Opposing Muscle Workouts

Did you just spend a whole bunch of time doing sit-ups, or calf-raises, or push ups, and now you’re wondering how come your body hurts so much?!?  Exercising isn’t something that can be done once a week, or once a month, but should be a habit that you keep up with at least three or four times a week!  Keeping moving will keep those “new movement” muscle aches down to a minimum… but there are other things you can do to keep your body more balanced as well!  Exercise your opposing muscle groups!

Did you just spend most of an afternoon playing tennis on your friends Wii?  And now you’re wondering why your arm, shoulder, and maybe even neck, back and waist hurt?  You’ve got ‘repetitive motion strain’!  Doing the same movement over and over again, without taking the time to stretch or to balance your body by working the opposite side!  Getting the idea now?

Think of every part of your body as having a top and a bottom, or a back and a front if you like.  Let’s take your lower leg for an example.  The front is the shin, and you flex the muscles there by raising the top of your foot towards it.  The back would be your calf, and you flex the muscles there by pointing your toe down in the opposite direction. Two sets of muscles, two opposite movements.  So if you do a lot of calf-raises (like in ballet), you’ll want to try and work the front of the leg too, to even things out.  You’ll also want to stretch the calf muscles, but did you know that by working the opposing muscle, your body automatically triggers a relaxation of the first muscle?  It’s true!  It’s like a safety mechanism in our bodies so we don’t tear an opposing muscle just because we’re working the other one!  Back to the lower leg: when you flex your calf muscle (point your toe), the muscles on your shin have to stretch, or they’d break, so the body takes care of it with an automatic nerve impulse.  Pretty kewl, huh?

So, if you’re feeling sore, don’t just stretch the muscles that are hurting, but also find a way to work the opposing muscles to balance things out!  It may take a little brain work, and actually trying out the moves, but you’ll figure it out soon enough! 

And just remember, for real injuries, there’s nothing that replaces a doctor and a physical therapist to put you on the right path back to health!

Replacement Foods

Just because you want to eat healthier, doesn’t mean you have to starve to death!  And it doesn’t even mean you’ll never have something tasty to eat ever again either!  Relax!  And learn to substitute healthier, calorie lighter options for the ones you’re currently binging on!  It will require some shopping, and that you prepare the foods yourself instead of just eating whenever and wherever you like!  Hey!  There’s something that made you read this article, and I’m betting it’s a sneaking feeling that you could be eating better than you are! 

So here are some indulgence replacement tips to get you off the bad stuff and into better eating habits!  So enjoy!

1. Ice cream

Try some low-fat vanilla yogurt mixed with fat-free Cool Whip for some sweet and creamy fun!

1. Cookies

Low calorie, high protein granola bars

1. Pizza

A whole grain pita covered in spicy marinara sauce and low-fat mozzarella – just toast it in your toaster oven, and you’re back in the pizza business!

     4.    Chips

A large handful (not two) of salted mixed nuts should take care of those salt cravings – and you get some healthy fats and protein in the mix as well!

     5.    Pasta

Use whole wheat pasta, add fresh tomatoes, some spices, and some feta cheese!  Makin’ me hungry!

     6.    Chocolate

If you gotta, then go with dark chocolate!  It should be at least 60% cocoa, and then you’ve got some heart healthy food!  It’s pretty intense, so approach the bar with caution!

 Now see if there are any other ideas you can come up with at home to replace your ‘less than perfect’ food choices with ones that are healthy!  One step on the way to a happier you!

Wear a Hat!

For those of us in the northern hemisphere (that's the northern half of the world) it's winter, and no matter where you are, you are experiencing some of the coldest temperatures of the year... or you soon will be!  This is the time of the year when you really need to work to keep from catching a cold, or the flu, so we'll give you some tips for keeping your immune system strong, and you well protected!

1. Get enough sleep

Being well rested is one of the keys to good health over all.  Teenagers should get between 8 and10 hours of sleep per night just to keep up with all the stresses of growing, puberty and all the stuff that everyday life throws at you!  Are you getting enough?!?  When you're well rested your body is in a better position to regulate tempurature, fight off bacteria and viruses that come your way, and make you happier, too!  And well rested people have a tendency not to eat or crave as much junk food, which brings us to our next point.

2. Eat right

Make sure you get enough calories every day.  In this crazy age of fad diets and insane ideas about what a 'normal' body size is, some people think that the fewer the calories, the better.  WRONG!  You need calories to feed your body's vital organs, build blood and muscle, and help your brain to work well!  Being sure the calories you do take in are filled with nutrients is far more important!  Skip things that leave a fatty stain on the paper they are wrapped in is making a good start!  Cutting out refined sugars is another.  Sticking to fresh foods, that you and your parents prepare from scratch is the only real way to be sure of what you're eating these days - and the healthiest! 

3. Wash your hands

OMG!  Did you know that the flu bugs that are going around right now are so contagious (catching), that all you need to do is touch something that someone with the virus touched, in order to get it?!?  The only missing step, is for you to randomly touch the area around your nose, and then you're a goner!  They don't even need to sneeze on you!  Though that works, too!  Wash your hands regularly throughout the day, and do your best to avoid touching your face!  It's hard, but it's a good habit, as it helps against acne as well!  When washing your hands, use warm water and soap, include your wrists, and keep soaping while you sing the entire song "Happy Birthday" - that takes about as much time as you need, and is more fun than counting! 

4. Dress warmly

We don't have the exact figures to quote, but it's some amazing amount of body heat that radiates out of the top of your head, and wearing a hat is the simple way to preserve your body heat and personal energy!  When you get cold, your body has to work extra hard to keep your core temperature at a safe place for body functions.  It makes you shiver, which is a pretty complex body process, and uses up a lot of energy!  When you get cooled down over longer periods of time, your immune system becomes compromised, and you can get what going around more easily than if you kept yourself warm.  Find warm winter styles to keep you warm instead of slavishly following fashion!  A bright red nose and sniffles is hardly fashionable either!

5. Smile

This one sounds crazy, but it's true!  Smiling and laughter build up the immune system, and help you fight off anything that comes your way!  And just because you're out of practice is no excuse!  Everybody knows: Practice makes Perfect!  And perfectly healthy, too!

Good luck out there!  And fight those colds!