The lower back and the hips must be checked when a person feels sciatic nerve pain for some time. Stretching can help a lot.

Unfortunately, it’s a type of pain which can spread towards the lower limb as well as the feet. The sciatic nerve actually connects the spine with the femur. It’s the most important muscle we need to move our hips, feet as well as upper legs.

Doctors can recommend the usage of aspirin, ketoprofen, muscle relaxants, acetaminophen, antidepressants, as well as many other painkillers.

Still, we’re here to recommend you a better way to recover from the pain. You could use some interesting exercises that will prevent you gaining the side-effects you get when you take painkillers. It is very important to visit a doctor before you decide to start with the exercises.

Warm up before you do them and take a look at the videos for further instructions!

1) Supine Piriformis Stretch

This exercise is done while lying down with bent knees. The leg that hurts should be crossed and the other leg should be facing up and going towards the chest. Hold your ankle very strong using one of your hands. Use the other hand to hold the knee.

After that, you need to align the shoulder with the ankle. Stay like this for 30 seconds. You need to have a feeling of extended glutes and bottom.

2) Standing Piriformis Stretch

Stand up and then put the leg that hurts above the knee of your other leg. After that, lower your hip while you’re at an angle of 45 degrees. The torso should be bent upfront. The arms should be extended and aligned with the ground.

Make sure the spine is straight. Remain like this for 30-60 seconds. Repeat the movement with your other leg.

3) Outer Hip Piriformis Stretch

Lie down. The leg which hurts should be bent. The foot should be close to the knee of the other leg. Curl the leg towards the opposite side and use your knee to touch the floor.

During the extending of the left leg, the right hand should be put on the knee and the left hand should be raised. Try to touch the floor using your shoulder. The arm should be lowered in the opposite direction of your knee.

Remain like this for 20 seconds. Repeat the same movement using your other leg.

4) Long Abductor Stretch

Sit down. The legs should be extended and far apart. The torso should be bent upfront. The hands should be on the floor. Use your elbows to touch the ground. Remain like this for 20 seconds.

5) Short Adductor Stretch

Sit down. Close the feet together in front of you. Use the left hand to hold the right foot ankle. The right hand should be used to hold the left foot ankle.

The knees should be pushed towards down. Remain like this for 30 seconds. Use your legs to wave rapidly for 30 seconds.

6) Side-Lying Clam

Lie on the side where your hip hurts. The legs should be tilted back forming an L shape. The feet should be one on top of the other. The legs should be in a parallel.

The hip which hurts should be kept high, but don’t tilt your spine or body. Keep the feet close. Use the top knee to raise it and stay like that for several seconds. Repeat the same movement for 15 times.

7) Hip Extension

The knees and the hands should be placed down. The hands should be in the same line with the shoulders. The leg that hurts should be raised and the knee should be kept tilt. After that, use the leg to lower it once again. Repeat the same thing for 15 times.

8) Supine Piriformis Side Stretch

Lie on the floor. Make sure your legs are flat and your back is straight. The leg that hurts should be tilted up.

The foot should be placed outside your other leg which should be close to your knee.

The knee of the leg which hurts should be dragged across the middle line of the body. Don’t raise your shoulders or your hips. Make sure they’re on the ground. Remain like this for 30 seconds. Repeat the same thing with your other leg. You can do it 3 times.

9) Bottom Stretch for the Piriformis Muscle

Stay on all fours. The foot of the leg that hurts should be placed under the stomach. It should be curled towards the opposite side, but make sure it’s close to the hip. The knee should be directed towards the shoulder.

Use your forehead to touch the ground. Make sure you have your pelvis straight and your other leg extended. Push your hips towards the floor. Remain like this for 30 seconds. Repeat the exercise for 3 times.

10) Seated Stretch

Take a chair. Sit. Then, cross the leg which hurts over your other leg. Make sure the chest is upfront. The back needs to be straight.

Breathe deeply twice. Then, bend slowly. Stay like that for 30 seconds. Breathe deeply twice. Then, bend slowly. Stay like that for 30 seconds. Repeat the same exercise using the other leg.

11) McKenzie Press Up

Lie down on the floor. Your face should be facing the floor. You can rest your head for 2-3 minutes on any side you want to.

The elbows should be on the floor. Try to lean on.

Breathe deeply for several times. Go down. Relax for 2-3 minutes. Watch the video to see the following position.

The post Relieve Sciatica Lower Back And Hip Pain Using These 11 Piriformis Stretches! first appeared on Healthy Gab.

The post Relieve Sciatica Lower Back And Hip Pain Using These 11 Piriformis Stretches! appeared first on Healthy Gab.

About 54% of people complain of having some kind of back pain. 26% of these people have accepted that the reason behind the back pain could be from a lack of exercise or from physical work.

1. Hamstring stretch

Steps:

1. Lie on your back with one leg bent.

2. Grab behind your right knee and pull your right leg up into the stretch position. Your knee can be bent a little as you pull your leg back.

3. Stretch it as much as it’s comfortable but keep your tailbone on the floor and stretch your knees to feel the strain on the muscles.

4. With an ideal pose, you should feel the stretch on the back of your thighs and your calves if you pull your toes back.

5. Hold it for 10 seconds and repeat it twice with both the legs.

6. If you have tight hamstring muscles, you’re likely to be more prone to injuries in daily life. Tight hamstrings can affect the movement of your pelvis, which increases the strain on your lower back. Hamstring stretches will give you strong, flexible, limber thighs which support the rest of your muscle groups too.

2. Double leg knee to chest

Steps:

1. Lie on your back.
2. Bend both the legs and hold your one hand with another behind your knees.
3. Now, pull it closer to your chest using both hands. The more you stretch, the more you can feel the strain on the lower back and thighs.
4. Hold the position for 20 seconds and repeat it twice.
5. This exercise, in particular, increases the range of motion of your lower back muscle. Muscles with a bad range of movement are prone to spinal cord arthritis and spinal cord stenosis. The exercise also ensures that the blood supply is healthy and assists the nutrients in that particular area.

Alternative:

Steps:

1. Lie on your back.
2. Bend one leg and then bend the other just below the knee of the first leg as shown in the illustration.
3. Hold your hands together behind your knees.
4. Now, pull it closer to your chest using both the hands.
5. This exercise will affect only one side of the body depending on the leg, so hold the position for 20 seconds and repeat it twice with both legs.

3. Knee stretch to the chest

Steps:

1. Lie on your back.
2. Bend your right leg and hold it with your hands.
3. Now, pull it closer to your chest to feel the stretch on the hips and thighs.
4. Hold the position for 20 seconds and repeat it twice with both legs.
5. It has the same effects on the body as the double-knee to chest stretch. This one, however, uses the partial weight of the body to relax the thigh muscles while correcting the backbone and related muscles.

Alternative:

Note:
Steps for the alternative version are the same, but in case you are not able to keep your other leg straight, this one could be used as an alternative.

4. Psoas stretch

Steps:

1. Stand straight.

2. Move your right leg forward while keeping your left leg back. Bend your right knee and keep the upper body straight.

3. Hold on to this position for a few seconds and then lower the left knee close to the floor.

4. Keep both hands on your right knee for support and move the upper body forward. This exercise will affect the psoas.

5. Hold the position for 30 seconds and repeat it twice with both legs.

6. The psoas is the most important and biggest muscle in the hip flexor muscle group. They ensure the movement of the thigh and torso in coordination. This helps in daily activities like bicycling, weight training, running, etc.

5. Spinal stretch

Steps:

1. Lay on your back and stretch your arms perpendicular to your head.

2. Raise your right leg up and use your left hand to pull it over your left leg to the ground on the left side.

3. Turn your head slowly toward the right side while feeling the stretch on your back and thigh respective to your leg, all while keeping your hands perpendicular to your head.

4. Hold the position for 30 seconds and repeat it twice with both legs.

5. If you sit in the office or classroom for hours, sit behind the wheel of a car or simply stand with poor posture, the spinal cord suffers, causing bad back pain. A spinal stretch or spinal twist stretch ensures the mobility of your spinal muscles, helping you to maintain good posture.

6. Quadriceps stretch

Steps:

1. Stand straight.
2. Stand on your right leg and hold the left foot with your right hand. You can use both hands if one isn’t sufficient.
3. Try to touch your heel to your butt to stretch the hips, quadriceps, and back.
4. Hold the position for 30 seconds and repeat it twice with both legs.
5. The quadriceps stretch increases blood circulation in that particular area. As a back to knee connecting muscle, a poor or stiff pair of quadriceps can lead to back or knee pain.

7. Downward facing dog against a wall or chair

The post 7 Exercises to Relieve Back Pain in 10 Minutes first appeared on Healthy Gab.

The post 7 Exercises to Relieve Back Pain in 10 Minutes appeared first on Healthy Gab.

 

 

1. Do weight training

Doing weight training is less effective for losing weight than cardio workouts but they help to keep the level of metabolism which is important when you are on a long-term diet. Weight training makes the metabolism much faster and doesn’t let the body switch to the low energy consumption mode.

But don’t forget to eat some protein after a workout: the muscles will get stronger and you won’t have any extra fat.

2. Change the caloric value during the week

When we are on a diet, our smart bodies adapt to smaller amounts of food, cutting down the energy consumption. In other words, the body adapts to the new living conditions, still conserving the extra pounds — in case there will be no food at all. And when you start eating fewer calories, the body understands that its decision was right.

3. Tell the difference between a real plateau and an imaginary one

This Super Simple Morning Habit “Accidentally” Melted 84 LBS Of Fat

During the first days of the diet, extra fluids leave our bodies which makes the number on the scale drop quickly. But in order to lose just 1 lb, you need to have a 3,500-calorie deficit. It doesn’t matter how you achieve it, but the progress won’t be fast.

Many people think that losing weight slowly is a plateau, so they lose interest and drop the diet. Be patient and don’t step on the scale more than once a week: this way, the progress will seem bigger.

4. Eat more protein and vegetables

Low-carbohydrate diets are believed to the be the best strategy for losing weight. Protein and fiber make us full and increase the metabolism. Carbohydrates make the insulin level rise making us hungry. So if you are trying to lose weight, it’s better to eat a piece of low-fat meat rather than a sweet fruit.

5. Change the exercises you do

Thousands of years of fighting for survival taught our bodies one simple thing: resources should be saved by any means possible. After some time, the human body adapts to the exercises you do. So, after several weeks of similar workouts, the progress will definitely slow down.

There is only one solution: once every 1-1.5 months, you should change your workout program. There are a lot of different options: change out yoga for pilates, do new exercises, train new muscles that you haven’t before, and change the weights that you use.

6. Eat tasty food.

The ability to resist the urge to eat depends on the right function of the brain. However, if a person hasn’t eaten anything tasty for a long time, their brain starts to tell them that a piece of chocolate or a biscuit will give them much more joy that these foods really can.

This is why nutrition experts recommend including small portions of “prohibited” foods. If you let yourself relax from time to time, you have a smaller chance of losing control at some point and interrupting the diet.

7. Recalculate the caloric value of the food you eat

The number of calories necessary for losing weight depends not only on physical activity but also on the body mass. If an overweight person eats only 2,000 kcal a day, they will lose weight, and if a small woman does the same, she will gain weight.

Don’t forget to recalculate the caloric value of your food after every 10 pounds you lose.

8. Keep a strict sleeping schedule

9. Count calories

Scientists proved that people who lose weight without any supervision stop tracking what and how much they eat within several weeks. Of course, the progress stops and you can’t lose weight. So, you should always know how many calories you eat.

10. Take body characteristics into account

 

The post 10 Weight Loss Tips If Diets Don’t Help Anymore first appeared on Healthy Gab.

The post 10 Weight Loss Tips If Diets Don’t Help Anymore appeared first on Healthy Gab.

 

When the term obesity is mentioned to you, you are always relating the same with body appearance. The truth is that the physical look is not that great issue regarding the obesity, as the health diseases are. The obesity is one of the greatest reasons why certain people are struggling with hypertension, diabetes, heart diseases, and osteoarthritis. All vital organs may be affected by the obesity. The ultimate results of the same are fatal for the human organism.

If you do not want to be the next one who will die from a heart attack, prevent the same. Start with losing weight. It is well-known that losing weight it is not so much easy, but with a great motivation, proper diet, and regular exercises you can fight the obesity.

The following article is offering you 7 simple exercises on your way against the obesity.

Burpees

• Start the exercise by standing on both your feet, so that the same will be on a distance same as the shoulder width.
• Then make a squat position by lowering your body so that your hands will go in front of you, but on the floor.
• As you are getting your feet back, lower your chest as you are going to make push-ups.
• The chest needs to be brought up to the back.
• As your feet are in the starting position, stand up, then jump, and clap your arms over your head.

Crunches

• Start the exercise by lying down on the floor with your back, so that your feet will be placed on the floor to in a flat position, on a distance same as your hip width.
• Bend your knees and put your hands behind your head.
• Make the first movement by pulling your abdominal inwards.
• Then curl and go forwards so you lift off the floor your shoulder blades, neck, and head.
• Try to stay in that position for several second and then return to the ground. Make 10 repetitions of the exercise.

Squats

• Start the exercise by standing on both your feet so that the same will be on a distance same as your shoulder width.
• Your chest needs to be held up and out. Put your hands in front of you.
• Make the first movement by sitting back and down as you are going to sit on a chair.
• Your knees need to get over your body and your thighs parallel to the ground. Achieve this position by lowering your body down.
• Try to stay into this position for a few minutes and then return to the starting position. Make 20 repetitions of the exercise.

Lunges

• Start the exercise by standing on both your feet, so that the same will be on a distance same as your shoulder width.
• Your hands need to be placed on your hips.
• Make the first movement by stepping forward with your one leg and flex your knee so that the knee of the leg that you have stepped forward nearly touches the floor.
• Then return the body in the starting position and switch the legs to repeat the exercise with the other leg.
• Make 20 repetitions of the exercise.

Sumo squats to calf raise

• Starting position – standing with feet about twice hip-width apart, keep the hands on your hips, toes pointed slightly outward.
• Lower your hips, keeping your core tight, until they are parallel to the ground, and raise your hands in front of your face
• Raise both heels off the floor, lowering your arms.
• Repeat the exercise 20 times.

Jumping Jack

• Start the exercise by standing on both your feet.
• Your hands need to be by your sides.
• While jumping up, raise your hands above your head, so that your feet need to be on a distance twice shoulder-width apart.
• Return your body to the starting position. Repeat the exercise several times.

Plank

• -Start the exercise by placing your body as it is going to perform push-ups.
• The upper part of the body need to be in a straight line with your elbows and toes as they are slightly lifted up.
• As you are breathing In, keep the straight position of your body and feel how your muscles are getting stronger.
• Divide your weight into both legs and elbows by contracting your buttock muscles. That way you will have more strength and balance

 

The post 15-minute Exercise Set That Can Help Reduce Fat first appeared on Healthy Gab.

The post 15-minute Exercise Set That Can Help Reduce Fat appeared first on Healthy Gab.

Athletes rely on interval training to improve their speed and power, but generally as part of a broader, weekly training program that also includes extended, less-intense workouts, such as long runs or bicycling.

However in the past couple of years, scientists and many sportspeople have become interested in the idea of exercising exclusively with intervals, ditching long workouts altogether.

The attraction of this approach is obvious to all. Interval exercise duration can be short, making this form of exercise a positive gift for anyone who feels that they never have enough time to exercise.
Prior to this study most studies of interval training have had limitations, such as not including a control group, being of short duration or studying only health or fitness results, not a combination of both.

For this reason fundamental and important questions have remained unanswered about just how well these short, very intense workouts really compare to traditional, endurance type training.
This led scientists at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, (who had themselves conducted many of those earlier studies of interval training), to conduct what has been recognized as the most scientifically rigorous comparison to date of super short and standard exercise programs.

They recruited 25 out-of-shape men and measuring their aerobic fitness levels and as a marker of their general health their body’s ability to use insulin properly to keep blood sugar levels regular. The scientists also biopsied the men’s muscles to examine functioning at a cellular level.
The researchers then randomly divided the men into 3 groups. One group was asked to change nothing about their current, low levels of exercise – these would then be the controls.

A second group began a typical endurance workout exercise regime, consisting of riding at a moderate pace on a stationary bike in the lab for forty five minutes, with a 2-minute warm-up and 3-minute cool down time.

The last group was tasked with interval training, using the most abbreviated workout proven to have verifiable benefits. The volunteers warmed up for 2 minutes on stationary bikes, then pedalled as hard as possible for twenty seconds; rode at a very slow pace for 2 minutes, sprinted all-out again for twenty seconds; then recovered with slow riding for another 2 minutes; pedalled all out for a last twenty seconds; then cooled down for 3 minutes. The entire workout lasted ten minutes, with only 1 minute of that time being strenuous.

Both groups completed three sessions each week for twelve weeks, a period of time that is about 2x as long as in most past studies of interval training.

By the end of the study which was published in PLOS One, the endurance group had ridden for 27 hours, while the interval group had ridden for six hours, with only 36 minutes of that time being high energy exercise.

However, when the scientists retested aerobic fitness, muscles and blood sugar control, they found that the exercisers showed almost identical gains, whether they had completed the long endurance workouts or the short, more stressful interval routine. In both groups of subjects, endurance had increased by nearly twenty percent, insulin resistance had likewise improved significantly. There were also significant increases in the number and function of certain microscopic structures in the men’s muscles which were related to energy production and oxygen use.

The control group showed no changes in health or fitness.

The result indicates that three months of concerted endurance or interval exercise can almost identically improve someone’s fitness and health.
Is that enough reason for folk who currently exercise moderately or not at all to begin interval training as their only workout choice?

Martin Gibala, a professor of kinesiology at McMaster University says:

it depends on who you are and why you exercise

If you are an elite athlete, then obviously incorporating both endurance and interval training into an overall program maximizes performance. But if you are someone, like me, who just wants to boost health and fitness and you don’t have 45 minutes or an hour to work out, our data show that you can get big benefits from even a single minute of intense exercise.

The post Can you get Away with Just One Minute of Exercise? first appeared on Healthy Gab.

The post Can you get Away with Just One Minute of Exercise? appeared first on Healthy Gab.

1. It’s a confidence booster.

Lifting weights and the attendant positive change in physiology increases self-confidence. It’s also a fantastic way to get used to the equipment at the gym and also get rid of any nervousness that first time gym users sometimes suffer from. It’s not just the unfamiliar weights and the machines that can cause even those with great confidence to feel a little intimidated. It’s also the fact that women especially may get the impression that everybody is watching them as they work out. This can really affect the quality of any workout.
The secret here is to keep at it. As you progress toward your training milestones your self-confidence will increase.  Within no time at all you’ll be master of that gym – and if people are watching you it’s probably because they want tips to get into such great shape or how to get the best of the machines on the gym floor.
And it’s not just at the gym that you’re going to feel like a million bucks – going shopping will have both men and women complimenting you and asking how you got into such great shape. Your jeans will fit better and you’ll look spectacular even if you choose just to wear a tank top or old sweatshirt. Lifting gives you the freedom to be you. You’ll feel and look great.

2.The freedom to eat those carbs.

Weight training frees you up to eat ALL the carbs. Perhaps not all, but definitely more than you’d want to eat on another type of diet and exercise regime. In fact you have to – your body needs that fuel so that you can get the most out of your weight training. With weight training it’s goodbye to limiting your carbohydrate intake so radically. Sure you’re going to want a green salad every now and then – but carbohydrates are where it’s at.
Take a look at these lunch options:
Whole grain sandwiches with lean deli meat, tuna or nut butter; vegie based soups and stews that contain lean poultry or beef; tacos with whole wheat or corn tortillas and lean poultry or meats; or a wok stir fry with rice, vegetables and tofu or seafood. Better than a green salad.
So, if you can have carbs all day on a leg day and your body will use up every drop of them to grow and maintain muscle. That’s a pretty good reason to eat carbs and get involved in weight training.

3. All the right curves in all the right places.

Lifting is going to grow lean muscle and change your shape for the better. Your clothes will fit and you’ll get those wonderful curves that you’ve always wanted. Cardio alone is simply not going to get it done. You can spend every day, all day on the treadmill and you’re simply not going to get that curvaceous figure. You still need to balance weight training with cardio – it’s really good for your health, but you really need to start lifting as well. Your butt will look fantastic and your legs are going to turn heads wherever you go. Jeans and shorts are going to be a real pleasure to wear.

4. Better calorie burning.

Weight training burns calories even once you’re done with your workout. When you stop your cardio workout that’s when the fat burning stops. Weight training burns calories and fat – and it increases your metabolism even when you’ve had the shower and are on the way home.  It’s the secret to actually burning calories even while you’re resting. Bigger and more muscle = more calorific burning.

5. Bone health.

Research has shown that women over the age of 30 start losing bone mass – And that’s a recipe for osteoporosis. Lifting weights has been shown to maintain bone mass and reduce the risk of slipping and falling. However, in order for it to be effective you have to train intensively. It doesn’t really matter what sort of weight training that you do. Suit yourself. Do squats, use the machines or even free weights – it’s all going to contribute to increasing bone density – and increase core and general body strength, which is increasingly important as you age.

6. Women are doing it for themselves.

Empowerment is one of the best reasons to start weight training today. Rather than having that man (no matter how much you love him) carry the groceries from the car or even move the fridge you can do it yourself. You’ll be amazed just how strong you are after only a few months of lifting. You don’t need the help – you just need training. You’ll never need to ask for assistance in moving house again – although it’s always nice, if it came down to the wire you could do it all yourself. And when you’re doing it you’re also continuing your training and the journey to real empowerment.

The post 6 Reasons Why Women Should Lift first appeared on Healthy Gab.

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