Summer running happens too fast..... a sensible return to exercise.

Summer is approaching and there is a fresh feeling in the air. The worst of winter is behind us and people are considering returning to sport.

The experience of starting a new sport or hobby and discovering that it causes more discomfort than relief is disappointing.

For this reason one has to select one's sport and routine thoughtfully.

The body is organic and responds negatively when bullied into physical activity. Encouragement, not force, is the recipe of the day and so an over-zealous return to exercise after months of absence is inadvisable. The body requires time to adjust. A regular routine of fast walking between 20-30 minutes 3 or 4 times per week is a good way to start before taking it to the next gear. Whichever sport you decide to adopt begin slowly. Run for 10-15 minutes at a slow pace, again 3-4 times before increasing the speed or the distance. Similarly, with swimming; excessive activity will strain the neck, shoulders or back. A moderate return to physical activity gives the body a chance to adapt and get stronger.

It is inadvisable to do the week's exercise in one fell swoop. To go from sedentary work all week to playing 2 hours of energetic football is not giving the body's soft-tissues time to adapt organically. Not only can it lead to injury, it is a strain on the heart.

Anyone above the age of 30 years will have noticed how the body feels less flexible than it did ten years ago. Body tissue is made up of elastin and fibrinogen protein. With age, fibrinogen becomes the dominant protein resulting in lost elasticity and injury. These proteins are however dynamic and we can restore the quantity of elastin through exercise.

Recovery is vital - after an episode of exercise where physical demand has been placed on the body, our "architecture" and physiology need time to adapt and meet the demand. This does not occur immediately, rather over 2-3 days following exercise. Therefore recovery time is important. Interrupting the recovery period with further exercise reduces the body's opportunity to reorganize itself and potentially weakens it.

Once in a routine exercise must put a demand on the body in order for there to be a significant improvement in health. All too often people in the gym read newspapers on the tread-mill or bicycle distracting the person from serious exercise. It lulls a person into a false sense of security thinking they are caring for their body but the benefits are minimal. Instead, exercise must leave one feeling puffed-out with fatigued muscles. Once that feeling has dissipated recovery has occurred.


There is more to say on this subject but I will conclude here and return at a later date, but the important matter to remember is; return to exercise slowly, carefully and push the limits when ready. I should stress that doing exercise does not mean that the body can handle better the likes of cigarettes and poor diet. On the contrary, doing exercise in an otherwise unhealthy environment is potentially more damaging.

Heartburn during pregnancy

Heartburn is a common phenomenon in pregnant women. It is the result of the regurgitation of the acidic contents of the stomach back up into the esophagus. If chronic, this may cause the esophagus to become inflamed and extremely painful.

The esophagus has a muscle (sphincter) that acts as a stopper preventing regurgitation. The sphincter is surrounded by our main breathing muscle, the diaphragm. During pregnancy the mother's body undergoes major postural changes. The diaphragm, ribcage and spine must accommodate for the increase in size of the uterus - the diaphragm stretches expands, the ribs flare and the spine flattens. If tension exists in any of these structures they find it hard to accommodate the increase in size often resulting in pain. Commonly the diaphragm is affected. It remains tight and contracted and unable to relax and contract as it is supposed to do when we breathe. Furthermore, its function as a sphincter is compromised, it doesn't contract around the esophagus well and this may be one of the reasons for regurgitation.

Osteopaths are trained to diagnose soft-tissue tension in the body. They explore the areas of the body where tension exists such as the diaphragm, the ribs, the spine and the pelvis. Osteopaths use safe, gentle and accurate manual techniques to correct these areas of tension and allow the necessary changes in the body to occur smoothly as the uterus expands thus reducing the chances of heartburn.