ActivAided Blog

Getting Your Posture to “Work” for You

If you’re reading this at work, take a moment to check in with your body. How is your back positioned? Is your computer screen in your natural field of view? Is your chair at an optimal height? When was the last time you got up? If you work at a desk for 40 hours a week, like many Americans, awareness of your body’s ergonomics and posture can help prevent big back problems down the road. When we move around, the…

Improve Posture by Putting Your Best Foot Forward

Just like a car’s tires are the only part of the vehicle that touch the road, your feet provide support for your entire body. So, when the feet do not provide optimal support for the rest of the body, the back often bears the brunt. Studies published in Orthopedic Physical Assessment indicate that 80 percent of people may experience foot problems at some point in their lives, although they might not even notice it--and about the same percentage will experience noticeable…

Recover After Workouts with Water, Protein, Carbs

We’ve all been there. You finish a tough, satisfying workout and that familiar feeling hits: Hunger. When you complete a strenuous workout, your body is craving three things: Water (to replace all the water you lost through perspiration), carbohydrates (to replace all the energy you just burned), and protein (to repair your muscle tissue). Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, CSSD, LDN, a certified sports dietetics and nutrition consultant for the Chicago Cubs, recommends that you eat a snack of about 200…

Learn Proper Freestyle Stroke to Reduce Back Pain

Summer should be a time of activity and fun, not stress. But for some, heading to the pool even just to swim some leisurely laps can be a source of discomfort. It’s long been documented that spondylolysis--a form of arthritis of the spine--is common among swimmers, and can be exacerbated by improper swimming technique, especially if you swim a lot. The butterfly and breaststroke in particular are known for causing other lower back problems in swimmers, according to Livestrong.com. If…

Staying Active Through Middle Age

One of the primary benefits of ActivAided is that it allows its user to remain active and mobile while also guiding them towards better posture and reducing chronic back pain. This problem is quite prevalent, too: Up to 85 percent of Americans will experience some form of back pain in their lives, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Although back pain can certainly be a hindrance for people of any age, it doesn’t have to render you sedentary.…

Types of Bad Posture and Correction Techniques

Of all the things you can do to improve your health, posture is often overlooked. But just like exercise, eating right, and getting lots of sleep, good posture can make you more energetic on the field, in your exercise regimen, or in your day-to-day life. Although slouching is perhaps the most commonly cited form of poor posture, there are other, more specific types of bad posture that might be less noticeable. People looking to improve their posture can achieve some…

Relieving Spinal Stenosis as You Age

Golf legend Arnold Palmer is expected to have surgery later this year to relieve the pressure caused by his spinal stenosis. At age 84 and having spent much of his life golfing at a professional level, he’s surely not alone in his condition--spinal stenosis is common among golfers as well as the elderly, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. What is Spinal Stenosis? Spinal stenosis is a condition in which the spinal canal or the vertebral foramina become narrowed. This can…

Yoga Poses to Relieve Cycling Lower Back Pain

According to a study by the American Journal of Sports Medicine, back pain is the most common overuse injury among cyclist, with 58 percent of cyclists polled experiencing such symptoms in the previous year and 41 percent seeking medical attention for it. Indeed, cycling is one of the best low-impact cardiovascular workouts you can get, but after a few hours riding, even the most experienced athletes can feel discomfort in their upper or lower back. But according to Alyssa Dinowitz,…

Attack Weight Loss From Both Ends!

By John W Mitchell A clever wag once noted it was ironic that in the average bookstore diet books can be found somewhere between the humor and fiction sections.  While such an observation is funny, it’s no joke that when it comes to weight loss, a flanking action by exercise and diet is a great strategy.  Knowing the relationship between the two and how they tag team together is key to healthy weight loss and management.  While the general rule…

Exercise as Medicine

by Rochelle Bohannon med·i·cine noun the science or practice of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease The word medicine is most synonymous with "pill" or "drug." Far too often, when we walk into a doctor's office with an ailment, we walk out with a prescription that promises to cure us, and we have grown dependent on these superficially instant resutls.But what if exercise was prescribed just as often as the latest pill? What if the default treatment didn’t rely solely…

5 Household Items to Use for Strength Training

by Lora Mays Starting a strength-training program can be done without a gym membership or any fancy equipment. Believe it or not, your home is brimming with tools that can help you build your muscles and create a strength training workout right at home. Here are five household items to use for easy workouts at home: Stairs Perhaps the most diverse tool, stairs can be used to build up your strength as well as your aerobic fitness. Stairs can be…