spoiling all the fun of my workout Caolan..."

...okay, if watching TV is the highlight of your workout, I'll spell something out to you: FIND ANOTHER ACTIVITY, this one obviously isn't for you...and if you really find TV that exciting - I have one image for you...

...for more information on the effects of television on the brain, I suggest visiting these sites:

http://www.tvsmarter.com/documents/brainwaves.html

http://www.causeof.org/brainwaves.htm

http://www.eruptingmind.com/effects-of-tv-on-brain/

Peak Physical Performance

...or "why is Caolan posting with alliteration this blog??"

...so, daylight saving is nearly upon us - and that means the beginning of summer sports competitions...

"...oh great - another blog where Caolan bangs on about all that stretching that I don't do..."


...yes, stretching is a part of playing any sport, as is physical training...but preparing your body requires more than that...

...of course, summer means increased temperatures - which means you will sweat more and therefore, lose more body water while you play or train...a general guide for most people is that you should consume around 5% of your body weight in water every day (for example, 83kg of me should consume about four litres of water, especially on the days when training or playing). 


...now I know that there are a lot of sports drinks out there on the market that advertise that they replace the important electrolytes that your body loses while you sweat (and they do), but I have a major issue with them. The amount of sugar in them - the leading sports drinks have 14 grams of sugar in a 600ml serving of the sports drink. 


"...yeah, so - what's wrong with sugar?? Wouldn't I have just burnt that off??"


...you may have burnt off the kilojoules of energy that the sugar supplies, but that's not what I am concerned about...sugar changes the way in which our body responds to injury and inflammation - it only takes 5-7 grams of sugar to markedly decrease our body's ability to repair itself. There are hydration formulas on the market that do not contain these processed sugars (apologies, most of them will be practitioner only so you will need to consult your chiro), and that's what I take myself...


"...okay, that's what I can drink - now's where you tell me I have to watch what I eat too..."


(I love it when patients finally get it)


...yes, you do...and the eating side of things can get a little complicated, so I am going to break it down into the times before the event:


4-6 hours before the event: eat a good balanced meal, with a focus on eating some good low glycemic index (low GI) carbohydrates...if you want to consume some fats or sugar, now is the time to do it...


30 minutes - 1 hour before the event: here is where you need a good source of simple carbohydrates to give you that extra little burst of energy before you play - fruit is a really great example (bananas are usually my choice of fruit here), a chocolate bar is not...this is also a good time to hydrate yourself too...

20-45 minutes after the event: now is the time to replenish the body's glycogen stores that would have been depleted whilst exercising (glycogen is a form of glucose that the body stores in the muscles as a quick source of energy) - you need to consume more of those good low GI carbohydrates...


...couple these tactics with a good, regular stretching program and adequate pre-event training and you should be all set for your summer sports...and as always, if you want to know more - ask your chiro...or me...

Exercise and Arthritis

I had a colleague of mine make me aware of this article during the week:


http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=817


"...wow, exercise is good for arthritis??"


...not that this is really a new idea, but it is nice to finally see research on the topic. However, I feel like it needs a little more explanation. Let's start with what arthritis actually is...

 ...in strict terms, arthritis is basically inflammation of the joints - but the term is now used to cover roughly a couple of hundred diseases that fall under this definition. 

...most forms of arthritis tend to occur when something goes wrong with the structure of a particular joint - in some cases this can be due to a physical injury or overuse (which usually results in osteoarthritis or OA), an autoimmune disease that breaks down the tissue of the joint (rheumatoid arthritis or RA) or via infection (infectious or septic arthritis).

...now, each form of arthritis has different signs and symptoms - OA will generally begin with mild symptoms that develop over time: specific joint stiffness after use, a lack of flexibility in the joint itself and at times, a grating sensation. RA will tend to lead to more systemic and bilateral symptoms that will tend to affect the more distal joints, like the fingers and toes, pain in generally worse in the mornings and the joint itself will become swollen and red. Fatigue is extremely common in people with RA, and weight loss may often occur as a result. Infectious arthritis will usually present with a fever and other symptoms of illness, and the joint itself will be swollen and painful.

...in all forms there are common findings - joint stiffness, a breakdown of joint tissue and atrophy of muscles surrounding the joints...

"...Caolan, that's a lot of blah-blah...how will exercise actually help??"

...so let's breakdown those three major components and see how exercise and physical activity can help:

...joint stiffness can be aided with a regular stretching program that involves all of the major and minor muscles of the affected joint - the more thorough the stretching program is, the more relief the patient will feel...

...the breakdown of tissue surrounding the joint is a little more serious - to attempt to rebuild, or at least arrest the rate of tissue erosion, a long term exercise program needs to be in place. Understandably, most arthritis patients will actually find rigorous exercise to be painful so the program needs to be tailored to the individual. Generally, walking or exercising in water are the better ways to go - both have a decreased amount of impact on joints and provide the necessary weight bearing to increase skeletal tissue density...

...and resistance exercise will help prevent the atrophy of the muscles around the affected joint. The exercises need to be specific for the affected joint, and not compromise the affected joint further...

...as always - if you want to know more, ask your chiro...