TorontoPersonalTrainer.net » Healthy Tips

Preventing and Treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Lauren — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:00:58 +0000

Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve which runs from the forearm into the hand becomes pressed or squeezed.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms include; pain through the wrist and hand, and numbness through the fingers.

How to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome:

Try to keep the wrist in a neutral position. What this means is keeping a straight arm from the fingertips to the elbow maintaining relaxed fingers and shoulders. You can place a small rolled up towel under your wrist so that the wrist can relax and does not bend. There are also ergonomically designed keyboards and wrist rests that reduce the computer users’ risk of injury

Stretches for preventing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:

Whenever you stop typing, stretch the finger tips towards the under side of the wrist and then release to neutral. Another good stretch is to spread the fingers as far apart as they go and then relax the fingers together. Repeat each stretch ten times.

Correct Seated Posture

Lauren — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:12:04 +0000

Sitting Upright not right way to prevent back pain: studies show

A 135-degree body-to-thigh sitting posture was demonstrated to be the best biomechanical sitting position, as opposed to a 90-degree posture most people consider normal (Dr. Waseem Amir Bashir, researcher from University of Alberta Hospital)

85% of us will experience back pain during our lifetime. Office workers are especially prone to back pain and work related injury considering they work seated in front of a computer for the majority of the work day. Traditional thought says individuals should sit upright at their desk to prevent joint and back pain.

However, recent studies show that the erect sitting posture is NOT a relaxed or sustainable way of sitting while reclined sitting is. Sitting completely upright creates vertical strain on the spine and forces the spinal material to shift out of line over time.

In contrast, when a worker reclines at approximately 135 degrees maintaining lumbar curvature, there is the least strain on the spinal discs and surrounding muscles and joints. Erect posture is only sustainable for two minutes without discomfort.

When you consider most office workers are seated for eight hours a day, the less stressful, reclined posture seem an optimal alternative.

So lean back and relax while at your desk and you are on your way to creating a healthy spine and preventing injury.

8 Fitness Facts

Lauren — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:26:59 +0000

Drink more water. Drink ½ a litre of water pre-work and post-workout.
Eat more protein. Protein is the building blocks for muscles. The best sources for protein are tuna, chicken and tofu. A shake made of protein powder, yogurt, fruit and milk or soy milk is a great pre-workout energy boost.
Eating 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day is better then 3. Eating more often keeps the blood sugar stabilized and stops the body from going into starvation mode.
Always be conscious of your posture. You can build your core stabilizer muscles just by maintaining good posture throughout the day. Shoulders should be down and back, belly button is pulled in, chest is open and relaxed, neck is long, buttocks relaxed and the natural curve in your lower back is maintained.
Always take 1-2 days off between resistance training sessions. Your body builds muscel mass the day after your workout. If you train the same muscle groups two days in a row, you can actually damage your muscle tissue.
Concentration is key during a workout. Studies have shown that people who focus on the specific muscles they are training actually gain more muscle mass then those who are simply performing the exercise.
Breathing is very important. Muscles use oxygen as a fuel so it is important not to cut off your energy flow by holding your breath. Proper breathing techniques include exhaling on the contraction and inhaling on the release.
Try to work larger muscles first. For example, work the shoulders and back before the triceps. Smaller muscles often act as stabilizers and assist in larger muscle group exercises so you do not want to exhaust them too soon.