Tag: exercise

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Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine

Musculoskeletal Symptoms of Menopause and the Importance of Exercise

Menopause can bring about various musculoskeletal symptoms, including joint pain, stiffness, and decreased bone density. These changes are primarily due to hormonal fluctuations, particularly the decline in estrogen levels, which plays a crucial role in maintaining bone health and muscle function.

Musculoskeletal Symptoms of Menopause:

1. Joint Pain and Stiffness: Many women experience increased joint discomfort, which may be exacerbated by changes in physical activity levels or weight gain during menopause.

2. Osteoporosis: The decrease in estrogen can lead to a reduction in bone density, making bones more susceptible to fractures. Osteoporosis is a significant concern for postmenopausal women.

3. Muscle Weakness: Hormonal changes can also affect muscle mass and strength, leading to a decline in overall physical function.

4. Increased Risk of Injury: Lower bone density and muscle weakness can increase the risk of falls and injuries.

Importance of Exercise

Engaging in regular physical activity is essential for managing these symptoms and improving overall health during menopause. Here are some benefits of exercise:

1. Bone Health: Weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, jogging, or resistance training, can help maintain or increase bone density.

2. Joint Mobility: Regular movement helps maintain joint flexibility and reduces stiffness, improving overall mobility.

3. Muscle Strength: Strength training can counteract muscle loss, improving strength and function, which is vital for daily activities and injury prevention.

4. Weight Management: Exercise can help manage weight, which may alleviate some joint stress and reduce the risk of related health issues.

5. Mental Health Benefits: Physical activity can improve mood, reduce anxiety and depression, and enhance overall quality of life during menopause.

6. Improved Sleep: Regular exercise can promote better sleep patterns, which is often disrupted during menopause.

Incorporating a balanced routine that includes aerobic, strength, flexibility, and balance exercises can significantly benefit women experiencing menopausal symptoms.

Consulting with a healthcare provider or a fitness professional can help tailor an exercise program to individual needs and capabilities.

Call us today for appointment with Dr Anastasia 13666444

Categories
Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine

Exercise : An effective prescription for joint pain

Joint pain can take away life’s simple pleasures—you may no longer look forward to walking your dog, gardening, or chasing a tennis ball across the court. Even the basics of getting through your day, like getting into the car or carrying laundry to the basement, can become sharp reminders of your limitations.

Common causes of joint pain include arthritis, previous injuries, the strain of repetitive movements, posture problems, aging, or inactivity. It is tempting to avoid the motions that cause you pain. But limiting your movements can weaken muscles and make joint pain worse.

The right exercises performed properly can be a long-lasting way to improve ankle, knee, hip, or shoulder pain. For some people, the right exercise routine can even help delay surgery or improve outcome after surgical intervention.

Your goal should be to pair gentle, targeted joint workouts with a simple walking routine. You should consult your doctor before you begin a new exercise program, but these simple stretching tips are important to any workout:

  1. Warm up first. Muscles stretch more easily when warm. Doing the warm-ups before any workout, or taking a warm shower or bath, will do the trick.
  2. Feel no pain. Stretch only to the point of mild tension, never to the point of pain. If a stretch hurts, stop doing it. Reset your position carefully and try again. With time and practice, your flexibility will improve.
  3. Breathe. Breathe comfortably when stretching.
  4. Practice often. You’ll see the best gains if you do gentle stretching frequently—several times a day on as many days of the week as possible.

Categories
Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine

Lifestyle Medicine

Lifestyle Medicine uses lifestyle adjustments as therapeutic interventions. These adjustments include a healthy eating plan, based on wholesome food and fresh produce, regular and customized physical activity, adequate sleep, stress management, avoidance of unhealthy substances (such as heavy drinking or smoking) and positive interpersonal relationships. All these interventions are used to prevent, treat or reverse the effects of chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, obesity, osteoporosis, arthritis and diabetes. 

-Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide.

-It is estimated that 6 out of 10 adults suffer from a chronic disease and four in ten suffer from more than two 

Categories
Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine

Is walking a good exercise?

Sometimes overlooked as a form of exercise, walking briskly can help you build stamina, burn excess calories and make your heart healthier.

You do not have to walk for hours. A brisk 10-minute daily walk has lots of health benefits and counts towards your recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise

Categories
Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine

Let’s talk METs

One MET is the energy you spend sitting at rest — your resting or basal metabolic rate. So, an activity with a MET value of 4 means you’re exerting four times the energy than you would if you were sitting still.

A brisk walk at 3 or 4 miles per hour ( 5 km/h ) has a value of 4 METs. Jumping rope, which is a more vigorous activity, has a MET value of 12.3.

Classification of activities

  • Sedentary—Uses 1.5 or fewer METs. Examples are sitting, or lying down.
  • Light intensity—Uses 1.6-3.0 METs. Examples are walking at a leisurely pace or standing in line at the store.
  • Moderate intensity—Uses 3.0-6.0 METs. Examples are walking briskly, vacuuming, or raking leaves.
  • Vigorous intensity—Uses 6.0+ METs. Examples are walking very quickly, running, taking an aerobics class, or CrossFit training.

Current guidelines

The guidelines are recommending 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week at 3 METs and/or 75 minutes of activity at 6 METs. That can be translated into 450 MET-minutes per week, at any intensity higher than 3 MET. (MET-minutes are the MET value of an activity multiplied by the time you’re doing it, so 3 MET * 150 minutes = 450 MET-minutes; similarly 6 MET * 75 minutes = 450 MET-minutes.)

Please note that although 450 MET-minutes is “enough,” the “optimal” amount of exercise is around 900 METs.

How about the 10,000 steps?

10,000 is actually just a random number, but 10,000 steps is simple, memorable and measurable with a cheap pedometer.

What do I enjoy doing?

Studies suggest that you are likely to continue exercising if you really enjoy the activity, so decide what you like best and stick to it!

Remember: Anything is better than nothing!

Why exercise?

-It controls your weight

-Protects against chronic diseases

-Improves mood, concentration and overall brain function

-Boosts your energy levels

-Builds strong bones

-Improves balance and coordination

-Reduces anxiety and depression

-Promotes better sleep