Exercise and Arthritis

Your bones hang out in a lot of joints. Knee joints. Hip joints. The joints in your fingers and the joints in your toes. Wherever bones meet, there is also cartilage, a rubbery, protective layer that ensures your joints bend smoothly and painlessly. But even cartilage cannot do this tremendous job alone. A thin membrane called the synovium provides fluid that lubricates the moving parts of the joint. When the cartilage wears out of the synovium becomes inflamed, the result is generally a case of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage can be eroded so much that bone does rub on bone. Thos type of arthritis develops gradually over a lifetime as a simple result of the wear and tear placed on your joints over the years. Very few people escape some degree of osteoarthritis, though the severity varies a great deal. As a matter of fact, if you are over the age of 50, you are likely to have at least one joint affected by osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis affects men and women equally and is by far the most common type of arthritis, with almost 16 million Americans in the list. In rheumatoid arthritis, damage to the synovium is at the source of trouble. Doctors and researchers are not absolutely sure what causes it, but most think that rheumatoid arthritis is a disease in which the immune system actually attacks certain tissues in the body, including those that connect the joints and the synovium. Rheumatoid arthritis begins with swollen, red, stiff, and painful joints, but it may progress until scar tissue forms in the joint or, in extreme cases, until the bones actually fuse together. Almost 75% of the 2 million people with rheumatoid arthritis in the United States are women. The disease can hit as early as teen years. Exercising Your Prevention Options Investing a little time in developing a good weight-bearing low-impact exercise and stretching plan can add up to great results when it comes to staving off arthritis pain. Strong muscles help protect the joints from wear and tear, and the movement keeps joints flexible. That is why the quest for fitness is at hand, even if you are 50 years and over. However, most Americans over 50 are still right where they always were sitting back and watching others jog by. Most of them contend that that is just for people who have been athletic all their life, or some say exercise is for young people and engaging into exercise will do them more harm than good. There are still some that insist on excusing their selves in exercise routines because they do not just have time or they have less energy than ever before. These are all lame excuses. Hence, it is time to start to get rid of those pains. Start exercising. Consequently, preventing arthritis is not an exact science, but physicians have discovered a few ways to lower your risk. Here is how: 1. Do not weight around The single most important measure anyone can take to prevent osteoarthritis of the knee is to lose weight if they are overweight. Extra weight puts extra stress on your knees. If you are 10 pounds overweight, for example, you put 60 pounds per square inch of extra pressure on your knees every time you take a step. That extra pressure can slowly but surely erode the cartilage in your knees, leading to arthritis. A study has clearly supported the theory that weight loss weighs in on the side of prevention. In the study, overweight women who lost 11 pounds or more over a 10-year period decreased their risk of developing osteoarthritis of the knee by 50%. 2. Stretch those muscles Any kind of stretching is good as long as you do not bounce, which can lead to a muscle pull. This is according to some of the professors of clinical medicine in New York City. Try to hold a slow, steady stretch for 15 to 20 seconds, then relax and repeat. It is best to flex up by stretching before any exercise, especially running and walking. But it is also a good idea to stretch each day. Ask your doctor to teach you stretches that focus on potential arthritis trouble spots, such as the knees or the lower back. 3. Walking is always the best exercise Take a good long walk at least three times a week or participate in a step-aerobics or low-impact exercise routine maximum results. There is no proof that running is bad for the joints, but remember, it may aggravate an injury if you already have one. Just remember to check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program. The bottom line is that of all the healthful habits, exercise is the most important. This is because people are designed to be active. Hence, it is really important for people to exercise in order to stay healthy and keep those joints free from wear and tear. Just keep in mind that the unexercised body, even if free from the symptoms of illness or problems like arthritis, is not at its full potential. Hence, start exercising right now!

Ephedra Supplement behind Controversy Still Helps in Building Your Body

Ephedra Supplement behind Controversy Still Helps in Building Your Body Shopping for apparels could be the most embarrassing experience for you especially if your choices are very limited. It is because only few products fit your waist's size. You might have a fine height but not a fine waistline. Don't feel depressed because there are many ways to make your choices turns unlimited. It includes regular exercises, well-balanced diets, punctual sleeping habits, and the most popular body building supplements. Body building supplements become the new trend for achieving a healthy body. It can provide your body with the needed minerals and nutrients so that your muscles can recover after doing a vigorous exercise. Thus, agility and strength are maintained. In addition, good body building supplements contain ingredients such as phosphorus, protein, chloride, calcium, vitamins, zinc, and manganese. You must first consult a physician or a gym instructor before using a body building supplement. However, some supplements are prescribed by doctors to accompany a certain medication to treat some diseases. It is also helpful to read reviews about the product to know its advantages and disadvantages. Take for example the Ephedra body building supplement. Ephedra is one the most controversial body building supplements ever released. It was discovered by the Chinese from a plant Ma Huang more than five thousand years ago. It became the foundation of the Chinese traditional medicine. Ephedra is used to treat flu, fever, colds, and other related symptoms. Recently, some research revealed that Ephedra can increase metabolism, promote fat burning and weight loss, curb appetite, promote urination for relieving water retention, and relax the lung airways to help in treating cough and asthma. However, the side effects of Ephedra such as irregular rhythm of the heart and increased blood pressures led the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) to ban its use in April 2004. The reactions of consumers were mixed. But Ephedra banning does not affect the traditional herbal remedies of the Chinese and herbal tea products containing such elements. Likewise, the use of pseudo ephedrine and ephedrine supplements. It alarmed the FDA because many Ephedra users try to find ways to evade the ruling. Since, then some Ephedra copycat products invaded the New York market. The government officials again called out for banning these products. But they were silenced by Judge Tena Campbell who favored a supplement company in Utah. The FDA ban was challenged by Nutraceutical Corporation claiming that Ephedra is safe to use as proven by its prolonged usage in the history of traditional medicines. FDA never regulates Ephedra as a food but a type of drug. And because FDA failed to demonstrate that use of Ephedra was unsafe, Judge Campbell lifted the Ephedra ban permitting its sales for 10 milligrams or less. So, the use of Ephedra was legalized. A naturopathic physician, Dr. Cathy Wong even welcomes the new Ephedra ruling. Deaths attributed to Ephedra are unnecessary and harsh compared to pharmaceutical drug fatality rates. Ephedra products can help people loss excess weights provided that doses are strictly followed. Although FDA treated it as a dangerous drug that killed lots of people and sent them to poverty due to addiction, more and more people are taking Ephedra for losing weight. And they have proven that no other herbs are as effective as Ephedra. The problem of many people is solved. They can now have unlimited choices for apparels that they want. With the help of Ephedra supplements, they achieved the body built they want.

Emergency Preparedness For a Hurricane

There is nothing anyone can do when nature decides to leash out its fury. There is no way to stop it so people should brace for the worse and seek shelter. In order to minimize the loss of life, most towns and cities have created emergency plans. Sirens are placed in strategic locations to announce a major evacuation; the emergency broadcast system is in place in the event that power and electricity has been cut off as well as stockpiles of food, water and medicine. Those who live in the coastal communities will usually be battered by hurricanes. This happens between the months of June until November in the Atlantic and from May to November in the northern Pacific Ocean. When this is first spotted on radar, the forecaster will already inform the public about it. There is no need yet to panic here since the weather conditions may change in the next few hours but if there are no improvements, it is time to activate emergency procedures. The hurricane may pack winds exceeding more than a 100 miles per hour that can make cars, pieces of metal or wood cause severe damage to the home. Households can board up the windows and doors of the house with hurricane shutters and plywood. People will rush to the supermarket to stock up on food, water and other essentials. These include candles, batteries for the radio and the flashlight as well as fuel for the generator. All of these things are necessary especially water to prevent dehydration so every possible container must be used including the bathtub. The most important which must never be forgotten is a medical kit. This should have bandages and some antibiotics to be able to treat anyone who is ill or injured until the person can be brought out to a medical facility for better treatment. Should the incoming hurricane be classified as a category 4 or 5, residents are advised to evacuate and seek higher ground. It will be a good idea to travel light so only a few pieces of clothing, food and water must be brought into the vehicle. The citizens are also advised to drive slowly and avoid panicking since this could cause accidents on the road. The hurricane will pass within a few hours. This is the only time that people will be able to go out or return to see how much damage was done. It is only after assessing the damage that towns and cities can say whether the emergency preparedness procedures that were sent in place were effective or not. One indication that it works is if no casualties are reported. This is because a house or even a building can be repaired but the life of an individual can never be replaced. The people who live in the household can rehearse the emergency preparedness plan to see if some improvements need to be made. This is because time is off the essence in order to be safe in this type of crisis. Emergency preparedness is key to ensure the survival of everyone present. People who live through this annually know what to do but those who are moving into the community should learn fast to be able to survive the onslaught of the hurricane.