Are Muscle Imbalances Causing Your Problems?
Muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments and other connective tissue are all what make up the human body. When there is dysfunction in one, it can cause a range of issues that may show up elsewhere. You’d be hard-pressed to find a person who hasn’t fought off some form of acute or chronic pain during their lifetime.
Though sometimes the culprit can be obvious, like sitting for too much of the day, others can be a little difficult to pinpoint. One aspect to consider? Muscular imbalances.
For the body to function optimally, the muscles must have balanced length and strength. It can become particularly tough to find this as we get older. As children, most of us were running, jumping, and playing for a good part of the day. As adults, however, we’re far more sedentary, sitting for most of our waking hours.
As a result, one side of the body can feel tighter than another. You may have noticed one side of your neck is more prone to aching, or one side of your low back seems to be more painful than the other. It may be due to an imbalance from simple daily activities such as picking up a child or grandchild, sitting in front of a computer or bringing grocery bags into the house.
How It Occurs
Each joint in your body is surrounded by muscles. The muscles work with the joint to create movement. If one part of the muscle is overused, it becomes tighter, while the muscles on the other side get weak from not being used as heavily.
When a muscle imbalance happens, it means you’re more likely to injure yourself. The imbalance affects the position of the joint when it’s in a resting state or when in motion. The instability can damage not just joints and muscles, but ligaments, tendons, bones and connective tissue. The result? Limited mobility, pain and an imbalanced appearance.
Six Steps to Improve Muscle Balance
- Watch out for repetitive motions. Since this is a major cause of muscle imbalance, start thinking of ways to switch up routines – for example, switch up your workout routine by finding another set of exercises that targets the same area.
- Don’t sit for too long. Even if your job involves long hours parked in front of a monitor, get up to refill your water glass, to stretch your shoulders or to have a chat with a colleague to give your body a break.
- Think about your driving position. When people drive, they tend to keep a leg bent or slouch. Keep a neutral position, and be sure to take frequent stops if you’re on a longer drive.
- Check your seated posture. When you do need to sit, make sure you’re balancing each side of your body and not overusing one. Make sure your shoulders and upper back aren’t slouching towards your monitor, which causes your upper back to lengthen. Core exercises can be a huge help with staying balanced while seated.
- Talk to us. That’s right – we are very knowledgeable in all joints and muscles of the body, and can give you appropriate advice on muscle imbalances, as well as giving you a thorough evaluation to try to pinpoint the cause of your problems.
All About The Mediterranean Diet
For decades, people from all over the globe have been chasing after the right diet – the perfect foods that will set them up for the best possible health.
If you’re looking around for how to eat, there’s no shortage of information. In fact, there’s usually a little too much out there to be able to sort through the conflicting information or fat diets.
The Mayo Clinic touts the Mediterranean diet as a heart-healthy eating plan. The World Health Organization says it’s a healthy and sustainable way to eat. So, what’s the Mediterranean diet all about?
How It All Started
The buzz about the Mediterranean diet began back in the 1960s. It was noticed that the Mediterranean countries like Greece and Italy had far fewer deaths due to heart disease than in the rest of Europe and North America.
Further studies showed that eating in this manner seemed to be associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Subsequent research focused on a link between a Mediterranean diet and Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s. More research, however, is needed on these topics.
It’s Not a Diet!
Though it’s often referred to as the Mediterranean diet, it’s not about restricting your food intake. Rather, it’s about a certain way of eating. It features foods native to the Mediterranean area including nuts, olive oil, whole grains, vegetables, fish, fruits, and beans.
These foods are all rich in fiber, healthy fats, and Omega-3 fatty acids.
With the Mediterranean diet, 35-40% of calories come directly from fats. These fats include olive oil, fish oil, flaxseed oil, almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts.
Give It a Try
If you’re interested in going Mediterranean, there are some changes you can implement into your diet:
- Vary your fruit and vegetables. Go for different ones each day, such as lentils, beans, chickpeas, eggplant, spinach, blueberries, tomatoes, broccoli, grapes, figs, and peppers. Experiment to find out what you like!
- Eat whole grains. Stick to brown rice, oats, and whole wheat bread, pasta or couscous. Stay away from refined grains such as white bread.
- Choose healthy fats. Olive oil is a great staple, but don’t forget about nuts and nut oil, either.
- Limit unhealthy fats. Avoid palm oil, butter, and coconut oil, which are rich in saturated fats. Limit fats from animal products like meat and dairy.
- Eat vegetarian. A meal doesn’t have to involve meat, but can be centered around beans, lentils, vegetables, or whole grains.
- Include fish. At least two times a week, eat herring, tuna, mackerel, lake trout, salmon, or sardines.
- Moderate your dairy, poultry, and egg intake. These foods are okay to include sometimes, but when possible, go for low-fat products.
- Reduce your red meat. If you’re going to eat red meat, have it just a few times a month. And try for smaller amounts when you have red meat.
- Cut back on sweets. Whether for a dessert or snack, make sure you only have sweet things a couple of times a week.
If you’re interested in starting to eat Mediterranean-style, but it seems difficult, start slowly. Pick a couple of items from the list above and implement them into your daily life, building up to more as you become comfortable and adapt your lifestyle to your new way of eating!
Let us know how it goes. We are excited to see the healthy changes happening in you!
Shovelling Snow Done Right
During the frigid winter months, people generally fall into two categories: People who avoid being outdoors at all costs and people who don’t let the cold stop them from spending time outdoors. For those of you who enjoy the cold, crisp air and beautiful snowy landscapes, this is for you. And, if you are not outdoorsy in the winter, this may inspire you to give a winter hike a chance.
