You know that arthritis takes its toll on joints, but do you realize that it also affects structures outside the joints such as ligaments and muscles? With chronic arthritis comes chronic inflammation and swelling, often when the joint doesn’t even appear swollen from the outside. Increased swelling = increased fluid = increased pressure within the joint = discomfort/pain. […]
Like me, you’ve probably witnessed plenty of treadmill users crank up the speed to just shy of sprinting, the incline to just shy of vertical…and then grab on for dear life! Nothing like taking a perfectly good exercise and making it less beneficial… Hanging on to the treadmill railings is self-defeating in several regards: 1) It throws off the […]
If I were a betting woman, I’d bet a pretty good sum that you’ve never heard anyone complain that their butt muscles were too tight. Or that their back muscles were just too darn loose. Coincidence? Au contraire, mon frere. It’s by design. While the broader concept of muscle imbalances certainly generates a lot of buzz these days [even in the YFH Blog: […]
Sometimes Functional Health just comes down to strategy. For example, when you carry a heavy bag–groceries, briefcase, luggage–you can hold it with your hand, requiring the small joints of your fingers to support it. You can rest it on your forearm so that your elbow does the work. Or you could put it up on […]
