MCT’s Are A Fuel Producer

The body has two primary energy sources; it burns glucose or ketone bodies.  The majority of people consume glucose primarily because they are always supplying a regular form of sugar, starches, and proteins that can be turned into blood sugar.  When one either facts or goes on a low-carb, moderate protein and high-fat diet they switch their energy source to fat.

Specifically, the fatty acids are broken down into ketone bodies.  The primary three forms of ketones that are produced in the body include Acetoacetate, Acetone and Beta-HydroxyButyric acid.  They are released into the blood from the liver when insulin levels are low and hepatic liver metabolism is increased.

Ketones as a Preferred Fuel For the Brain:

Ketones are a very different energy making molecule that is made from fatty acids. The human body can make Ketones from stored fat or MCTs. They feed all of our cells of the body, but specifically, they are a preferred fuel for the brain.

Studies have demonstrated that MCTs can readily cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and be oxidized by the brain. Which means MCTs provide a direct and indirect brain fuel source via the generation of ketones.  This is incredibly important for everyone and those in particular with type 1 diabetic patients as it gives us all a strategy to preserve brain function during hypoglycemic episodes without raising blood glucose levels.

Ketones activate specific regulatory proteins in the brain called brain-derived neurotrophic growth factors (BDNF).  BDNF works to repair, protect and enhance the role of the brain cells and the neurological networks.  BDNF also excites the growth of new, healthy neurons that take the place of older, dying cells.  The failure to regulate dead or dying brain cells is a risk factor for neurodegenerative disease processes.

Caproic Acid:

This is the smallest chain MCT at six-carbon chains.  There is a profoundly small amount of this in our healthy food supply.  It has the potential to cause digestive difficulties including diarrhea and throat burning.

Caprylic Acid:

This eight carbon MCT is located in only 6% concentration in coconut oil but is thought to be the gold nugget of the MCTs.  It has the most potent of anti-microbial properties that help to destroy harmful bacteria and yeast.  Caprylic acid is easier than lauric acid in the result of cellular fuel.  In fact, it only takes three steps to turn it into cellular power (ATP).  Sugar takes 26 steps to produce cellular energy and is therefore highly metabolically rich.  The more concentrated an MCT oil is in caprylic acid, the more mitochondrial strengthening the product will be.

Capric Acid:

This ten carbon chain fatty acid is also a mighty MCT that turns into natural energy within the mitochondria of the cell without any work from the liver.  Capric acid has also been shown to have significant anti-microbial effects against bacteria such as P Acnes, E Coli and Candida albicans.

Research has also demonstrated that capric acid helps to reduce inflammatory activity against bone tissue.  This provides evidence of its benefit in preventing bone loss and osteoporosis.

Lauric Acid:

This is a 12 carbon chain fatty acid that makes up around 50% of the fatty acids within coconut oil.  The metabolism of lauric acid is different than the other three MCTs.  In fact, even though lauric acid is considered an MCT, it acts more like a long-chain fatty acid.  It depends upon liver bile to be efficiently metabolized.

Lauric acid is an effective anti-microbial, but research has shown that caprylic and capric acids are more effective than lauric acid and infectious organisms such as gonorrhea and chlamydia.  Caprylic acid is a common supplement used in anti-yeast protocols and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth protocols.

 

1. MCTs Lower Blood Sugar:

MCTs raise up ketones and lower blood sugar naturally.  They have a stable blood sugar stabilizing effect that helps to reduce inflammation and improve brain function.  

After a single oral dose of MCTs, a slight drop in blood sugar develops. It is caused, apparently, by a decrease in the liver output of glucose and not by an increase in the bodies utilization of glucose.

MCTs significantly improve carbohydrate tolerance and inhibit the production of fatty acids in adipose (fat) tissue.

2.  Increased Nutrient Absorption:

MCTs, improve the absorption of calcium and magnesium in premature infants.  One study looked at 34 pre-term infants.  The children were divided into three groups and fed various formulas.

Group 1 had corn oil, oleic, and coconut oil (39:41:20); Group 2: MCT, corn oil, and coconut oil (40:40:20); Group 3: MCT and corn oil (80:20). The infants fed MCT-containing methods absorbed significantly more calcium than the control group. Magnesium absorption was substantially improved in the 80% MCT group.

These same groups were then analyzed for protein absorption and nitrogen content.  The 80% MCT group had substantial improvements in nitrogen absorption and amino acid sparing.  This means the body will be more efficient at preserving and building lean body tissue when using MCT oil.

3.  Natural Anti-Convulsive:

The production of ketones has important anticonvulsive properties in the brain that have long been used as a treatment for individuals with epilepsy.  The classic ketogenic diet which is LCFA based that is used for anti-convulsive benefits is made up of 87% of the calories from fat.  This is extremely hard to follow, and agreement is often minimal.

The use of MCTs, which as described are highly ketogenic, makes it much easier to get into and stay in ketosis.  An MCT based nutrition plan only depends upon 60-70% of calories from fat which allows one to handle some solid nutrient sources of carbohydrate and protein.  The variety of the food provides more micronutrients, has greater range and is more enjoyable.

4.  Improved Athletic Performance:

MCTs are an elite fuel for athletes or anyone who is performing some physical exertion.  This is due to their fast rate of absorption through the digestive tract, active metabolic conversion into cellular energy and their high energy density.

Many athletes find significant performance benefits using MCTs both pre and post workout.  They are the best form of fat to use right before (within 2 hours) and directly after exercise due to their quick mobilization and use for repairing muscles and blocking the catabolic breakdown of proteins after rigorous training.

5.  Appetite Control and Weight Loss:

Research has shown that MCTs suppress the appetite which helps individuals who struggle with intense cravings and overeating.  In a 14 day study, six healthy males were put on three different unlimited diets:  a little MCT diet, a medium MCT diet, and a high MCT diet.

The study authors found a significantly lower calorie consumption for those on the high MCT diet.  The scientists explained how substituting MCTs for other fat causes can limit excess caloric intake and resulting weight gain.

Some studies had also revealed that when overweight and obese people were put on higher MCT oil diets, they were able to lose more weight and had better energy even though they were consuming fewer calories.

source http://www.healthy4lifeonline.com/mcts-are-a-fuel-producer/

What is MCT Oil?

MCTs or Medium Chain Triglycerides are fatty acids of a particular length, as the name implies. MCT oil is an oil built up on one or more of these medium chain triglycerides, and it is a clear and tasteless liquid at room temperature.

Medium Chain Fatty Acids vs. Long or Short Chain

All fats are made of carbon and hydrogen, but they vary in length. By definition, “Short Chain” fatty acids have 5 or fewer carbons, medium chains have 6-12 and long chain fatty acids have more than 12.

Medium Chain Triglycerides are viewed to be readily absorbable and beneficial fats, and rather than being metabolized through digestion like most other foods, these fats are processed in the liver. MCTs provide fast and lasting energy and are quickly absorbed by the body.

The fatty acids below are all classified as Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCFAs):

Caproic acid also called hexanoic acid (C6-six carbons)
Caprylic Acid, also known as Octanoic acid (C8-8 carbons)
Capric Acid, also known as Decanoic acid (C10-10 carbons)
Lauric Acid, also called Dodecanoic acid (C12- 12 carbons)
MCT oil can be a mixture of one or more of these types of MCFAs and is typically extracted from coconut or palm oil, which are both abundant natural sources. MCFAs are also found in human breast milk, goats milk, cheese, butter, and other types of dairy.

Whether consumed in the whole form from coconut or palm oil or in a concentrated MCT form, these triglycerides have any benefits.

MCT Oil Benefits

The unique structure of medium-chain fatty acids make them beneficial in many ways:

Easier to Digest:

MCTs don’t need bile salts to be digested and can pass straight through the digestive system to the blood stream without being changed by conversion like long chain fats. This makes it easier to digest and utilize than long chain fatty acids.  Because they are so easy to absorb and use, MCTs are often a good choice for those who struggle with digestive problems, fat absorption or lack a gallbladder.

Excellent Source of Energy

Since MCTs are processed in the liver, they are absorbed quickly and provide fast and sustained energy. MCTs, move indifferently via the hepatic portal system to the liver without the need for a longer digestive process. Unlike nearly all other foods, MCTs do not require energy to be absorbed, stored or used in the body, making them an almost perfect source of natural energy.

Support Hormones

Since fats are needed for proper hormone creation and balance in the body, MCTs may offer unique benefits for those struggling with hormone imbalance. There is also research implying that medium chain fats may be beneficial for sustaining a healthy weight by helping balance hormones and improving insulin sensitivity.

Gut Health

MCTs have antiviral plus antibacterial qualities, and there is some evidence that they may help balance gut bacteria and combat pathogenic bacteria. They also offer the digestive method a break because the body so readily utilizes them. When used with a healthy diet and other ways to support gut bacteria, MCTs may help improve gut health over time.

Immune Health

The same antiviral and antibacterial features make MCTs beneficial for immune as well. Healthy fats are essential for the proper immune role, and since MCTs can be more easily used by the body, this may be especially beneficial for those who have trouble absorbing fats and who struggle with immune function.

MCT Oil vs. Coconut Oil

This is where things get interesting. MCT oil is obtained from Coconut oil and Palm oil, which is considered excellent natural sources of Medium Chain Triglycerides.

With the emerging demand of MCT oil, many coconut oil companies possess that coconut oil is naturally high in MCTs, but there are some important caveats! MCT oil companies like to boast that their products are “more concentrated” than coconut oil (which is also true), yet it also doesn’t include one useful form of MCT.

Here’s the deal

It depends on the individual type of MCT that you are trying to consume. Coconut oil is high in certain types of medium chain fatty acids, while straight MCT oil is a better source of others.

Maybe you’ve read that coconut oil is 62% MCT oil. It is, yet not necessarily in the same form, you would find in MCT oil. That 62% is made up of a combination of the four types of MCFAs posted above. All of these forms are beneficial, but when a person buys an “MCT oil,” he or she is typically trying to apply Capric acid (C10) and Caprylic Acid (C8) to there diet.

The MCFA composition of coconut oil is largely from lauric acid (C12), which some biochemists argue is not a real medium chain fatty acid since it acts differently in the body. It is also tremendously beneficial, but for different reasons.

Lauric Acid: The Real Story

Lauric acid is the idea that coconut oil organizations claim that coconut oil is better than MCT oil. It is also the reason that MCT oil companies argue that MCT oil is better than coconut. And they are both right, but for different reasons.

Oils ended as “MCT oil” contain either a combination of Capric and Caprylic acid or just thought Caprylic acid, making them a faster and more valuable source of energy. They often don’t include Lauric Acid (C12), which acts like a sequence long chain and medium chain fatty acid in the body, making it slower to digest.

The governing fatty acid in coconut oil, on the other hand, is lauric acid, which contains 50% of the entire fat content. Coconut oil also contains a very nominal amount of Caproic Acid (C6), about 6% Caprylic Acid (C8) and about 9% Capric Acid (C10).

So coconut oil is an excellent source of MCFAs, but the amount depends on if you think Lauric Acid (C12) a medium chain triglyceride or a long one. If you ask a chemist, and you may be told it is a medium-chain fatty acid. If you ask a biochemist, and you may be told it is a long-chain fatty acid. Either way, it’s beneficial.

Lauric acid is naturally antimicrobial, antibacterial and antiviral. It is wonderful for the skin, and it has even been considered for its possible ability to help with critical acne for this reason. Coconut oil is the richest natural source, followed by human breast milk, which contains up to 20% of its saturated fat content as lauric acid. Also a side note to nursing moms: some studies have shown that consuming coconut oil helps improve the lauric acid content of milk produced.

While in digestion, lauric acid is converted monolaurin, an essential element for optimal immune function. MCT oil doesn’t contain lauric acid. While the Caprylic and Capric acids in MCT oil have some antiviral and antibacterial properties of their own, they don’t include lauric acid and won’t help the body produce monolaurin.

Long story short:

To have fast and lasting energy concentrated MCT oil is more beneficial
For Lauric acid and its immune benefits, coconut oil is the superstar
Coconut oil and MCT oil are both useful in their ways, and I use them both in different ways. Coconut oil is typically cheaper and supports the immune system, while MCT oil is tasteless and provides faster energy.

source http://www.healthy4lifeonline.com/what-is-mct-oil/

Casein Protein Powder

Casein is a slow digestive protein from dairy, which people often take as a supplement

The Casein releases amino acids, so people take it before bed to help with recovery and reduce muscle breakdown during sleep. Many studies have shown it helps increase muscle growth, along with a ton of other benefits.

Casein Is Derived From Milk just like Whey protein

Milk contains two types of proteins which are casein and whey, the Casein takes up about 80% of the milk protein, and whey takes up 20%.

Casein protein is a slow digestive protein, whereas whey protein digested very quickly. This is an important difference between these two traditional dairy proteins.

Like animal proteins, casein is a complete source of protein. This means it provides all the essential amino acids your body needs for growth and repair.

It also contains various unique proteins and bioactive compounds, some of which have health benefits.

There are two primary forms:

Casein Hydrolysate: This form is predigested and rapidly absorbed.

Micellar casein: This is the most traditional way and is digested slowly.

It may also contain various micronutrients, such as calcium, but the exact composition will vary depending on the brand.

For taking such a long time to digest Casein is well known as a “time-release” protein because of its slow absorption rate in the body.

This means that it feeds your cells with amino acids at a low level over an extended period.

It can help your cells synthesize protein, even during times when your body might typically be breaking down its muscles to feed itself, such as when you haven’t eaten for some time.This is called “anti-catabolic” which helps reduce muscle breakdown.

One study tested digestion speed by providing participants with either casein or whey protein shake. Researchers monitored the blood amino acid content, specifically the critical amino acid leucine, for seven hours after ingestion.

In another study, researchers had participants take either whey or casein protein and then measure their digestion rate by analyzing levels of the amino acids and leucine over a seven-hour period.

They found that circulating levels of leucine rose 25% higher in the whey protein group, indicating faster digestion.

This protein is an anti-catabolic protein, and it broke down within the body due to its slow absorption rate and sustained a supply of amino acids to muscle cells.

Casein Protein Is Very Effective for Muscle Growth.

Athletes have been using this supplement for decades. It contains all the essential amino acids that your body is unable to produce naturally but most important; it provides a high amount of leucine, which initiates muscle protein synthesis.

If you only consume a little amount of protein, it may help you boost muscle growth simply by increasing your protein intake.

Researchers compared those who took casein to two other groups that, consumed whey protein and didn’t have protein.

They found that the casein group had double the muscle growth and tripled the fat loss compared to the nonprotein group. The casein group also experienced more fat loss than the whey group.

It can also enhance long-term muscle mass by reducing protein breakdown. It’s accelerated during exercise or weight loss. So for this reason, casein is often used at night to prevent the protein breakdown that may occur, since you go through a relatively extended period without food while you sleep.

There was a study done on casein protein shake before bedtime, and it helped strength-training men increase type 2 muscle fiber size by 8.4 cm2 in the supplement group, compared to 4.8 cm2 in the training-only group. Also, they found the casein group had increased strength about 20% more than the training-only group.

Much like whey, casein has repeatedly been shown to increase muscle growth and strength; it may also help with fat loss.

The myth that high protein intake causes ill health has been proven wrong many times.

Researchers and reviews have shown that there are no negative effects in healthy individuals.

The only exception is those with current kidney or liver disease, who may need to limit their protein intake.

All this being said, some people are allergic to casein or intolerant to lactose, which is often found in the protein powder.

Other people may become bloated or experience other digestive issues, but this depends on the individual.

Like most sources of protein, it is safe for regular consumption and may even provide long-term health benefits.

Different types of cows produce different casein proteins

One of the proteins in casein which is called beta-casein and it exists in several forms. Most cow’s produce a mixture of A1 and A2 beta-casein, whereas some breeds contain only A2 beta-casein.

The research and debate on A1 and A2 beta-casein will continue, but in the meantime, this is probably not something you need to worry about.

Casein protein powder is a high-quality source of protein that’s also very convenient.

If you are taking it before or after a workout, then it makes sense to use a faster-digesting form like whey protein.

Most people who take casein, take it before bed.

For example, you can put casein protein powder with water in a shaker bottle and mix it that way, or in a blender with some ice.

Also, you can put it in a bowl and stir it with water until it gets a pudding-like consistency, then put it in the freezer for a couple of minutes. Then it tastes a little like ice cream, especially with flavors like chocolate or vanilla.

Casein protein can be used daily to increase your total protein intake, but may be best to take it before bed, or if you are going to be without food for a while. This is because Casein is a slow-digesting protein that can boost muscle growth and help recovery after exercise.

Casein is a highly underrated source of quality protein, and you won’t be disappointed with the results if you try it.

source http://www.healthy4lifeonline.com/casein-protein-powder/

Why Use a Stick Hand Roller

You see them everywhere, Stick Hand Rollers, in your local gym, in your physical therapist’s office, or even in your friend’s apartment. If you’re a runner or athlete, you most likely have a variety of them in your home as well. Massage sticks, foam rollers, lacrosse balls and other self-massage tools are commonly found.

Many of us use these tools religiously to roll our muscles and achy body parts and lament that it “hurts so good.”

What is all the Fuss about Self-Massage?

This practice of self-massage is called self-myofascial release. Myofascial is the connective tissue network that runs through your body. It wraps around your internal organs and muscles and holds it all in place. When this system is healthy, it distributes strain evenly so that you don’t end up excessively loading one part of the body and causing injury.

If you think of myofascial like a spider web, it all comes together. If one part of the web is broken or damaged, the web doesn’t fall. Instead, strain and tension have to be distributed across the strands of the web differently to account for the weakened section. In other words, other parts of the web pick up the slack of the reduced section.
The same thing happens in your body. When there is trauma or injury to an area, it can lead to weakness or adhesions in your myofascial. This may limit your range of motion and can even compress your muscles and nerves, leading to less hydration and blood flow to those areas. This can lead to pain and injury and can impact your performance.

How Muscle Roller Sticks Work

You should press the stick firmly against a body part, like the thigh, and add pressure. You then run the stick along the selected muscle. The stick roller is usually comprised of a bar with rollers that are about 1 inch thick attached. This design allows it to glide smoothly across your body while conforming to shape slightly. It stretches the muscles and ligaments. You can use it on any relaxed muscle.

Benefits of using a Massage Body Stick Roller

1. Flexibility – The stick rolls out and stretches your muscle fibers, your tendons, and even ligaments. If you stretch the muscles while they are still warm after a workout, they are less likely to get tight, stiffen or shorten.

2. Circulation – As you apply pressure and roll the stick forward, it will create a suction in your veins. Which will help draw in more blood that is fresh and full of oxygen and nutrients.

3. Pain Reduction – You can almost pinpoint knots and sore muscles with the stick. By rolling out these sore areas your pain is relieved.

4. Sleep Improvement – Massage has been known to improve the quality and quantity of sleep a person can achieve. Relaxation is crucial for REM sleep.

5. Energy Conservation – Most stretching to warm up the muscles is done by light exercise. This means that you have to use valuable energy stores before the race. If you use a body stick to warm up your muscles, then you will have more glucose readily available in the blood. That means you will be less likely to break down your muscles to provide energy.

6. Fewer Injuries – Using a Roller Stick before exercising will allow the muscles to get warmed up and prevent any damage to your body. Think about your muscles as if they were a rubber band. Leave the band in your warm car, and it will stretch and bend very easily. Then go out on a cold morning and try yanking on it and it is most likely going to be too tight and possibly snap.

7. Muscle Growth and Repair – Greater circulation provides more nutrients to the muscles. For muscles to grow or improve they need glycogen. Blood flow can be restricted post-exercise due to trigger points and tight muscles. Fresh blood provides necessary glycogen to the muscles. You could always try taking a nutrient-dense drink 20-30 minutes before massaging to provide the most amount of nutrients possible to your muscles.

8. Lactic Acid Removal – Using a Stick Roller to roll out your muscles after exercise encourages lactic acid removal. Choosing to roll-out post workout is highly recommended. The lactic acid in your body is then sent to your liver and turned into glucose.

9. Breaks Down Soft Tissue Adhesion – When you train a lot, compete or do intense sessions sometimes it leads to the development of adhesions. This is sometimes where muscle, fascia, and other tissues stick together. Massaging and rolling out these areas can help your body correct this issue.

10. Better Mood – Let’s face it, when your body feels good you feel even better. By relieving the stress, aches, and pains, and adding in better sleep and more oxygen means you will most likely experience a much better mood, which is better for you and everyone else.

There are a great number of benefits from using a Massage Body Stick Roller.

• It’s ideal for most athletes, those with desk jobs, and people with muscular injuries.
• The stick roller is great because it is small, light, and portable. You can throw it in your car, gym bag, carry-on, or even keep it at your desk.
• And you can use it practically anywhere. The Stick Rollers usual size is only 19 inches long and 2 inches thick.
• You can roll yourself out or have someone do it for you, unlike the foam rollers.
• You can use the Stick Roller while you’re standing, crouching, kneeling, sitting, or laying down.
• It is small enough to do all of your body parts without it being awkward.
• When you’re not using the Stick Roller, it is not a huge eyesore and doesn’t take up space.
• The Stick Roller will last forever unlike Foam Rollers that tend to compress and break down after awhile. And they can start to collect dirt and sweat. You can easily wash off your stick roller if necessary.

If you want to check out the one that most commonly used, then you can find it on Amazon with our direct links.

If you want to increase your overall strength, your speed, and your endurance as an athlete, then I would highly suggest investing in a Massage Body Stick Roller for yourself. Or as a gift for anyone you know who might need it.

source http://www.healthy4lifeonline.com/while-using-a-stick-hand-roller/

Using Resistance Bands

When it comes to strength training, many of us usually will stick to the standard free weights and machines or, you’re feeling a little frisky, we might try to venture over towards the cable or free motion machines while we’re at the gym. What you don’t see at the gym is work with resistance bands incorporated into exercising. Resistance bands have plenty of benefits for you and your body.

Some people often get confused about what a resistance band actually does and how to use one, but they’re an excellent way to workout while you travel or add variety to your usual routine.

Resistance Bands

The resistance from these bands feels so different when compared to other types of equipment in the gym. When you use the free weights, gravity will decide where the pressure will come from, when doing this you will get a lot more resistance during some parts of the movements. For example, the upswing of a biceps curl than the downswing. With bands, the tension is constant, which makes it feel harder. Bands work much like a cable machine, allowing you to keep constant tension on the muscle. You’ll also incorporate more stabilizer muscles to keep the band in alignment throughout each exercise, adding a different dynamic to the same old moves.

Resistance bands are not as challenging as the machines or dumbbells. With weights, you will know exactly how much you’re lifting. But with bands, you can only go by how it feels and the tension on the band. That doesn’t mean you’re not getting a good workout, though. If you use good form and the right level of tension, your muscle fibers won’t know the difference between weights or bands. Plus, these bands can offer more of a variety because you can create the resistance from all directions–the side, overhead, below, etc.

If you don’t know how to use the bands, it can be very confusing trying to figure them out. You also want to keep in mind that you can perform the same exercises as you do with free weights with the bands the difference lies in positioning the band. For example, you could stand on the band and grip the handles for bicep curls or overhead presses. You can also attach it to a door and do triceps pushdowns. You can wrap the band around a pole or chair for some chest exercises or even shoulder rotations. You can even try to do some exercises on the floor like the seated biceps curls. The possibilities you will find with these bands are basically endless, and you’ll find there are some exercises and workouts available to you.

Why Should You Try Resistance Bands?

The resistance bands travel well. For example, you can easily pack them in your suitcase for travel and do exercises in the car or your hotel room. They are super light and easily compacted to barely anything, meaning there is plenty of room in your luggage for other items.

Resistance bands can and have been known to increase your coordination. Because of the tension throughout the exercises, you have to stabilize your body. This exercise will help you with coordination, balance and it also helps you involve more muscle groups.

Resistance bands help you add variety to your workouts. With weights, you can often be limited to how many exercises you can do. But, the resistance band will allow you to change your positioning in multiple ways. Doing this changes how your body works and how an exercise feels.

They’re ideal for all fitness levels. Depending on how you use them, bands can be perfect for beginners as well as more advanced exercisers. You can use them for basic moves or add intensity to traditional moves.You can sometimes find the workout movies that show you how or what to do with your resistance band. These films are beneficial for beginners or less advanced.

Some Resistance Band Exercises

If you’re ready to try your resistance bands, below is a list of basic moves to get you started.

Chest Press – For this exercise, you want to wrap the band and a chair behind you. You could also wrap it around a pole, rail or use the door attachment to secure the band to the door. The resistance band should be right at about your chest level, and you should step far enough away from the door that you get constant tension on the band. If you’re in a chair, you might need to wrap the bands around your hands several times for more tension. Keep your elbows in a ‘goal-post’ position, meaning, parallel to the floor throughout the movement. And push out and back for about 16 reps.

Rotating Chest Press – You wrap the band around a sturdy object and then loop one handle through the other, securing it tightly. Then step away from the anchor until you have a good amount of tension on the band and begin with the right side towards the anchor, leave your arm straight. Rotate the body, pivoting on the feet, and bring the right around all the way across and touch the left fingers. Repeat this for at least 16 reps on each side.

Seated High Row – For this move, you can keep the band where it is, unhook the handles and turn around so that you’re facing the band. This exercise targets the upper back, so make sure you squeeze the back without arching or pulling the elbows too far back.

Bicep Curls– For the bicep curl, you should stand on the band with both feet (harder) or with one foot (easier). To make the tension harder stand on the band with both feet or to make the pressure easier stand on the band with just one foot. Then hold the handles in each hand and curl up in a bicep curl, just as you would with dumbbells. You can make this exercise harder by stepping with your feet wide or by using a heavier band.

Squats with an Overhead Press – You will want to use a light band for this exercise. If you do not have a light band and only have a heavy band, you can simply do this exercise with one arm at a time. You want to start this exercise by standing on the band and hold the handles up towards the shoulders and remember to keep your elbows bent to create more tension. Squat and then, as you stand up, press the weights overhead.

source http://www.healthy4lifeonline.com/using-resistance-bands/

Top 7 things to know about Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are a group of polyunsaturated fatty acids that are essential for many functions in the body. The primary omega-3 fatty acids are EPA, eicosapentaenoic acid, and DHA, docosahexaenoic acid is what is found in seafood, such as fatty fish (e.g., salmon, tuna, and trout) and shellfish (e.g., crab, mussels, and oysters). There is another kind of omega-3, called ALA, αlpha-linolenic acids found in other foods, including some vegetable oils like canola and soy. Omega-3s are also available as dietary supplements; for example, fish oil supplements contain EPA and DHA, and flaxseed oil supplements contain ALA. Many scientists have emerged about the significant health benefits of consuming seafood and even more health benefits of omega-3 dietary supplements in your diet.

Here are seven important things you should know about Omega-3s:

1)    The product of the research on diets rich in seafood like fish and shellfish and heart disease provide reasonable evidence that people who eat seafood at least once a week is less likely to die of heart disease than those who never eat seafood or rarely have it in their diet. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 (3MB PDF) includes a new recommendation that adults should eat 8 or more ounces of a variety of seafood per week because it will provide a range of nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids. Smaller amounts are recommended for young children, and there are personalized recommendations for breastfeeding or pregnant women. See Tip number 4.

2)   Evidence suggests that seafood rich in EPA, Eicosapentaenoic acid, and DHA, the Docosahexaenoic acid should be included in a heart-healthy diet. However, supplements of EPA and DHA have shown very little to protect against heart disease. In 2012, two groups of scientists analyzed the research on the effects of EPA/DHA supplements on heart disease risk. One group analyzed only studies in people with a history of heart disease, and the other group analyzed studies in people both with and without a history of heart disease. Both reviews found decent evidence of a protective effect of the supplements and the heart.

3)   In 2012 review of the scientific literature concluded that the acids EPA and DHA, the types of omega-3s found in seafood, fish oil, and specific supplements might be modestly helpful for relieving symptoms of RA, rheumatoid arthritis. In the studies included in the review, many of the participants reported that when they were taking fish oil, they had less morning stiffness, less joint swelling and pain, and a fewer need for anti-inflammatory drugs to control their symptoms.

4)   The nutritional value of seafood specifically omega-3 acids is of particular importance during fetal growth and development, as well as in newborns and early childhood. Women who are pregnant and breastfeeding should consume 8 to 12 ounces of seafood per week from a variety of seafood types and omega-3 supplements that are low in methylmercury as part of a healthy eating pattern and while staying within reasonable calorie needs. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should try to stay away from large amounts of white tuna, labeled as “albacore” and limit the amount to no more than 6 ounces per week. They should not eat tilefish, shark, swordfish, and king mackerel because they are high in methyl mercury. It is best and safest to regulate supplements because you know exactly what your getting and the measured out dose recommended for you.

5)   There is continuous research on omega-3 fatty acids and diseases of the brain and eye, but they still need more evidence to be able to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of omega-3supplements for these conditions. DHA, Docosahexaenoic acid plays important roles in the functioning of the brain and the eye. Researchers are still actively investigating the possible benefits of DHA and other omega-3 fatty acids in preventing or treating a variety of brain- and eye-related conditions.

6)   There is conflicting evidence about whether a link might exist between the omega-3 fatty acids found in seafood and fish oil, such as EPA and DHA and an increased risk of prostate cancer. Additional research on the association between omega-3 consumption and prostate cancer risk is under way.
Immunotherapy, or utilization of the immune system to repair, enhance, or stimulate the body’s natural immune responses to fight cancer, is a rapidly growing field of research. In addressing the challenge of prostate cancer, scientists have created or are developing various immunotherapeutic approaches such as Provenge, checkpoint therapies. However, natural substances also may have potential, including omega-3 fatty acids.

7)   The bottom line: Including seafood in your diet is healthy and beneficial. Omega-3 supplements are helpful in many different ways. If you are considering omega-3 supplements, talk to your health care provider. It’s especially important to consult your or your child’s health care provider if you are pregnant and breastfeeding and if you take medicine that affects blood clotting. If you are allergic to seafood, or if you are considering giving a child an omega-3 supplement which is allergic may be helpful to ask a doctor.

All in all the food source of omega-3, which is fish and other seafood, is not typically a 100% safe option. The vast majority of our fish supply is very heavily contaminated with many different pollutants and toxins like mercury, PCBs, heavy metals and radioactive poisons that should be replaced by supplements that are tested and correctly measured. Another reason why a high-quality, animal-based omega-3 fat supplement is important is that many people, including pregnant women, do not get enough of these vital fatty acids.

source http://www.healthy4lifeonline.com/top-7-things-to-know-about-omega-3-fatty-acids/

What to Avoid When Foam Rolling

These days, foam rollers are wherever, the gym, your physical therapist’s office, your living room and even your suitcase. After all, foam rolling has emerged as the jewel of the fitness world and the remedy for many various aches.

Typically, foam rolling is a form of self-myofascial release, or self-massage, that gets freed of adhesions in your muscles and connective tissue. These adhesions can “build locations of weakness or susceptibility in the tissue,” according to Chris Howard, C.S.C.S., and LMT at Cressey Performance. “If the muscle isn’t contracting uniformly from end-to-end, it could lead to injury and pain.” Foam rolling also improves blood stream to your muscles and creates better movement, helping with healing and increasing performance.

Sounds great, right? Yes, foam rolling offers enormous potential to alleviate pain and help you move better — if used correctly. If not, you risk irritating and possibly injured, your body further.

Here’s a breakdown of five common mistakes people often make when using the foam roller.

Mistake #1: You roll right where you feel discomfort. When we feel pain, our first impulse is to massage that spot immediately. But, this might be a significant mistake. “Areas of pain are the victims that result from tension imbalances in other regions of the body,” says Sue Hitzmann, MS, CST, NMT, manual therapist, creator, and author of The MELT Method.

Let’s use the IT band, for instance. Foam rolling is a generally prescribed remedy for iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS). While religiously rolling out your IT band might feel great, “the idea that you are going to relax or release the IT band is a misconception,” Hitzmann says. The expression roll out your IT band itself makes it appear like you are rolling out a lump of dough, but your IT band is anything but elastic. It’s a remarkably strong piece of connective tissue, and research has shown that it cannot be released or manipulated by manual techniques such as foam rolling. “If you iron out areas of inflammation, you can enhance inflammation. And if you are in pain, your body will be too stressed to repair itself,” says Hitzmann.

The fix: Go indirect before direct. “If you find a spot that’s sensitive, it’s a cue to ease away from that area by a few inches. Take time and work a more localized zone around areas that feel sore before using larger sweeping movements,” suggests Hitzmann. For the IT band, go on the main muscles that connect to the IT band first — especially the gluteus maximus (the largest muscle in the buttocks) and the tensor fasciae late, a muscle that runs along the outside edge of the hip.

Mistake #2: You roll too fast. While it might feel fabulous to roll back and forth on a foam roller fast, you’re not reducing any adhesions that style. “You need to give your brain enough time to tell your muscles to relax,” says Monica Vazquez, NASM certified personal trainer and USA Track and Field Running Coach.

The fix: Go slower so that the surface layers and muscles have time to adjust and manage the compression. Know where the tender points are with the roller and use small, slow rolls over that point. “There’s no reason to bang up the whole muscle if there are only a few sensitive areas,” Howard says.

Mistake #3: You waste too much time on those twists. We’re often told that if you feel a kink, give time working that place with the foam roller. However, some people will use five to 10 minutes or more in the same area and attempt to put their entire body weight onto the foam roller. If you put sustained pressure on one body part, you might hit a nerve or destroy the tissue, which can cause bruising, according to Vazquez.

The fix: “Spend 20 seconds on each fragile spot then move on,” Vazquez recommends. You can also manage how much body weight you use. For example, when working for your IT band, plant the foot of your leg on the floor to take some of the burdens of the roller.

Mistake #4: You have poor posture. Wait, what does your posture have to do with foam rolling? A lot. “You have to hold your body in certain poses over the roller,” says Howard, and that demands a lot of strength. “When rolling out the IT band, you are holding your upper body weight with one arm.” When you roll out the quads, you are mostly continuing a plank position. If you don’t give awareness to your form or posture, you may exacerbate pre-existing postural deviations and cause more harm.

The fix: Work with an expert personal trainer, physical therapist or coach who can show you precise form and technique. Or, consider arranging your smartphone to videotape yourself while foam rolling, suggests Howard. That way, you can see what you are producing right and what you are doing wrong, like bending in the hips or contorting the spine.

Mistake #5: You use the foam roller on your lower back. “The thing that makes me cringe is when people foam rolls their lower back. You should never do that,” said Vazquez. Hitzmann agrees. “Your spine will freak out, and all the spinal muscles will engage and defend the spine.”

The fix: According to Vazquez, you can use the foam roller on your upper back because the shoulder blades and muscles protect the spine. “Once you reach the end of your rib cage, stop.” If you want to release your lower back, try child’s pose or foam roll the muscles that attach to your lower back — the piriformis (a muscle found deep in the glutes), hip flexors and rectus femoris, one of the inner muscles in your quads.

Most importantly, know what the source of your pain is before you begin. Know what you are trying to accomplish through foam rolling and how to do it correctly. And don’t ignore to stick with it. “To get the advantages of self-massage, it’s repeated exposure that’s most important,” says Howard. “You have to show up and put in the work.”

source http://www.healthy4lifeonline.com/what-to-avoid-when-foam-rolling/

Different Ways to Use Foam Rollers

If you have ever been in a gym, sporting goods shop or even the active aisle at Target, you’ve probably seen a foam roller. If you feel unclear about how to use one, you are not alone. While growing more mainstream, foam rollers live a mystery to numerous people and even trainers.

Foam roller workouts, also called myofascial release, is a form of massage that fitness-minded people do either before exercise to loosen up their sore muscles and their tight joints, or after a workout, to help muscle recovery.

Foam roller exercises and other self-myofascial release methods have become increasingly popular, and for a good reason. Partly that stems from a better understanding of the restorative advantages of soft tissue care, or massage. Massage can ultimately become cost-prohibitive unless you are an athlete or just have a few hundred extra bucks lying around, you probably opt infrequently for a massage as a luxury or a splurge more than a necessity.

Working yourself out on a foam roller becomes an affordable option to massage therapy. Those dense, round pieces of foam can deliver multiple advantages of therapeutic massage without the cost.

What Is Myofascial Release?

You might wonder what myofascial release means. Fascia is like plastic wrap that satisfies virtually every part of your body, comprised of collagen fibers that surround and penetrates your muscles, organs, and nerves. Fascia mostly keeps us together.

Of course, sometimes holding everything together can take a toll on your body. It’s no different for our fascia. Through overtraining, it can become sore and limited. Due to little tears that sometimes don’t heal accurately, adhesions form. If the connective tissue encompassing your muscle becomes limited, you’ll notice your muscles will also become restricted in their movement.

The myofascial release details what occurs when you apply tension to the afflicted areas to reduce adhesions and release tension, ultimately improving circulation and restoring the body back to its natural state. Foam rolling, myofascial release encompasses a broad spectrum of modalities including Rolfing, massage and the Graston technique.

5 Wellness Advantages of Foam Roller Exercises

While there are several reasons to include foam rolling into your fitness routine, let’s briefly look at five examples.

1. Increased flexibility and improved joint range of motion

For years, stretching was the standard method to decrease muscle tightness and increase flexibility before both working out or performing a sport. Recent research, however, shows foam roller exercises before an activity can lead to an increase in flexibility.

2. Better circulation

Because blood carries oxygen throughout the body, the right flow becomes critical to overall health. Among other speculations, a decrease in our circulation can lead to a whole host of problems like numbness in our limbs, impaired cognitive ability (the ability to think clearly!) and a weak immune system. Myofascial release can help improve circulation by breaking up the tight areas where blood flow may become restricted.

3. Stress reduction

Foam roller exercises can help decrease tension post-workout. One study found myofascial release can lower cortisol, your stress hormone that you want to dial down after a strenuous workout seriously.

4. Reduce exercise-related soreness

Whether you are an expert athlete or just a weekend warrior, you’ve probably experienced delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Simply put, DOMS is the pain and stiffness in your muscles that can set in anywhere from 24–48 hours after an intense workout.

However, research finds foam rolling can substantially reduce the chances of that soreness creeping in so that you don’t spend the day after your first cycling class stuck on the couch wondering why your legs hate you so much.

5. Prevent injury

Treating an injury becomes much easier when you avoid it in the first place. Often is a constant routine of proper stretching methods coupled with foam roller exercises can counteract common injuries connected with tightness and overuse, such as iliotibial band syndrome and other common running injuries.

The iliotibial band (IT Band) runs from the top of the leg from your hip to just below your knee. It tends to be particularly susceptible to damage, especially in runners. One caveat: If not done properly, you can do more harm than good. Rolling on an already inflamed area can intensify inflammation, thereby giving you the exact opposite effect you are trying to achieve.

The Best Foam Roller Exercises

Now that you have a rather solid understanding of precisely what foam rolling is and how it can benefit you directly, you are probably questioning how to include them into your daily routine.

Ideally, the following exercises should be done for about a minute on each area to allow the muscle to relax. As you roll, take some slow, deep breaths. We tend to hold our breath when we are focussing on something, especially when something feels new to us. Remain mindful of your breathing during this process.

Hamstrings and Glutes

So many of us have remarkably tight hamstrings from sitting at our desks all day, which can cause lower-back pain. It’s why you can benefit from hamstring stretches and exercises that include the foam roller.

To roll out your hamstrings and glutes, start by sitting on the floor and placing the foam roller long ways below your legs. Use your arms to brace yourself and modify how much force you are applying to your legs. The more body weight you transfer to your arms, the easier things will be on your hamstrings.

If you feel like you need to put more pressure on your hamstrings, just shift more of your body weight to your legs and less in your arms. You will want to just roll yourself along the roller from your glutes down to just above your knees. Again, spend about a minute here and make sure you’re not holding your breath.

Quadriceps (The Front Of Your Legs)

The exterior of our legs can indeed grow sore and tight. Balance becomes crucial, so if you’re going to work on those hamstrings, turn over and give equal attention to your quadriceps.

To do this, place the foam roller underneath your legs and with your body weight on your forearms, begin to roll yourself back and forth from the top of your knees to your pelvic bone. You will want to keep your abs contracted on this one and keep your feet off the floor as you’re rolling.

Iliotibial (IT) Band

Although IT band issues are usually connected with runners, everyone can be affected by IT band problems and can result in knee and lower back pain. You need to begin working on knee strengthening exercises as well as foam roller exercises for the IT band.

To roll out your IT band, you’ll want to position yourself with the side of your leg on top of the roller. You can take some of the pressure off the IT band directly by transferring your body weight to your arms as you roll from just below your hip to the top of your knee and keeping your other foot on the ground so that your opposite leg supports you.

Upper Back

We sit down a lot, which can take its toll on our upper backs. This exercise becomes an excellent way to loosen up knots associated with phones that won’t stop ringing and rush-hour traffic that won’t move when you have a car full of crying kids and a pint of ice cream melting over all your other groceries.

Place the foam roller perpendicular to your body and lean your upper back against it. Place your hands directly behind your head, lift your hips off the floor, and gently begin to roll from the top of your shoulder blades to the middle of your back.

source http://www.healthy4lifeonline.com/different-ways-to-use-foam-rollers/

Reasons to Foam Roll

Also referred to as self-myofascial release, foam rolling is essentially a form of self-massage that allows you to apply deep pressure to certain points of the body to release tightness and muscular tension.

“The principle is that by applying direct and sweeping high mechanical loads to muscles and tissues, you stretch and massage the underlying tissues,” says Laura-Anne Furlong, Ph.D., a lecturer of biomechanics at Loughborough University in the UK who extols the benefits of foam rolling. “This reduces thickening, adhesion, and tension of the fascia [connective tissue] and muscle and can potentially improve your athletic performance.”

According to Peter Dipple, head of sports and massage at the London-based Ten Health & Fitness, “Foam rolling can help promote blood flow and break down scar tissue. It could also contribute to maintain normal muscle length, reduce pain and soreness, increase the scale of motion, and aid in recovery. Foam rolling is a great way to help relax your muscles. Even those who are inactive could see benefits, as foam rolling can help lengthen muscles that may have become tight from sitting at a desk all day.”

How Often Should You Use a Foam Roller?

Ideally, every day. “The more you foam roll, the more your muscles respond to it,” says Dipple. “Ideally, you should do it daily—as you would stretching—although ease yourself into it by gradually building up the number of sessions you do.”

He recommends dedicating 10 to 20 minutes per session to foam rolling at least once a day to solely get out the knots. “When you find an area of tension, work around it for about 30 seconds using short, slow rolls and follow this up with longer, slower (and more soothing) strokes over the whole length of the muscle.”

As for the hurting thing? Well, it might feel uncomfortable, especially when you first start rolling. “When you’re working an area of tightness, you’re applying your body weight to a tender area so you may well feel some discomfort,” says Furlong. “But if the pain is excruciating, stop immediately.” Furlong also advises seeking advice from a professional before foam rolling if you’re suffering from a serious injury or chronic condition like diabetes.

4 Simple Foam Roller Moves

1. Gluteal muscles
Sit on the foam roller with your knees bent and placed your right ankle on your left knee. With your hands on the floor to keep your balance, roll your body to your right side so that your right gluteal muscles are pressing against the roller. Use your hands and your left foot as leverage as you slowly make small rolls on the right glutes. Switch sides.

2. Iliotibial (IT) Bands
Sit on the foam roller with legs straight out in front of you. With your hands on the floor to keep your balance, roll your body completely to your right side so that your right hip is pressing against the roller. Use your hands as leverage to slowly roll down the side of the leg to the top of the knee and back again, pausing and taking deep breaths at any sore spots. Switch sides.

3. Hamstrings
Sit up with your hamstrings over the foam roller and relax into the roller. Use your feet and hands as support to roll your lower body up and down the length of your tight muscles. The slower you can roll with control the more of a chance for your muscles have to release and relax.

4. Middle back
Lie back on the foam roller with knees bent and the roller positioned across your mid-back. Place your hands behind your head or on the floor to slowly roll along your spine, from the top of the shoulders down to your low back.

Four Foam Roller Mistakes to Avoid

1. Avoid rolling directly onto your lower vertebrae.
Dipple says, “Your lower back muscles will contract to help protect the spine which can cause discomfort or injury.”

2. Do not hold your breath, though it’s intriguing when discomfort hits.
Instead, says Dipple, take long deep breaths as you roll to increase blood flow to the working muscles and derive more of the benefits of foam rolling.

3. Stop rolling evenly on each side.
“If it’s your right leg that has an issue, spend more time on that side,” says Dipple. “Don’t forget your other leg, but don’t worry about doing the same on both sides.” Focus on the muscles and joints that need more TLC, even if they are mostly on one side of your body.

4. Avoid rolling too quickly!
Longer, slower, more regular rolls, while taking deep breaths, will cause your brain to send a message to your muscles to relax.

A foam roller is a self-massage tool that can be utilized pre-run to increase mobility and after the run to speed up recovery. By decreasing muscle tension in chronically tight spots, a foam roller and same tools can produce some of the advantages of deep-tissue massage.

Why Foam Rollers Work

Using a foam roller is a way to perform myofascial release around muscles. “Myofascial” refers to the fascia, the connective tissue that encompasses your muscles and other body parts and allows for movement. This inner webbing can stiffen with repeated motions such as distance running.

Foam rollers can also pinpoint trigger points, which are places in muscles where twists have developed over time. It’s possible to have an outstanding range of motion but still have trigger points that create pain and tightness. Trigger points start as micro-tears that become chronic through a tear-and-repair repetitive cycle, leading to improved tension in the tender muscle.

Stretching a muscle with a knot or trigger point generally, addresses only the healthy muscle tissue. Trigger points respond much better to direct force; a foam roller is one way to safely apply that pressure.

Among the most popular spots for runners to foam roll are the quadriceps, calves, hamstrings, and iliotibial band.

Analysis on foam rollers has found they can increase the span of motion and speed recovery by decreasing pain and soreness. Although there isn’t straightforward large-scale evidence of foam rollers’ effectiveness in preventing injury, it stands to reason that reducing the muscle tension created by trigger points should decrease injury risk and allow for more regular training.

source http://www.healthy4lifeonline.com/reasons-to-foam-roll/

The History of Foam Rollers

What’s the point of the cylindrical tube on the gym floor? And why do the people using such an innocent looking piece of equipment grimace so much?

The foam roller is a cylindrical piece of foam that has become internationally familiar over the last few years. This article summarily caps the history of the foam roller, starting from its roots in traditional massage all the way to why it works and also introduces different descriptions as to why it does.

The history of foam rolling

Foam rolling is a great form of manual therapy, that means using your hands, almost like a massage without the masseuse, so to appreciate where foam rolling comes from, it is important to delve into the origins of manual therapy.

Manual therapy can be traced to ancient civilizations in both India and China where it was used as a conventional medicine to treat a variety of medical problems.
Research advises that the introduction of massage to Europe is associated to Per Hendrik Ling, who in the early 19th century formed a systematic method of powerful massage methods to improve your blood and lymph circulation. That said, Ling, is not considered to have been liable for the modern use of medical massage therapies. Instead, Dr. Johann Mezger, a physician from Amsterdam is connected with one of the first clinical use of massage therapy and was also the first person to watch at massage from a scientific viewpoint; looking at the anatomy and physiology of massage. Mezger and his organization also conducted many scientific experiments from the 1860s to the late 19th century to assess the effectiveness of massage.
The practice of massage therapy as a cure (as opposed to for relaxation) reduced after the Second World War due to the increase of revisions including the snappily titled ‘proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation.’ A form of stretching that physios and sports therapists still use today, ultrasound and microwave techniques that insisted on producing equivalent results without the concrete work, time and cost connected with deep tissue massage.
Sports massage didn’t suffer the same drop off in popularity as therapeutic massage. Nowadays therapeutic massage is seldom used in Western medicine except in sports medicine and palliative care, although it is beginning a comeback in alternative and complementary medicine.
So, back to foam rolling, the new kid on the block. The newest academically proclaimed use of foam rolling could be traced back to the year 2000 when it was mentioned in academic literature as a form of manual therapy, used to alleviate tension and aid recovery from exercise.

From this point on, the use of foam rollers slowly began to appear in both educational and more so modern literature, and their cult status continues to increase. In the past five years the use of the foam roller has exploded (not literally, unlike the also famous Swiss ball) and they can now be seen on virtually every gym floor in the country.
There are, nonetheless, very few research studies that have looked at the effects of using a foam roller on the body.

How does it work? The Anatomy and Physiology of Massage and Self Massage

The point of foam rolling is to manipulate fascia.
Fascia scientifically known as the dense unique connective tissue is a fibrous tissue that encompasses and combines every muscle, joint, and organ of the body. There are three main types of fascia, based on their location in your body;
Superficial fascia found just underneath the skin
Deep (or muscle) fascia, the dense fibrous connective tissue that penetrates and surrounds the muscles, bones, nerves and blood vessels of the body
Visceral fascia, this keeps your organs where they are intended to be and wraps them in connective tissue
The fascia predominantly affected by self-massage and traditional massage (and therefore foam-rolling) is deep fascia.

What could be any easier? Just jump on a piece of foam and roll up and down. Could anyone do that right? Yes, anyone can, but very few do. Why? Mainly because it hurts but it is still beneficial, but my god is it sore.

Yes, today we are talking about the foam roller, the cost-effective means of kneading your aching muscles and pushing you to embrace pain during your rest days. Who created the foam roller? What was its purpose and how did it end up in gyms across the world?

By the end of the article you’ll have the answers to these questions and perhaps have a newfound appreciation for the $20 torture device.

Who created the foam roller?

Moshe Feldenkrais

Foam rollers were initially used by Feldenkrais practitioners through the 1980s. Never knew of it? Me neither.

Created by Moshé Feldenkrais in the latter half of the 20th century, the Feldenkrais technique aims to decrease injury and mobility issues alongside improving physical functioning through increasing clients’ knowledge of their own body. It originated in the early 1920s when Moshe Feldenkrais, a physicist, and martial artist, learned to minimize pain in his knee and improve his athletic accomplishments after paying keen attention to how his body moved. While its effectiveness has been challenged in recent years, there are those who swear by the Feldenkrais method in helping their ailments.

In any case, Feldenkrais practitioners first used foam rollers as body supports and to do standing stability work with their clients.

Knowledge of foam rollers didn’t remain a secret for long though. In 1987 physical therapist and then Feldenkrais student, Sean Gallagher began to use foam rollers as a self-massage tool. Gallagher soon got in contact with Jerome Robbins, a well-known Broadway star, and told Robbins about the advantages of foam rolling for hurting muscles. Overseeing a troupe of dancers who needed to be in show position every night, Robbins asked his cast members to experiment with foam rollers. To his great delight, the feedback from his dancers was overwhelmingly concrete, leading to the opening of foam rollers en masse for Broadway actresses.

So how did foam rollers end up on your Gym floor?

While it’s a little more challenging to pinpoint who started foam rollers to the weight lifting community, many are in understanding that the works of Physical Therapist Mike Clark during the 1990s helped spread the message of foam rolling under the guise of what Clark termed “self-myofascial relief.” In his pre-millennia writings, Clarke produced many manuals detailing foam rolling for self-massage practices. This eventually culminated in Clarke’s opus Integrated Training for the New Millennium published in 2001.

Slowly but steadily the fashionableness of foam rolling began to grow, especially amongst weight lifters, as a means of reducing aching muscles and improving gym performance. A 2004 T-Nation article by Eric Cressey and Mike Robertson demonstrates the enthusiasm early pioneers had for the roller. 2004 also saw the first foam roller patent registered in the United States, kicking the foam roller business into overdrive.

Nowadays a quick foam roller hunt on Amazon results in over 1,000 results, declaring it safe to say that the foam roller has become a fully acquired member of the weightlifting family. So just like the Swiss Ball, we have the physical therapy community to thank for yet a different gym toy.

So next time you’re crying your eyes out while rolling your quads, you know specifically who to blame!

source http://www.healthy4lifeonline.com/the-history-of-foam-rollers/

Foam Rollers

Self-myofascial release, also commonly referred to as “foam rolling,” has converted from a once remote procedure done only by professional athletes, coaches, and therapists to a regular daily habit for people at all levels of fitness. Recent knowledge, technology, and affordable commodities have introduced an increasing array of training and recovery methods to the average person.

Self-myofascial release is a decorated term for self-massage to release muscle tightness or trigger points. This process can be achieved with a foam roller, lacrosse ball, Theracane, or even your own hands. By you applying pressure to specific points on your body, you can aid in the recovery of muscles and assist in restoring them to natural function. The standard feature means your muscles are elastic, healthy, and ready to perform at a moment’s notice.

Do I Possess Tight Muscles or Trigger Points?

Trigger points are accurate “knots” that develop in muscles. They are unique and can be recognized because they will include pain. Pain referral, for our views, can most easily be defined as the pain felt when pressure is applied to one area of your body, but the pain is felt or transmitted in another area.

A typical example of a trigger point is considered while foam rolling your iliotibial (IT) band as it creates pain to spread up to the hip or all the way down the leg to the ankle. When rolling or working on tight/sore muscles, you will encounter distress or pain. Think of it like the pain you get while stretching. It should be uncomfortable, but not unbearable, and when you are done, it should feel better.

Why Am I Doing Something That Hurts?

For many, deep tissue massage is simple to understand. Ideally, someone can fight out the tangles in your muscles, and it is understood that this method may be uncomfortable and at times unpleasant. The self-myofascial release gives the user the ability to manage the healing and recovery process by applying tension in specific locations because only you can feel literally what is occurring.

It is always advised to discuss with your physician or physical therapist for therapeutic/sharp pain and obtain consent before beginning self-myofascial release. For most people, you will be cleared almost immediately, and your doctor will encourage the practice.

Releasing trigger points helps to restore decent movement patterns and pain-free movement, and ultimately, to enhance performance. Utilizing stretching alone is not always enough to release your muscles tightness, which is why foam rollers have thrived on the mass market. Imagine a bungee cord with a knot tied into it and then envision stretching the wire. This creates tension, extending the unknotted portion of the muscle and the attachment points. The knot, however, has remained unaltered.

Foam rolling can assist in breaking up these muscle knots, resuming normal blood flow and function. The goal of any corrective or recovery technique is to get you back to the point of normal functioning as if nothing was ever wrong. When was the last time you trained like you were a teenager, going hard without a second thought, and injuries were something that only happened due to physical trauma like a 250lb linebacker hitting you?

What Causes Trigger Points and Tight Muscles?

Both have the same relevant factors including training, flexibility, movement patterns, posture, nutrition, hydration, rest, stress, and other lifestyle factors. Our bodies learn to compensate for what we throw at them every day, but we can exceed our ability to recover via too many intense workouts, poor posture, and other lifestyle factors.

This is when you require assistance using rehabilitation techniques or through seeing an expert. If you lived a perfect life with everything in balance, you would theoretically never have either of these conditions. However, I’ve yet to meet that person.

How Does Self-Myofascial Release Work?

Deep compression eases to break up or relax tight muscles and adhesions formed between muscle layers and their surroundings. Imagine you are tenderizing your muscles. They should be soft and supple like a baby’s muscles. Nonetheless, if our muscles are not taken care of correctly, we can experience loss of flexibility, adhesions, and painful movement.

The intense compression of self-myofascial release allows regular blood flow to restore and the preparation of healthy tissue. The body normally wants to be healthy and active, but sometimes an extra boost is needed to achieve optimal muscle and tissue health.

Aching muscles can last for days, so rush your healing by using a foam roller. These seven exercises from Shape-Up Shortcuts only take 10 to 15 minutes. Grab a foam roller—like the LuxFit Premium High-Density Foam Roller—and do them after a workout, during your favorite sitcom, or right before bed. Roll over any point 5 to 10 times.

Calves
Foam rolling for your calves
Sit on the floor with your legs straight out, your palms on the ground behind you to bear your weight. Set the foam roller underneath your calves. Gently roll on the back of your legs up and down from your knees to your ankles.

Hamstrings
Foam roller for your hamstrings
Sit with your right leg on the foam roller; bend your left knee, cross your left ankle over your right ankle, and put your hands on the floor behind you. Roll up and down from your knee to just under your right butt cheek. Switch legs.

Quads
Foam roller for your quads
Lie facedown on the ground and put the foam roller underneath your hips. Lean on your right leg and roll up and down from your hip to your knee. Switch legs.

Back
Foam roller for your back
Sit on the floor with the foam roller on your lower back, leaning your hands behind you for stability. Tighten your abs and gradually bend your knees to move the roller up your back, just below your shoulder blades.

Outer Thighs
Foam roller for outer thighs
Lie on your side with the foam roller under your right hip. Supporting your abs and glutes for balance, slowly roll down from your hip to your knee. Turn to the reverse side and repeat.

Shoulders and Sides
Foam roller for shoulders and sides
Lie on your back with the foam roller behind your shoulders. Interlock your fingers loosely behind your head and lean your upper back into the foam roller. Brace your abs and glutes for balance, and slowly press into the roller on your left side, raising your right shoulder. Roll from your underarms to the base of your rib cage. Return to the center and switch sides.

Butt
Foam roller for butt
Sitting on the foam roller, cross your right leg over your left knee and lean toward the right hip, putting your weight on your hands for support Slowly roll one butt cheek over the roller. Switch sides.

source http://www.healthy4lifeonline.com/foam-rollers/