Question:

rowing best You misspelled crosscountry skiing.

I’m afraid water has to be liquid for me to enjoy my sports of swimming and rowing.  Alas, when the water freezes up here (6 mos. per year) all I can do is run. — Josh

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rowing best

You misspelled crosscountry skiing.

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Throw XC skiing into the mix as well for a high energy expenditure. There is no rule that for fitness that you cannot do several activities.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I recently lost weight by eating right, but now want to exercise to tone my body.  I told a friend that I was going to start running and she suggested that I bike instead because running was bad for you in the long run (for your joints and bones I guess?)  Does anyone know if biking uses as many muscles in such a short period of exercise time?  It wouldn’t seem like it would.  Thanks in advance! Sincerely, Sarah As others have posted, running need not injure you over time.  Bad form biking will injure you as surely as bad form running.  I doubt there’s a big difference in muscle utilization in terms of how much of your body you will tone.  Muscle groups used have some same, some different, but overall probably similar. Sounds like the idea is to burn the most calories in the least time and use the most muscles.  That’s easy.  Biking good, running better, rowing best. Concept II rowing ergometer is the exercise machine you’ll need at your gym. As with all athletics, proper mechanics is a must to avoid injury.  It burns massive calories, works every muscle from your neck to your toes, and has no impact. — Josh Steinberg, Syracuse (where water is still surprisingly liquid, so may as well row!)

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I recently lost weight by eating right, but now want to exercise to tone my body.  I told a friend that I was going to start running and she suggested that I bike instead because running was bad for you in the long run (for your joints and bones I guess?)  Does anyone know if biking uses as many muscles in such a short period of exercise time?  It wouldn’t seem like it would.  Thanks in advance! Sincerely, Sarah

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I recently lost weight by eating right, but now want to exercise to tone my body.  I told a friend that I was going to start running and she suggested that I bike instead because running was bad for you in the long run (for your joints and bones I guess?)  Does anyone know if biking uses as many muscles in such a short period of exercise time?  It wouldn’t seem like it would.  Thanks in advance!

As far a toning is concerned, whether running or biking, you’re really mainly exercising a few of your leg muscles. If you want all-over body strengthening, you’ll probably want to do a variety of sports. Yoga or Pilates would certainly fit the bill and are both zero-impact. I’d imagine swimming would be good too. That said, there are few exercises more efficient than running as far as buring calories and developing cardiovascular fitness are concerned. Running will help you maintain your weight loss better than biking, given the same time commitment. And let’s just get those common "running is bad for you" myths out of the way right now. First of all, studies have shown that running does *not* increase your chance of osteoarthritis. Running increases bone density, decreasing the odds of osteoporosis and bone fractures. It keeps the joints better lubricated and strengthens surrounding muscles–your joints are actually *stronger* because of running. Yes, there are people who screw their knees up royally. Usually this is from overdoing it and not paying attention to their bodies. Often they’ll try to "run through the pain", turning a slight injury into a major one. With that mindset, these people would’ve injured themselves no matter what sport they chose.  - Jeff

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One reason I don’t bike regularly (as opposed to running) for fun&fitness is the mileage involved – I’d have to bike many many more miles than I run to make it an equivalent workout, and I don’t know of anywhere near where I live (urban area) that I could do that safely. If you’re talking about gym equipment, though, I don’t know.  ;-)

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I recently lost weight by eating right, but now want to exercise to tone my body.  I told a friend that I was going to start running and she suggested that I bike instead because running was bad for you in the long run (for your joints and bones I guess?)  Does anyone know if biking uses as many muscles in such a short period of exercise time?  It wouldn’t seem like it would.  Thanks in advance! Sincerely, Sarah

As others have posted, running need not injure you over time.  Bad form biking will injure you as surely as bad form running.  I doubt there’s a big difference in muscle utilization in terms of how much of your body you will tone.  Muscle groups used have some same, some different, but overall probably similar. Sounds like the idea is to burn the most calories in the least time and use the most muscles.  That’s easy.  Biking good, running better, rowing best. Concept II rowing ergometer is the exercise machine you’ll need at your gym. As with all athletics, proper mechanics is a must to avoid injury.  It burns massive calories, works every muscle from your neck to your toes, and has no impact. — Josh Steinberg, Syracuse (where water is still surprisingly liquid, so may as well row!)

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Jason: Congratulations for carefully monitoring your aches and pains. Ignoring them quarantees longer or permanent layoffs from running and also discourages others from trying.  Congratulations for running on trails rather than the roads. Ways I have made my calves sore: Stretching too much before warming up. Running steep slopes without sufficient warmup. Not allowing them to recover from heavy use, such as long jump roping sessions. Ignoring slight soreness. Shin Splints, once long ago. Pumping legs uphill without sufficient hill training base. Running long downhills without sufficient hill training. Changing abruptly to very cushy unsupportive running shoes with heels softer than previous trainers. Ways to keep them sound: Being EXTREMELY careful stretching calves prior to running, even to the extent of not doing any while cold. If you hit the hills with cold calf muscles, same risk. Massaging a sore calf muscle before any use whatsoever. Using very gentle toe raises (and lowerings) to warm up the muscles. (quantity and light weight).  Use any staircase for this. Using PNF/AIS as well as static stretching techniques, e.g. for the wall pushups. (PNF proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, AIS active isolated stretching, discussed in more progressive stretching references) Doing calf stretches coupled with hamstring and hip stretches and toe stretches, since they are "connected."  As an example, try the hatha yoga pose often called "downward facing dog," preferably under supervision. Taking occasional breaks from running the same way in the same place(s), to allow recovery and allow improvement in performance.  No need to feel quilty cross training while on holiday, since it allows running recovery. Cycling serves as the best possible active recovery for my occasional sore calf muscles, esp. the spinning style of cycling used by those with more experience.  Consider a spinning class this winter offered in many of the health clubs. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – May I be bold and a little rude:  You friend is obviously not a runner and knows nothing about it and only is repeating this myth. Running can be very good exercise unless there is something to contraindicate running.  The impact can help increase or maintian bone density (a serious issue for all especially a lot of women). Cycling is a great exercise and making comparisons between the two is hard. Either running or cycling (or how about a bit of both) will help you maintain lean mass and get more fit.   Adding some strength or weight training would also be a good idea. I recently lost weight by eating right, but now want to exercise to tone  my body.  I told a friend that I was going to start running and she suggested that I bike instead because running was bad for you in the long run (for your joints and bones I guess?)  Does anyone know if biking uses as many muscles in such a short period of exercise time?  It wouldn’t seem like it would.  Thanks in advance! Sincerely, Sarah

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I recently lost weight by eating right, but now want to exercise to tone my body.  I told a friend that I was going to start running and she suggested that I bike instead because running was bad for you in the long run (for your joints and bones I guess?)  

Actually, weight-bearing exercises, such as running and walking, are usually recommended to strengthen bones and joints – at least by my doctor. But you need to do them properly and build up slowly, as others have indicated. Does anyone know if biking uses as many muscles in such a short period of exercise time?  It wouldn’t seem like it would.  Thanks in advance!

I feel like I get more exercise per time spent when running, but I also bike and enjoy both. I run more consistently since I don’t need to deal with traffic and icy streets over as long a distance. Dot

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Yes, I recently had a hip injury, and I mentioned to the therapist that my family has some history of arthritis. She said that running, jogging, rollerblading, walking, walking with a pack, and other weight-bearing exercises were the best thing to fight against arthritis and maintain fitness. Be very aware of your body, because it will take a while to get accustomed to the new exercise. Don’t run through the pain to injury! craig

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May I be bold and a little rude:  You friend is obviously not a runner and knows nothing about it and only is repeating this myth. Running can be very good exercise unless there is something to contraindicate running.  The impact can help increase or maintian bone density (a serious issue for all especially a lot of women). Cycling is a great exercise and making comparisons between the two is hard. Either running or cycling (or how about a bit of both) will help you maintain lean mass and get more fit.   Adding some strength or weight training would also be a good idea.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I recently lost weight by eating right, but now want to exercise to tone my body.  I told a friend that I was going to start running and she suggested that I bike instead because running was bad for you in the long run (for your joints and bones I guess?)  Does anyone know if biking uses as many muscles in such a short period of exercise time?  It wouldn’t seem like it would.  Thanks in advance! Sincerely, Sarah

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Running is bad for some and wonderful for others. I’ve been running for over 20 years and look forward to be running for the next 50, at least. Running can be bad if you bite off too much at the start. If you do plan to run (and there is no reason why you can’t do both) then don’t be discouraged at the start. Very few people can run a full mile at the start. Begin by running slowly for as long as you feel comfortable. Then walk until you can run again. Repeat this for perhaps 10 minutes. As your walking breaks become shorter you’ll begin to realize if you enjoy running or not. If you don’t enjoy it then there is no point in continuing. Cycling is also a wonderful sport. I do both. Running packs more fittness than biking does. Try them both see which you like the best. Andy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I recently lost weight by eating right, but now want to exercise to tone my body.  I told a friend that I was going to start running and she suggested that I bike instead because running was bad for you in the long run (for your joints and bones I guess?)  Does anyone know if biking uses as many muscles in such a short period of exercise time?  It wouldn’t seem like it would.  Thanks in advance! Sincerely, Sarah

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Question:

Mom tried low carb. Sugar Busters to be exact. I told her it may be a little hard at first craving sugar. But 3 weeks later she has lost 5 pounds. But she is tired, weak, irritable. She was sitting here today on the couch with a pulse of 110. She says she can’t do this any more. Since going low carb she can’t sleep at night do to terrible gas pains. She needs to get up every night and takes a Zantac. She is hungry and feels dizzy.  I suggested she tried low carb because she has been trying to lose weight for 5 years and nothing else has worked.  Any suggestions? By the way I started Sugar Busters mid July and have even less carbs than they allow.  I am sort of less carbs than Sugar Busters and less fat than Atkins.

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She says she can’t do this any more. Since going low carb she can’t sleep at night do to terrible gas pains.

I think we’d need more information about what she’s actually eating to help her. Is she eating enough? Is she avoiding grain products and legumes? (Notorious for gas.)  Citrus fruits often give people gas too, and cruciferous vegetables. (Cabbage family.) Maybe you can have a look at her food diary and put it into fitday.com and see how her calories break down. ….. Bridget M. CAD 2/4/94 High: 194 LC 7/12/01 188/175/126

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She says she can’t do this any more.

I read the Sugar Busters! book when I was evaluating different l.c. plans, and decided not to go with it because the meal plans looked too skimpy. (And I’m not a lumberjack, either.) It’s kind of low-fat and low-cal as well as low-carb, and for me that would be a recipe for hunger and lack of energy. I need to not be hungry all the time to succeed on an eating plan. Maybe your mom would consider one of the other l.c. plans that don’t frown on eating to satiety? Sue 130/128/125

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – She says she can’t do this any more. I read the Sugar Busters! book when I was evaluating different l.c. plans, and decided not to go with it because the meal plans looked too skimpy. (And I’m not a lumberjack, either.) It’s kind of low-fat and low-cal as well as low-carb, and for me that would be a recipe for hunger and lack of energy. I need to not be hungry all the time to succeed on an eating plan. Maybe your mom would consider one of the other l.c. plans that don’t frown on eating to satiety? Sue 130/128/125

She is scared of Atkins because of what she heard in the media. As for Sugar Busters for myself I use more fat and less carbs. I guess you could say I am on Atkins Lite (-: Mom is 69 years old, 5′ 0". She weighs 135 and ideal weight would be 100 to 125. Daily caloric intake should be about 1,300 calories a day.

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Hi Alec has your mom tried Suzanne Somer’s Somersizing yet? It’s also low-carb that’s the one I do. I eat fresh fruit  first thing in the morning and then wait 20 minutes and either have a carbo breakfast or wait one hour and have a pro/fat breakfast like…bacon and eggs. You can also have as many veggies as you want and there is NO counting carbs. Her plan is all about food combining, if you want to try it I’ll send you more details. You can also go to her website at www.suzannesomers.com click on community and then on discussion scroll down to Somersize. Let me know if you want more information about how it works …….later Deb.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – She says she can’t do this any more. I read the Sugar Busters! book when I was evaluating different l.c. plans, and decided not to go with it because the meal plans looked too skimpy. (And I’m not a lumberjack, either.) It’s kind of low-fat and low-cal as well as low-carb, and for me that would be a recipe for hunger and lack of energy. I need to not be hungry all the time to succeed on an eating plan. Maybe your mom would consider one of the other l.c. plans that don’t frown on eating to satiety? Sue 130/128/125 She is scared of Atkins because of what she heard in the media. As for Sugar Busters for myself I use more fat and less carbs. I guess you could say I am on Atkins Lite (-: Mom is 69 years old, 5′ 0". She weighs 135 and ideal weight would be 100 to 125. Daily caloric intake should be about 1,300 calories a day.

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She is scared of Atkins because of what she heard in the media. As for Sugar Busters for myself I use more fat and less carbs. I guess you could say I am on Atkins Lite (-: Mom is 69 years old, 5′ 0". She weighs 135 and ideal weight would be 100 to 125. Daily caloric intake should be about 1,300 calories a day.

What about Protein Power? Sample menus include a minimum of protien as defined in the book according to size, plus enough protein more to satisfy hunger. Or there’s the Schwartzenbein Principle, too. That’s a higher low carb plan, and both books are a little gentler than Atkins. No emphasis on ketosis in either book, though we must recognize that it happens if either plan is followed. She might get all the benefits of feeling better from low carb, but not feel the pressure of starving. ….. Bridget M. CAD 2/4/94 High: 194 LC 7/12/01 188/175/126

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She says she can’t do this any more. Since going low carb she can’t sleep at night do to terrible gas pains.

Hello,  If fiber is increased too much too soon that can result. Maybe her body just wasn’t used to the llevel of fiber she is getting now. I get 35 to 40 grams a day , but I always tell people just starting out to go up in increments of 5 grams daily. If someone who never ate much fiber ate what I eat for a day, they would be suffering:-) There is a gas releaving yoga pose – ( lie down with legs bent up toward head -hold on to legs and lie quietly).  Conversely, she could be constipated too. Lack of fiber for prolonged periods will do that.  If she gets her fiber balance right all else will fall into place. There is an all natural fiber supplement at this site below that mixes in V8 or other liguid. One tablespoon is 10 grams of fiber. This will help her if she starts slowly with one teapoon daily and builds up from there.   Dawn http://www.aabhealth.com/allone.htm

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What about Protein Power? Sample menus include a minimum of protien as defined in the book according to size, plus enough protein more to satisfy hunger. Or there’s the Schwartzenbein Principle, too. That’s a higher low carb plan, and both books are a little gentler than Atkins. No emphasis on ketosis in either book, though we must recognize that it happens if either plan is followed. She might get all the benefits of feeling better from low carb, but not feel the pressure of starving. ….. Bridget M. CAD 2/4/94 High: 194 LC 7/12/01 188/175/126

She has decided she must have a cold or a virus. She so seldom gets a cold that she often doesn’t think of it. But her pulse was up and her temperature was up and she felt a little congested. She told me she is sticking to low carb. Except for yesterday she poured cream of mushroom soup on her chicken. I didn’t check the carb count.  I do most of the cooking. But Wednesday she is meeting a friend at Burger King. She is debating on whether to cheat that day or take the grilled chicken sandwich off the bun. She sometime hates explaining everything she does to her friends.

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She could compromise by taking the top half of the bun off. Then she can still eat with her hands, and a quick "I don’t like all that bread" should cover it.  Minimalist cheating.   I used to have a carb count for mushroom soup and I can’t find it.  It’s something like 25 carbs in a can.  Not astronomical. hth, Shar  (PS, I second the nomination for Protein Power.  There is more emphasis on explanations of why this is good for your health than in Atkins, so it’s less scary, and they shy away from excess saturated fat, so it’s an easier sell to the low-fat crowd.) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – She has decided she must have a cold or a virus. She so seldom gets a cold that she often doesn’t think of it. But her pulse was up and her temperature was up and she felt a little congested. She told me she is sticking to low carb. Except for yesterday she poured cream of mushroom soup on her chicken. I didn’t check the carb count.  I do most of the cooking. But Wednesday she is meeting a friend at Burger King. She is debating on whether to cheat that day or take the grilled chicken sandwich off the bun. She sometime hates explaining everything she does to her friends.

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Question:

Steve, Thanks for your kind words.  Am pleased to be part of your journey. Regarding the jewelry,  I’ve put five or six small medals on a chain, so that they hung down my back.  As I ran, I could hear which leg was hitting harder.  I learned that if I picked up the other foot just slightly faster I could balance out the rhythm of the jingling medals.  After that I played with learning to swing my left elbow a quarter of an inch further forward to relax the shoulder (since my left arm is the one with which I carried my briefcase the majority of the time).   At other times I’ve put change in my pockets to hear my rhythm and to smooth it out.  At other times I have a small plastic contain that had ear plugs in it.  I put in 3 dimes and pinned it on my shorts at the mid line so that I could hear that rhythm. One Christmas season, I wore two big Christmas jingle bells, one on each shoe.  I couldn’t believe how many people were getting pissed at me.   At about mile 3 one of the bell notches cut through my shoelace so I had to stop and get my shoe lace knotted together.  I took the other bell off and just carried them in my hands. Another thing I tried was making two 12 or 14 inch PVC batons 1" diameter. I put a marble in each and then glued end caps on them.  When holding on the baton I could create and balance the rhythms of the marbles hitting the ends and could tell which side was holding by the rhythms. My embarrassing moments come when I’m laying on a gutter or contorted against a chair or park bench or against some railings and someone comes up and says: "Are you okay?"  Should I call 911? On the aisles of the shopping market, I’ve been asked  "Is there something I can do to help you?"  To practice stretching the leg behind me as I push the cart especially if it is fairly full, I can keep the back foot on the ground longer by bending my knees.  It doing the yoga pose where you balance on one leg hands extended in front and hands/body/other leg are the cross bar on the T…but more of an elongated lambda.  I remember being focused on letting go of a tight quad once and went right into a stack of Raisin Bran boxes. At times I run with ear plugs so that I can hear myself internally and better feel the internal impacts and sounds. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Well Ozzie, it’s been a while since you answered my question on this and the concept has been one the things that has helped this old body try and succeed at 3 marathons since then. I’ll get back to them in a few years but right now I’m concentrating on shorter distances so I can run with my grandchildren. I do not wear jewelry, but if I did it would be a pearl necklace assembled from the pearls I’ve found in your many posts. I’ve found that relative to stretching it helps to let your body slump into a relax state before the stretches and that helps keep me from holding muscles under tension. One of my quads is often tight and I stretch it all the time whenever I’m waiting. Twice now I’ve embarrassed myself in the check-out line at the market. Since the quad is tight I have to kick the leg up behind me quickly and grab my ankle with my hand. Once I kicked the candy rack and stuff went everywhere. Another time I kicked a lady’s open pocketbook and it went up, landed on my shoulder and spilled everything. Oops! Thanks again for your contribution to my well being Steve from NH

– In health and on the run, Ozzie Gontang Maintainer – rec.running FAQ Director, San Diego Marathon Clinic, est. 1975 Mindful Running:   http://www.mindfulness.com

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Well Ozzie, it’s been a while since you answered my question on this and the concept has been one the things that has helped this old body try and succeed at 3 marathons since then. I’ll get back to them in a few years but right now I’m concentrating on shorter distances so I can run with my grandchildren. I do not wear jewelry, but if I did it would be a pearl necklace assembled from the pearls I’ve found in your many posts. I’ve found that relative to stretching it helps to let your body slump into a relax state before the stretches and that helps keep me from holding muscles under tension. One of my quads is often tight and I stretch it all the time whenever I’m waiting. Twice now I’ve embarrassed myself in the check-out line at the market. Since the quad is tight I have to kick the leg up behind me quickly and grab my ankle with my hand. Once I kicked the candy rack and stuff went everywhere. Another time I kicked a lady’s open pocketbook and it went up, landed on my shoulder and spilled everything. Oops! Thanks again for your contribution to my well being Steve from NH – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – HI Ozzie, <<A weight bearing muscle cannot stretch…just another morsel for thought. Ozzie, you really got me thinking about this.

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HI Ozzie, I posted this last week but my news reader doesn’t seem to get all

messages at times and I’m left wondering who said what in the missing holes. <<A weight bearing muscle cannot stretch…just another morsel for thought. Ozzie, you really got me thinking about this.   One of my favorite stretches is one I do after running and my calves seem to thank me the next morning. I stand with just my toes on a stair tread facing the stairs.  I slowly lower my heels then raise up on my toes. I can’t imagine that most of the muscles in my calve area do not bear weight during this, yet I believed that I’ve been stretching all this time. Could you explain the mechanics involved. Thanks, Steve

Your muscles lengthen (antagonist) and  are stretched more easily when the opposite muscle group (agonist) contracts/shortens (concentric contradctions) and moves the joint in a shortening contraction (flexion). This lengthening of the antagonist muscles and its connective tissues is done without any active tension.   A word about eccentric contractions (called a lengthening contraction). Eccentric contractions are the gradulal releasing of the concentric contractions.  An example of eccentric contraction would be you lowering yourself slowly from the balls (concentric contraction of gastrocs and soleus lifted you onto the balls of the feet) of the feet back down to the floor.   The confusion about eccentric or lengthening contractions is the misinformation which "lengthening contraction" communicates.  In most cases the muscles (which have been contracted) don’t actually lengthen, they simply return from their shortened (concentric contraction) to their normal resting/tonic length. The awareness here is that when you stretch a muscle you are going beyond eccentric contraction.  If a muscle is performing a lengthening contraction it is going back to its normal resting length.  In a stretch of that same muscle you have gone beyond its eccentric contraction and now that muscle has to be in a relaxed state. Mattes talks about endangering the myotatatic (stretch) reflex which protects the muscles.  He sees this actions and the holding of a stretch position for more than 1.5 to 2 seconds causing the muscles being lengthened beyond their tonic/normal resting length to receive greater tension.   Remember you’ve gone beyond the stretch reflex because you’re now straining/stretching muscles to their normal elongation. Now it becomes a danger to the muscle fibers being forcefully elongated. Now going back to you Steve standing with your heels off the tread of the step.  You are lowering yourself so that your heels are now below the horizontal of the step.  If you understand the above, then you’ve gone beyond your stretch reflex and the muscle, gastrocs/soleus which you are stretching are being strained under the weight of your entire gravitational body force.   If there are knots in the soleus or gastrocs, (fascia wrapped tightly around portions of those muscles which were injured through overuse or being overstretched…and contracted to protect themselves from further injury), you are overstretching/straining good muscle fiber that when overstretched can be damaged.  The end result of this good feeling stretch is that there will come a day when you will say, stretching doesn’t work because you have a calf muscle which is almost totally bound up with fascia which like a tourniquet will not allow the muscle to move through its full range of motion (rom). As John Jesse noted:  Fascia has a strong tendendcy to contract due to age, chilling, poor posture, injury to the muscle it surrounds, and muscular imbalance.  Contraction of fascia reduces the range of movement in body joints.  You can begin to see why fascial release which is practiced by Rolfers and people of similar techniques works so well to assist someone get back to better balance and fuller range of motion by allowing those adhesions to be loosened from where they are holding unnecessarily to other fascia/muscles and bone. Something I’ll mention but won’t go into fully since I don’t comprehend it enough to fully explain is the reality of "The Kinetic Chain." In movement there is a chain of nerve firings which take place at various moments in the movement of any body part.  You probably have seen those machines which takes a person through the ROM of a joint so that when healing from surgery on that joint, there is no binding up of the surrounding muscles and tendons.  In walking/running when the muscles within the chain of movement reach the correct position, the nerves fire to set in motion the next part of the chain.  Simply by putting your muscles under an intense stretch, you can interfere with the normal firing of nerves in those muscles so that the  normal, graceful body movement is impaired. There is an elementalism which invades exercise physiology and kineseology. The tendency is to look at each element and break it down into further and further micromovements.  In stretching you can see the same problem, like looking at the stretch of the muscle you are doing on the step.   Isn’t it interesting that the very words "Physiology of Exercise" and "kineseology" address the body in movement.  It teaches what happens in movement but it’s easier to post to rec.running and ask what other individuals have experienced…and with no sense of what the plantar fascia, or peroneus, or agonist/antagonist, or what is the normal range of motion of a particular joint, or becoming mindful of doing things right/correctly…of going slow to go fast, of realizing that running is one of the most graceful dances which man can do…when it is done correctly…and that is measured by lack of injury over time. Hopefully that gives you some ideas to think further about. If you are interested, you can purchase from me:    Hidden Causes of Injury, Prevention and Correction    for Running Athletes and Joggers    by John Jesse.   Send me a check made out to IAM (Int’l Assoc of Marathoners) for $15 which includes handling/postage etc.   Send the check to:    IAM    Attn. Ozzie Gontang    2903 29th Street    San Diego,  CA  92104-4912 — In health and on the run, Ozzie Gontang Maintainer – rec.running FAQ Director, San Diego Marathon Clinic, est. 1975 Mindful Running:   http://www.mindfulness.com

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Question:

I had a 1998 calendar called "Cat Yoga" that showed a picture of a woman and her cat each month.  The woman does a yoga pose and the cat is perched on or near her.  It’s a great calendar – I haven’t found one yet for this year.  It’s by Pomegranate Calendars & Books, Box 6099, Rohnert Park, CA  94927.   D. Please send any e-mail replies to MaineCoon3 at aol dot com as this address cannot receive mail.

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I hope that the endoscopy turned out okay for your Misty. I can empathize and know what a traumatic experience that waiting can be.  My thoughts are with you and Misty.      Patty L.

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Unfortunately my cats particularly enjoy it when I do aerobics to a video at home…they run around between my legs when I am moving, then climb on me and sit in silly places on me while I do the floor exercises (ever do leg-lifts with a 2kg Burmese velcro’d onto your upper thigh?!?!).  Then they rub themselves on me when I stretch out.  I think they like the smell of my sweat – yesterday my sweet Kisha BIT me in the armpit when I was lying of the floor stretching!  That go me moving REAL fast!!  :D  I did hear somewhere (maybe even on the Catpage) that *hampering* is an important function of the feline species.. but who TOLD my cats about that?! Alexandra – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – when I stretch out for my exercises my cats like to stretch with me. it’s really funny that you should mention that! I have a friend in California, who does yoga often, and her cat actually does yoga with her! The cat tries to take the same position as she does. As far as I know, she hasn’t been able to catch it on video yet, but she promised me she’d try – it must look hilarious! Take care! Mia.

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Just a word of warning.  Yes Vets are human but some of them are just plain crappy and I wish everyone would keep their eyes and ears open (and intuition) when it comes to their vet.  I think most people want to believe that their cat or other animal is getting the best care to the point where they don’t see problems because everything is "OK".  I say this because I constantly look for things (to a fault.  Well, maybe not…)  One vet that I thought was great because of their popularity and bedside manner was not very good after all…  I brought Missie home after getting her ‘big girl’ operation and didn’t realize it at the time (looooong story) but she had an infection at her incision site.  She ended up having to have the dead skin cut away and get sewn up again.  She was very traumatized.  You might say "It could happen to anyone". Well I say that’s one sign, look for more.  I found them.  I met a couple when I was house shopping we talked about vets and they used to go to the same vet but ‘had a little problem’.  They didn’t want to tell me but I insisted because I wanted to know what was going on that I didn’t know about. (more fuel for the fire).  It turned out that the same Dr. had their cat for the day and released him that night.  The got home, opened the cat carrier and the cat ran like its butt was on fire (just an expression) and hid under the bed.  They thought that the cat was acting odd so they went to see what was up.  It turned out that the poor cat still had a thermometer sticking out of its butt!  :-(  I almost cried when I heard that because I HATE any cat or animal being hurt!  :-(  (That’s why I’m telling this long story to try to help others.)  That was two….  Then Gem got a reaction at her vaccination site.  Another vet who had a good bedside manner too said that since it was 13 weeks and still swollen that we needed to amputate her leg since the cancer at the injection site is a fast acting and not curable cancer.  He didn’t even refer me to an Oncologist (cancer Dr.)!  :-(  He insisted that we needed to do this ASAP.  Well, I went to an Oncologist myself and it turned out that it wasn’t even anything to worry about.  He also said that he didn’t understand why this veterinarian office never referred patient to him for an opinion on whether they had cancer or not.  He said he wasn’t trying to steal business… he was a sepecialist.  Needless to say this was more then enough for me! I have seen other such horror stories at other places so it is NOT isolated to this one Dr.  I urge you all to look for signs and then act on them if you see them.  Sorry that this posting is so long.  I felt the need to speak my piece to help all the little kitties!  :-) AL   =^..^= – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I guess vets are people too and entitled to their own mistakes but the whole thing is still terrible from the patient (and patient’s companion) side.

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I do yoga, and lots of times one of my cats will become very interested…. then  we sometimes have a disagreement over possession of the yoga mat! I have always wondered how it would be to be flexible enough to do the hind leg behind the head thing that cats do when they bathe!  Cats don’t need yoga lessons — they’re already expert! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello, Any aspiring yogis out there? Ever notice how cats are just fascinated by the poses, and seem to want to participate? My younger kitty, Mini, rolls around on the floor near me and likes to attach her claws to my leggings at various inopportune times. Then, when I’m trying to hold a pose that requires balance, she starts head-butting me… This morning Kitty, the older cat, did a "dog" stretch — concave back, head way up. (It’s a common stretch in the higher animal kingdom, actually.) I said to Kitty, "What do you think you are?" Amy Brown

    Kathleen, the Cat-Tender    Kind Caretaker of Ferocious Felines    ^..^<       (and one Golden Retriever!)     Singer, Bread-Baker, Seamstress,  & "Practical" Vet      Proud to be an Otter!

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Poor Misty!  And poor you!  We’ll keep thinking those good thoughts for another day. Joy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Thanks to everyone sending good thoughts Misty way. Like all well laid plans things have not gone smoothly. My husband dropped Misty off at the Vet this morning as planned. I called to check and see how things were going latter in the morning only to find out the Vets office had been trying to reach me!(I was in training all morning) It seems that when the office staff booked the surgery they forgot to order the blood work. So my poor baby will have her blood work, spend the night at the Vets and have the endoscopy in the morning. I don’t know how I going to sleep without her there snuggling next to me. And wait for this to be over and done with is driving me crazy. Cathy P.

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Cathy Prottengeier skrev i meddelandet … Thanks to everyone sending good thoughts Misty way. Like all well laid plans things have not gone smoothly. snip<

I’m feeling for you, Cathy. But soon it will be over with and you’ll have your Misty back at your side where she belongs. Good thoughts coming your way from Gothenburg, Sweden. Bella

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Hello, Any aspiring yogis out there? Ever notice how cats are just fascinated by the poses, and seem to want to participate? My younger kitty, Mini, rolls around on the floor near me and likes to attach her claws to my leggings at various inopportune times. Then, when I’m trying to hold a pose that requires balance, she starts head-butting me… This morning Kitty, the older cat, did a "dog" stretch — concave back, head way up. (It’s a common stretch in the higher animal kingdom, actually.) I said to Kitty, "What do you think you are?" Amy Brown

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Hi Amy, it’s really funny that you should mention that! I have a friend in California, who does yoga often, and her cat actually does yoga with her! The cat tries to take the same position as she does. As far as I know, she hasn’t been able to catch it on video yet, but she promised me she’d try – it must look hilarious! Take care! Mia.

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when I stretch out for my exercises my cats like to stretch with me. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -it’s really funny that you should mention that! I have a friend in California, who does yoga often, and her cat actually does yoga with her! The cat tries to take the same position as she does. As far as I know, she hasn’t been able to catch it on video yet, but she promised me she’d try – it must look hilarious! Take care! Mia.

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Thanks to everyone sending good thoughts Misty way. Like all well laid plans things have not gone smoothly. My husband dropped Misty off at the Vet this morning as planned. I called to check and see how things were going latter in the morning only to find out the Vets office had been trying to reach me!(I was in training all morning) It seems that when the office staff booked the surgery they forgot to order the blood work. So my poor baby will have her blood work, spend the night at the Vets and have the endoscopy in the morning. I don’t know how I going to sleep without her there snuggling next to me. And wait for this to be over and done with is driving me crazy. Cathy P.

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Funny thing.. I posted something here a few weeks ago about the same thing.. my cat prefers the floor yoga moves and does join in.. thought it was just her! When I can say I have seen it all is when she can do the meditation pose – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello, Any aspiring yogis out there? Ever notice how cats are just fascinated by the poses, and seem to want to participate? My younger kitty, Mini, rolls around on the floor near me and likes to attach her claws to my leggings at various inopportune times. Then, when I’m trying to hold a pose that requires balance, she starts head-butting me… This morning Kitty, the older cat, did a "dog" stretch — concave back, head way up. (It’s a common stretch in the higher animal kingdom, actually.) I said to Kitty, "What do you think you are?" Amy Brown

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That’s awful.  I guess vets are people too and entitled to their own mistakes but the whole thing is still terrible from the patient (and patient’s companion) side.  Hope everything goes well!

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Thanks to everyone sending good thoughts Misty way. Like all well laid plans things have not gone smoothly. My husband dropped Misty off at the Vet this morning as planned. I called to check and see how things were going latter in the morning only to find out the Vets office had been trying to reach me!(I was in training all morning) It seems that when the office staff booked the surgery they forgot to order the blood work. So my poor baby will have her blood work, spend the night at the Vets and have the endoscopy in the morning. I don’t know how I going to sleep without her there snuggling next to me. And wait for this to be over and done with is driving me crazy. Cathy P.

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Question:

This sounds like Piriformis Syndrome.  I have this exact same thing.  Pain starts from the hip area, center of butt, deep inside, and extends around pelvic area and down leg with much pain on thigh.  Mine was pretty severe and came on suddenly while walking.  I’ve had this pain in the butt for just over 3 months.  For 5 weeks I couldn’t walk and barely got around with crutches.  Then the last month and a half I used a cane.  The more I walked or sat the more the piriformis went spastic.  I’ve recovered slowly with physical therapy, stretching, ice massage, motrin, and rest. I was pretty active before this happened and it’s odd how there wasn’t much of a warning sign — it pretty much just spased out as I was walking.

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I think Brent Bertram’s response is a very good one.  A question I would have is: "Does it feel as though a hand is tightly grasping the hip socket."   Brent’s advice recommending a good physical therapist is sound.  So are the stretches he has recommended.  I would add one other.  That would be to take a tennis ball- then lie on the floor and place the tennis ball under your affected hip. Roll – slowly – back and forth over the tennis ball.  It may be somewhat painful but seems to work for me as a good, deep massage. One other thing – If you and the first physical therapist don’t "click" don’t be afraid to be recommended to another therapist in the same group. It doesn’t mean your  first PT isn’t excellent – but each PT’s style and temperment are somewhat different.  Some encourage questions and provide explanations – some are more reticent to do so.

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Several good suggestions have been posted with regard to the original posters problem.  I had a similar situation several years ago and it turned out to be bursitis of the greater trochanter.  No disrespect intended, but IMHO, all the suggestions and other advice posted here, well-intentioned though they may be, are no substitute for *well-qualified* medical treatment (if you can find it). — UTSA Center for Economic Development      | voice:  (210) 558-2478 1222 N. Main #750, San Antonio, TX 78212  | fax:    (210) 558-2491

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I have a dull ache and pain at the joint deep in my butt.  I has been so bad as to cause me to limp.  I have had it for two weeks now.  I also feel an ache or tightness on the outside of my lower leg sometimes or deep in the hamstring area.  Like a tight tendon or something.  I layed off of it and then started running again but the pain came back within a few days.  I have been running low mileage with no speedwork for the last four days but it don’t seem to be improving.  I guess I will have to lay off it all together.  Does anyone know what this could be and how should I treat it? Please email.  Thanks. — Jason Putnam http://hubcap.clemson.edu

I would suggest seeking the advice of a physical therapist. From my own experience I would look into the possiblity of paraformis syndrome. I’m not sure of the spelling, however; the sciatic nerve runs through the paraformis muscle. When the paraformis is tightened or bound it will constrict or pull the sciatic nerve, the resulting pain can also be accompanied by temporary loss of felling or even falling. A good PT can easily diagnose this problem. The cure could be as simple as a stretching exercise. My own experience ended up being cured by laying down flat on the floor, bringing one ankle over the other leg (just above the knee,) then clasping both hands together under the knee and pulling up towards my chest being sure to keep both legs relaxed. Holding this position for 20 seconds, alternating from right to left leg, 3 reps, 3 times a day after about 2 weeks the pain stated to go away. This is only a case example and is not a diagnoses of your particular problem. I would strongly recomend seeing a qualified Physical Therapist. To find one just call a good Orthopedic Doctor and ask who he would recommend.

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With respect to the previous posters (who may well be right as I am not a sports doctor), your problem sounds like sciatica. I strongly recommend, from my own experience, seeing an osteopath or a very good sports physio and getting this sorted. If it is sciatica, you will probably have to start a special stretching regimen and improve your posture, especially while sitting but the problem can be overcome. Good luck. — Duncan Hopwood

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I have a similar problem, I think, but probably not as severe.  I’ve found that doing leg (hamstrings) curls on a weight bench helps.  It sure does hurt to start with, but it seems to help out. Any other thoughts? Rich

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Path: nnrp.info.ucla.edu!csulb.edu!news.sgi.com!howland.erols.net!newsfeed.intern etmci.com!news.mci.com!news-w.ans.net!newsfeeds.ans.net!butch!adc3!rabbott Newsgroups: rec.running Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc. Lines: 7 Distribution: world NNTP-Posting-Host: adc3.ladc.lockheed.com I have a similar problem, I think, but probably not as severe.  I’ve found that doing leg (hamstrings) curls on a weight bench helps.  It sure does hurt to start with, but it seems to help out. Any other thoughts? Rich

I just went through this.  I called it "marathon butt" that pain you get at about 22 miles, a little sharp deep in my butt.  Then I started to have a pain down my leg.  The solution was I did stretches outlined in Anderson’s book on the subject.  I did the sciatica stretches and I have been doing yoga.  There a yoga pose called the pigeon that works really good to stretch it.  It’s fine now, but I think what it really is is the top of the hamstring.  I have to be careful to stretch my hamstrings evenly.  I hope it isn’t too serious for you. Megan

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| | I have a dull ache and pain at the joint deep in my butt.  I has been so | bad as to cause me to limp.  I have had it for two weeks now.  I also | feel | an ache or tightness on the outside of my lower leg sometimes or deep in | the hamstring area.  Like a tight tendon or something.  I layed off of it | and then started running again but the pain came back within a few days. | I | have been running low mileage with no speedwork for the last four days | but | it don’t seem to be improving.  I guess I will have to lay off it all | together.  Does anyone know what this could be and how should I treat it? | Please email.  Thanks. | | Go get it checked out — never underestimate injuries.  I speak from | experience.  Last January, I was diagnosed with a stress fractured hip and | what you’re describing sounds a lot like a pain that I avoided for the | longest time…. Go see a sports medicine doctor and get it looked at. | Three months of crutches is no fun, don’t wait. | | Ann | Ottawa, Canada This sounds like hamstring injury, pain, or chronic pain. This type of injury can be caused by tight hamstrings and can persist for a long time, even years, depending on how serious it is. Tight hamstrings can cause pulling of the attachment of the tendon to the bone and cause the pain high up on the leg or rear, at the ischael tuborosity. Long term, hamstring stretching, seems to be the best remedy. Get it checked out!

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I have a dull ache and pain at the joint deep in my butt.  I has been so bad as to cause me to limp.  I have had it for two weeks now.  I also feel an ache or tightness on the outside of my lower leg sometimes or deep in the hamstring area.  Like a tight tendon or something.  I layed off of it and then started running again but the pain came back within a few days.  I have been running low mileage with no speedwork for the last four days but it don’t seem to be improving.  I guess I will have to lay off it all together.  Does anyone know what this could be and how should I treat it? Please email.  Thanks. — Jason Putnam http://hubcap.clemson.edu

Response:

I have a dull ache and pain at the joint deep in my butt.  I has been so bad as to cause me to limp.  I have had it for two weeks now.  I also feel an ache or tightness on the outside of my lower leg sometimes or deep in the hamstring area.  Like a tight tendon or something.  I layed off of it and then started running again but the pain came back within a few days. I have been running low mileage with no speedwork for the last four days but it don’t seem to be improving.  I guess I will have to lay off it all together.  Does anyone know what this could be and how should I treat it? Please email.  Thanks.

Go get it checked out — never underestimate injuries.  I speak from experience.  Last January, I was diagnosed with a stress fractured hip and what you’re describing sounds a lot like a pain that I avoided for the longest time…. Go see a sports medicine doctor and get it looked at. Three months of crutches is no fun, don’t wait. Ann Ottawa, Canada

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Question:

Hello, A word of caution about Nidrasana. If you are currently unable to touch the floor with the hands while bending forward with your knees straight your hamstrings, (the backs of the thighs), are to tight to safely do this pose. The placing of the legs over the head places a great deal of strain on the ligaments of the lower spine and sacrum, (a pelvic bone at the base of your spine). If this is done excessively and without understanding these ligaments can be over stretched. While muscles and tendons can be tightened after over stretching ligaments cannot. Thes will lead to a destabilazation of the pelvic bones and possibly chronic nerve pain. It is never a good idea to have someone try to force your body into a yoga pose. One might also question your intent. Why is this body position important to you? Yoga postures are used for mystical purposes and to maintain health. If you are interested in showing your friends or impressing people, you might be approaching the posture in a gymnastic way. I do not intend to assume what your intention is, but by the wording of your question it seemed that the important thing to you was the getting of the feet behind the head. This way of approaching the postures can often lead to trouble. I speak from experience. Robert Gray

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I’ve seen some be able to place their ankles behind their kneck.  Does anyone know how to do this?  Could you tell me how?

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I was able to do this about 6 years ago before I got lazy.  It scared the heck out of me the first time I succeeded. You feel so compact. I’d suggest you do this under the supervision of a qualified yoga instructor so as not to unnecessarily or accidentally inflict injury upon yourself. It shouldn’t be treated as an ‘amaze your friends’ parlour trick. Good luck. Gord

Response:

I’ve seen some be able to place their ankles behind their kneck.  Does anyone know how to do this?  Could you tell me how?

Nidrasana? It’s easy…lie on your back and first stretch the backs of each leg by turning the knee out and trying to bring the leg as far back as possible. Then cross your feet behind your head and place your head on them, pushing with the back of your head to protect your neck. Okay? now clasp your hands in the region of the lower back (your arms are on the outside of your thighs) and gently rock till your butt hits the ground. Relax. Initially you may need a bit of help from someone, an experienced teacher for example,  who can stretch and pull you into position. If this doesn’t work your back muscles probably need lengthening. If you cant flop into karnipadasana (collapsed plough pose, a.k.a. the officeworkers pose) then you probably need to work on this first. Kurmasana is also a good pose to work on the same muscle groups.

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