The knee is composed of two bones ( the femur and the tibia)  balancing on one another and lashed in place on all sides by muscles and connective tissue.
It is the only weight-bearing  joint in the body with this design.  And that makes the knee prone to arthritis, injuries,  and pain.

While it is important to check with your doctor about any suspected knee injury or long lasting pain to rule out serious damage to the knee, effective treatment may not necessarily need to focus on the knee joint.

Proper pain-free function of the knee relies on the balance of all muscles, tendons and ligaments that wrap the knee joint.

When one or more of these elements is tighter or more restricted than the others,  knee pain is often the result.

First evaluate the alignment and balance of the ankle joints. If the ankle joints do not support the weight of the body evenly, by rolling either inward or outward, the bone of the lower leg becomes twisted,  leading to strain in the soft tissues at the knee joint.

This leaves the knee at particular risk for injury, especially in sports activities that put unusual strain on the knees, such as tennis, basketball and jogging.
When ankle alignment  problems are evident, choosing the following exercise of how to walk property and to help restore balance to the soft tissue of the knee.

Exercise:  walk a Tightrope-On the Floor

This exercise helps align the ankle over the foot and the knee over the ankle, eliminating the type of structural misalignment that can cause knee pain.
Use a long area in your home,  like the hall or lounge and put 2 parallel lines of masking tape 6 inches apart on the floor.

In your bare feet, walk on the lines of tape.  As you take each step,  align the centre of each heel and and the second toe of each foot with the inner edge of the tape.

Just walk back and forth for 5 minutes two or three times a day.

This gently corrects knee pain by educating you in a walking style that transfers weight more appropriately through the knee joint.

WALKING:  Watch Your Step

When you’re out for a walk,  look down every once in a while to see how your feet are “tracking”.Are your toes pointing outward ( a common habit) Consciously use the foot position that you use when you “walk the tightrope”.

REFLEXOLOGY:  Treat the Knee Reflex Point

Your feet have many reflex points, each of which corresponds to a particular part of the body.” Stimulating a reflex point with a therapeutic-grade essential oil can relieve pain in the corresponding body part”.

To find the knee reflex point,  run your finger down the outside edge of your foot. You’ll encounter a protruding bony area midway between your heel and little toe;  the reflex point is right below that spot on the bottom of the foot.

For ligament pain, mix 1 drop of lemongrass essential oil with 4 to 5 drops of vegetable oil.
Or to regenerate nerve tissue, substituting geranium oil for the lemongrass.
On the foot on the same side as your painful knee,  put a drop of the oil mixture on the knee reflex point and rub it in by gently rolling your fingertips over the oil.

If you have trouble finding the reflex point, you can apply the diluted oil all over your foot.
Use the oil once or twice a day until the pain has gone. After a few days,  the pain should be gone for good.

ACUPRESSURE:  Keep Your Pain-free

An acupressure point in the middle of the crease in the back of the knee, called the commanding middle point, releases a lot of inflammation from knee injuries,  speeds healing, and helps prevent subsequent injuries in people who have already injured a knee.

The results people have been getting with this point are tremendous,  lots of snowboarders,  who twist and turn more than most people and usually run into knee problems. When they use this point, their injuries heal more quickly, and they’re less likely to re injure themselves.

To find the point, bend your knee and place your thumb in the crease located exactly between the two sides of the knee. Apply firm,steady pressure-not so hard that it’s painful but not so gently that you don’t feel it- for 30 to 60 seconds.

You can also use your fingertips to rub gently in small circles around the area of the point. You should treat the points on both knees.

Do this throughout the day as needed to relieve discomfort.

Roberto Garcia (Health and Fitness Specialist)
http://www.newhealthandfitnessdvds.co.uk

Specialist provider of Health and Fitness information and products including: DVDs and Supplements.

1. You toss and turn instead of  falling asleep.
2. You fall asleep okay, but then wake up repeatedly during the night.
3. You wake up much too early and can’t get back to sleep again.

The most common causes of  insomnia are emotional stress and depression.  Other reasons for poor sleep include pain or illness,  medications  ( such as decongestants,  diuretics,  some antidepressants,  steroids and beta blockers) eating a heavy meal late at night or alcohol too near bedtime.

Insomnia can become a real nightmare as the clock ticks on into the night and you’re awake to notice.  But you’re not alone.  The problem affects around 15% of the UK population. Try some of the approaches listed below.  A relaxing tea,  a whiff of lavender oil,  creating a sleep routine and various other tactics will help you to drop off more easily and wake up less tried and irritable in the morning.

Bedtime snacks

• Have a slice of  turkey or chicken or a banana before going to bed.  These foods contain tryptophan, an amino acid that the body uses to make serotonin.  And serotonin is a brain chemical that helps you to sleep.  Keep the helping small, though, or your full tummy may keep you awake.
• Carbohydrates help tryptophan to enter the brain.  Try a glass of warm milk (milk contains tryptophan) and a biscuit, or warm milk with a spoonful of honey. A sprinkling of  cinnamon won’t hurt and might add mild sedative properties of its own.
• Avoid large meals late in the evening. You need  3  to  4   hours  to digest a big meal,  so if  you eat a lot within 3  hours of your bedtime,  don’t be surprised if intestinal grumblings and groans keep you awake.
• Spicy or sugary food,  even at suppertime, it is usually a bad idea. Spices can irritate your stomach,  and when it tosses and turns, so will you.  Having a lot of sugary food-  especially chocolate,  which contain caffeine – can make you jumpy.

Call on herbs for help

• Valerian can help people to fall asleep faster without the “hangover” effect of some sleeping pills. It binds to the same receptors in the brain that tranquillizers such as Valium bind to.  The herb itself stinks (think of sweaty old socks),  so we don’t advise trying to make it into tea.  Instead,  take 1/2  to 1  teaspoon of Valerian tincture or 2 Valerian root capsules an hour before going to bed.
• Make passionflower tea.  Put  1  teaspoon of the dried herb into a cup of  boiling water,  leave to infuse for 5  to  10  minutes,  strain and drink before bed.  Passionflower is widely used as a mild herbal sedative.
• You can also combine both supplements.  Natural sleep remedies often include other herbal ingredients as well,  such as hops.  Whatever the formulation, follow package directions.

A sweet way to scented sleep

• Lavender has a reputation as a mild tranquillizer.  Dilute lavender oil in a carrier oil ( 5 drops per 10ml )  and dab a little on to your temples and forehead before you hit the pillow.  The aroma should help to send you off to sleep.  You can also add lavender oil to a diffuser or vaporiser to scent your bedroom.  Or place a lavender sachet near your pillow.
• Put a drop of  jasmine essential oil on each wrist just before you go to bed.

• Try a soothing aromatic bath before bedtime.  Add  5  drops of lavender oil and 3  drops of  Yang-Yang oil to warm bathwater and enjoy a nice soak.

Adopt a rigid routine

• Wake up at the same time each day, no matter how little sleep you had the night before.  At weekends,  don’t have a lie in.  Follow the same routine so your body adheres to the same pattern all week.  You’ll fall asleep faster.
• Every morning go for a walk. It does not  have to be long but it should be outdoors.  The presence of natural light tells your sleepy body it’s time to wake up for the day. With your body clock set to natural daylight,  you’ll sleep better at night.

• Try not to nap during the day,  no matter how tired you feel.  People who don’t have insomnia often benefit from a short afternoon nap.  However, if you nap during the day only to turn into a wide-eyed zombie at night,  there’s a good chance that afternoon snooze is disrupting your body clock.  If you must nap,  limit it to half-an-hour at the most.

Pillow tricks

• Once you get into bed,  imagine your feet becoming heavy and numb.  Feel them sinking into the mattress.  Then do the same with your calves and slowly work your way up your body, letting it all grow heavy and relaxed.  The idea is to let yourself go all the way from head to toe.
• If you prefer lullabies, listen to calming, relaxing tapes as you drift off.

Prepare your bedroom for rest

• If you find yourself tossing and turning as you try to get comfortable,  consider buying a special neck-supporting pillow. They are specially designed for people who have neck pain or tension that prevents sleep.
• Turn your alarm clock so that you can’t see it from your bed. If you keep glancing at the clock when you wake up – and it’s almost impossible not to -  you’ll soon start wondering how you can possibly function tomorrow on so little sleep tonight.  For  truly accomplished insomniacs,  just one glance at a clock is enough to set a whole anxiety train in motion.

• Turn the central heating off before going to bed.  Most people sleep better when the air around them is cool and their bedding is snug.

Things not to do

• Avoid exercising within hours of bedtime – it’s too stimulating.  Instead,  exercise in the morning or after work.  An exception is yoga. A number of yoga postures are designed to calm your body and prepare you for sleep.
• Avoid caffeinated drinks, particularly within hours of bedtime.  Though people have varying ranges of sensitivity to caffeine,  the stimulating effects can be long-lasting.
• Also avoid alcohol in the evenings.  While a tot of whiskey might help you to fall asleep a bit faster than usual,  the effects soon wear off and you’re much more likely to wake up during the night.
• If you smoke within 4 hours of going to bed,  look no further for the cause of your insomnia.  Nicotine stimulates the central nervous system,  interfering with your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Roberto Garcia (Health and Fitness Specialist)
http://www.newhealthandfitnessdvds.co.uk

Specialist provider of Health and Fitness information and products including: DVDs and Supplements.

Ask your doctor about having a DEXA scan if you:

• Are thin and small boned
• Have irregular menstrual periods or fewer than ten cycles a year
• Have a history of eating disorders
• Have a family history of osteoporosis
• Take corticosteroids,  anticonvulsants like phenytoin ( Dilan-tin), thyroid medication or blood thinners
• Have generalized bone pain and tenderness
• Experience frequent fractures

If  you’re  45  years old or older and think that it’s too late to start worrying about osteoporosis,  think again:  The earlier you think about it,  the better.  According to doctors who specialize in osteoporosis,  this disease could easily become yesterday’s news if,  starting now,  you eat calcium – rich foods and engage in regular weight – bearing exercise.

Osteoporosis is  100%  preventable.  Women bodies were originally designed to not last much past menopause,  when estrogen production slows and finally ceases.  The lack of estrogen triggers an increase in bone resorption – in other words,  bone loss.

BANK BONE NOW

The good news is that the time to lessen your osteoporosis risk is right now.  Doctors offer these proactive measures to prevent or slow the progression of the disease.

Bone up on calcium  – Pre menopause women need at least  1000  milligrams of calcium a day.  Once past menopause,  women should be getting  1200  to  1500  milligrams a day.

The best sources of calcium?  Low – fat dairy products.  Nonfat yogurt ( one cup has 452 milligrams),  skim milk ( one cup has 302 milligrams)  and part – skim mozzarella cheese ( 1 ounce has 181 milligrams ) top of the list.  Of  course,  taking calcium carbonate,  calcium gluconate or other forms of calcium supplements is the easiest way to ensure that you get what you need each and every day of the week.

Vitamins  –

• Magnesium  one of  calcium’s best friends
• Vitamin D  is a must for the absorption of calcium
• Vitamin K may be of value for preventing or reversing bone loss
• Manganese is another foundation nutrient that helps build bones

Other supplements that helps reverse osteoporosis are

• Zine
• Copper
• Boron
• Silicon
• Strontium
• Vitamin B
• Folic acid
• Vitamin C

Stay  (or get )  active. Incorporate activity into your lifestyle now.  The  most important thing is to do something active every day -  for example  Never sit when you can stand,  or ride when you can walk.  Any exercise is better than no exercise at all.

Take a walk  – Everyone should have a program that includes weight-bearing exercise.  And one of the very best and easiest is walking.

Schedule yourself  for a daily  20 minute walk.

Join a smoking-cessation program  – Smoking cigarettes can lower estrogen levels,  and it has a negative impact on bone density.

A  study on female twins  suggested that someone who smokes a pack of cigarettes a day may experience a  5  to  10%  reduction in bone density at the time  of  menopause,  a deficit that could increase the risk of fracture.

Skip coffee and alcohol  - Put both alcohol and caffeine on your no – no  list.  Both are diuretics that leech calcium from your bones.

In addition,  alcohol may be toxin to bone-forming cells and may interfere with intestinal absorption of calcium.  Plus,  drinking affects your balance and ,  as you get older,  increases the chances that you’ll fall and break a bone.

Roberto Garcia (Health and Fitness Specialist)
http://www.newhealthandfitnessdvds.co.uk

Specialist provider of Health and Fitness information and products including: DVDs and Supplements.

This is many peoples attitude to walking.

People who walk 3 miles a day, 5 days a week, at a 5-mile-an-hour pace produce the same cardiovascular gains as joggers running at an 8 to 9 miles-an-hour pace. Indeed, jogging at a moderate pace will burn 400 calories an hour; race walking will burn about 600. The fact is, walking is much better exercise than most people believe.

Stepping Up The Pace

All walking is decent exercise, and there’s no question that taking a 20 minute stroll once or twice a day will provide substantial benefits to your heart and lungs. But when you’re trying to lose weight, you want to burn serious calories. That means doing one of two things: walk longer and walk faster.

A 20 to 30 minute walk at a moderate pace tones muscles and relaxes you. It burns a few calories, but it isn’t enough for significant weight loss. If you’re really looking to shed fat, you have to walk for 45 minutes or longer.

This steady approach may lack glamour, but it pays dividends. Assuming that your diet stays the same, walking 45 minutes a day, four days a week for a year can result in losing 18 pounds.

It’s possible to get the same benefits in half the time by picking up the pace. If you walk a little faster, you can get everything out of walking that cycling, swimming, or running gives you.

I’ve been talking about walking as though it is a complete training program in itself. For many people, in fact, walking is their sole workout. But it’s also an excellent adjunct to an overall fitness plan. Foe example, runners often walk on their easy days, giving their muscles and joints a chance to recover.

Getting Started

Unlike virtually any other sport or exercise, walking is something that everyone can do. You don’t need lessons. You don’t have to be in great shape. You don’t need specialized gear. All you have to do is lace up your sneakers and step outside.

Speaking of sneakers…

• Get The Right Shoes – Despite what certain sales assistants might tell you, walking is not rocket science and so does not require space age gear. Still, having the right shoes can save your feet a lot of unnecessary pain. Walking is such a low-impact sport, you really don’t need anything fancy. Get shoes with a stable heel support and a reasonable degree of impact cushioning.

• Bring Along Some Sound – We all have days (actually, quite a few of them) when we would rather put our feet on the couch than on the walking trail. Here’s an easy way to combine R and R with a little bit of exercise: Hook up your ipod (or other digital musical portable player) and listen to your favourite music while you walk. Listening to fast-beat music not only makes exercise more fun, but the beat also makes it easier to walk faster.

• Establish A Training Pace – While fast walking is great for fitness, your muscles won’t appreciate it if you plunge into a 12-minute-mile pace without giving them advance warning.

• Play With Speed – Walking can quickly become monotonous, which is why many fitness walkers develop their own training regimen. For example, you may want to alternate brisk walking with sudden bursts of speed – say, a 60-yard sprint to the postbox down the road. Or walk pyramids – that is, go hard for a minute, easy for a minute, hard for 2 minutes, easy for 2 minutes, hard for 3 minutes, easy for 3 minutes and so on, going as high as you like and then coming back down.

• Take The Uphill Road – Obviously, walking uphill requires more effort than strolling on a flat surface, which is why the world has yet to see a fat Sherpa. Depending on how fast you walk, walking a moderately steep hill can burn anywhere from 8 to 15 calories a minute.

• Go Off Road – With hills in mind, trails are a great walking option too. You’ll get a better workout on varied terrain. If you’re out hiking, you’ll probably carry a backpack, and that will increase the calorie burn even more.

• Take The Advantage Of Winter – What’s bad for your heating bill can be great for your health. Walking in soft snow can burn up to 20 calories a minute. To get an equivalent calorie burn in the summer, you would have to run at a 6-minute-mile pace. Inclement weather offers other advantages as well, like reducing traffic and, if you’re lucky, keeping the neighbour’s yappy pekingese indoors.

Roberto Garcia (Health and Fitness Specialist)
http://www.newhealthandfitnessdvds.co.uk

Specialist provider of Health and Fitness information and products including: DVDs and Supplements.

You would be wrong. For starters race walkers don’t waddle; the hips move forward and back, not side to side. Second, it provides an excellent exercise option. If you’re serious about walking, fitness, and calorie burn, race walking is the way to go.

Race walking at a moderate pace can burn 600 calories an hour. Compare that to jogging at a moderate pace, which only burns 400. Why does race walking burn more calories? Unlike running, in which the upper body stays fairly still, race walking gets most of the upper body – the arms, back and shoulders involved.It can be very strenuous, but if you want to get the most from race walking, you have to do it right.

Keep the back upright – Walking fast with a bent or swayed back can cause injury because stress is absorbed by improperly aligned body parts. You’ll kill your back or knees. So keep the back upright at all times.

Get the steps down – Race walking is not merely fast walking. It has a form all of its own. What you want to do is step forward with a straight leg, landing with the heel first. Walking with the knees bent puts a lot of stress on the hips, knees and spine.

Stay Loose – It’s good to swing your arms backward behind the body when race walking, but be sure to keep them relaxed. This workout is about efficiency, and tensing your arms waste energy.

Control your hips – You want them to move forward and back with each stride, not side to side. The reason is simple: You want every part of your body to be moving forward. Side-to-side movements cost momentum.

While fast walking is great for fitness, your muscles won’t appreciate it if you plunge into a 12 minute mile pace without giving them advanced warning. Use the first half mile as a warm up. Accelerate slowly until you feel warm and loose. Increase the middle portion of the walk to your maximum pace, then use the final half mile to wind down.

Obviously, walking uphill requires more effort than strolling on a flat surface. Depending on how fast you walk, walking a moderately steep hill can burn anywhere from 8 to 15 calories a minute.

Roberto Garcia (Health and Fitness Specialist)
http://www.newhealthandfitnessdvds.co.uk

Specialist provider of Health and Fitness information and products including: DVDs and Supplements.