LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
CAMP Fitness |
by Rick Moore |
The Joys of Getting Older
Gosh, I hope everyone made it through the holiday okay. I surely did. In fact I spent Christmas and New Year's (actually 15 days) in Dallas, Texas, with my hubby. It was kinda strange, with it being 80 plus degrees and a danger of brush fires everyday. That didn't mix well with White Christmas or Frosty the Snowman when it played on the car radio. And everyone was wearing T-shirts, tanks, and shorts. This is Christmas? And New Year's was even strangerwarmer still and a pall of burnt smoke in the night air from the surrounding brush fires. Anyway, still had a great time. Saw Brokeback Mountain the first week it came out and even took in the play A Tuna Christmasabsolutely hilarious! The only health problem I had was a dry nose due to the extremely low humidity (15%). I'm just not used to it being that bone drysuffered a couple of nose bleeds but nothing serious. Couldn't wait to get back to Delaware to some good ole cold, humid air. Well, was I surprised or what? Where is the snow? But I have to admit it's kinda nice. And the low gas and electric usage is very much appreciated for my wallet. So it's back to the daily grind. But not really. It seems my birthday and Nick's are just 2 weeks apart. And guess what? Nick turned 40the Big 4-0! So, I went to work planning a surprise party for him. I had one when I turned forty and I was really surprised. Do you know how difficult it is trying to keep a secret among 35 people and Nick? It wasn't easy. Mike Smith and I had 4 weeks to get this thing rolling. And believe it or not, we pulled it off. We were supposed to have an evening dinner at Mike and Jim's beautiful home and Nick was none the wiser. Thanks to everyone for a memorable party. Well the next evening we went to the Double L after taking in a movie with one of our friends from Long Island, Fred. At 12 midnight I reminded Nick that he was now officially 40 years oldso goodbye 30s! His remark to me was that he was feeling a bit stiff and sorethat's because you're now forty! It was that night that I read a very good article in a well respected magazine on how to beat pain naturally. You see, Nick hates to take drugsmuch less pain killersfor aches and pains. So these are perfect drug-free remedies for common aches. I betcha didn't know that some old home remedies for pain really workthere is scientific evidence to prove it. Take for instance a headache. In a study at Monash University in Australia, headache sufferers who rubbed Tiger Balm ointment into their temples experienced pain relief on par with taking Tylenol. The Tiger Balm relaxes the muscles that trigger tension headaches. Did you know that ginger tea can relieve muscle pain? It seems the compounds in the spice inhibit enzymes tied to pain and inflamation. Here's what you gotta do. First, grate a two-inch piece of fresh ginger root, steep it for three to five minutes in a cup of boiling water, and then sip the strained broth. "This should soothe muscle soreness," according to Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, author of Pain Free 1-2-3. Got a migraine? Up to half of all migraine patients have a magnesium deficiency, according to a review in Clinical Neuroscience. Of course you should have this checked out with your doctor first. That deficiency can lead to blood vessel constriction. A daily 400 milligram dose of magnesium can cut migraine frequency and severity in many who suffer from the dreaded migraine. Here is one for a toothache. This remedy will temporarily dull tooth pain. Rub an ice cube in the V-shaped area where the bones of your thumb and forefinger meet. In proven research, a professor from McGill University in Canada found out that rubbing ice on that spot for 5 to 7 minutes eased toothaches in 60 to 90 percent of the people who tried it. The cold sends signals to the brain that block pain impulses from the mouth. Many of us have suffered from those nasty mouth ulcers. To take the ouch out of a mouth sore (ulcer), place a wet, tepid tea bag against the site for 3-5 minutes. It seems that black tea contains compounds called tannins which both relieve pain and coat the sore to speed healing. And here is a tried and true remedy from my hubby, Nick, himself. We are not trying to diagnose, prescribe, or treat; but when Nick as muscle spasms, he uses an ice pack20 minutes on and 20 minutes offfor 2 hours. Make sure you have a layer of cloth (a towel) that you use to prevent frostbite to the area. Never put ice directly on the affected area. Leaving the ice pack on the area for more than 20 minutes at at time will have a detrimental effect. Over-icing the area will draw inflammation! When Nick has muscle soreness, he takes an Epsom Salts bath to soothe those tired muscles. Nick also uses the hot tub to speed up recovery from a strenuous workout and in fact, so do I. So here we arejust a little bit olderapproaching spring 2006, and we're ready for a great year. Rick Moore is a personal trainer certified by the American Fitness Professionals & Associates. Visit him at www.ricksfitness.net. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 15, No. 15 November 23, 2005 |