'exercise' posts

As the summer months creep up on us, the weather is getting warmer and shorts and swimsuits are beckoning us from the closet. For many people, this brings excitement (vacations! outdoor activities!) but for others, the thought of showing off varicose and spider veins means avoiding those summer clothes.

Though they may be painful or embarrassing, varicose and spider veins are common and can be treated. Don’t let them get in the way of your summer plans and comfort!

Varicose veins are large, raised blood vessels close to the surface of the skin. They may look bumpy or twisted. Along with their “little brothers,” spider veins, varicose veins are most often found in the legs and are caused by weak or damaged vein valves. This causes blood to pool instead of being pumped back to the heart. Women are more likely to have varicose and spider veins and this risk increases with age and hormone changes (like pregnancy and menopause).

What you can do:

I have been asked many times “Why do you run so much?” And my typical answer is “Why do you not run?”

I run a couple full marathons and several half marathons a year. I train seriously for them and am competitive. And I love it! There is no better connection to your body than when you are working out hard. But I have also noticed that it does something else for me: it has improved my health and my skin.

Regular exercise is one of the keys to healthy skin, in addition to improving your heart, lungs and muscles.

Exercising promotes increase blood flow to your organs and your skin is the largest organ in your body. Increased blood flow to the skin means increase in nutrients provided to your skin. The blood will carry away the waste products, toxins and free radicals that are produced by our hard working skin cells.

In addition, exercising lowers stress and that can reduce the aging process of our skin. There are various skin conditions that improve when one exercises such as eczema and acne. Muscle tones are also improved. There has been no clinical studies analyzing collagen production and stress, but I would gather collagen production decreases with increase in our stress level.

Of course, you should take precautions when exercising in severe weather such as extreme cold, wind or heat. Protect yourself from these elements before heading out. With our wonderful sun out these days, follows these simple tips:

Mobility issues secondary to strength, balance, and walking problems affect up to 80 percent of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Providers and therapists use a variety of scales and tools to measure the extent of these issues such as:

• The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) is a measure of balance that uses a 14-item scale and is scored based upon the results 0-56.
• The 6-minute walk (6MW) is a measure of walking endurance.
• Handheld Dynamometry (HHD) is a way to quantify manual muscle strength testing.

There is a lot of emerging research about “MS biomarkers,” which are values that look for ways to predict how patients will do in the future. The above tests are “physical biomarkers” of patient performance that may be able to be used as measures of disease state and change over time.

Often patients and clinicians are left wondering how accurate the results of these tests are. For instance, if provider A performs a functional test on a patient, will provider B get the same results if administering the same test to the same patient?

I am a pediatric hospitalist. That is, I am a pediatrician who takes care of children sick enough to be hospitalized. So my writing about the importance of children spending time outdoors and enjoying nature might be surprising. Even though I may only take care of a child for the worst few days of their life, I am still quite passionate about the fundamental role of outdoor play in a child’s health and well-being.

Even during acute illness, I find that children often heal faster when they are given more opportunities to be playful and (illness-allowing) go outdoors to allow Mother Nature to heal them from within. So needless to say, I am often amazed at how little exposure many of these children have had, even prior to becoming ill, to spend time playing outdoors and getting to know their environment.

Now especially, as the days begin to get longer, and the refreshing spring air returns to our beautiful Pacific Northwest, I start thinking about all the wonderful outdoor fun I used to have as a child, and the importance such activities had on my own health and overall sense of well-being.

I worry that children of today encounter ....

With the vague hint of spring in the air, many families are gearing up for the onslaught of practices and games that come with spring sports. As the kids strap on their pads and cleats again, keep in mind that a healthy athlete needs more than just good physical conditioning; fueling their bodies with proper nutrition is just as important to keep them competitive!

Nutrition is vital for the health of people of all ages and activity levels but young athletes have higher fluid and energy needs. Nutrition can also help prevent injury and keep your young athlete competitive. Help your young athlete become a nutrition champion before the starting buzzer even goes off!

• For healthy bones...

ISSAQUAH, WA, Jan. 23, 2013 - With spring sports starting, don't drop the ball on nutrition. Nutrition is just as important as physical conditioning for athletes. So, as spring sports begin, let Swedish help you and your children prepare to hit it out of the park. Join Registered Dietitian Ally Colson for an interactive training on game-winning meals and snacks and help your young athlete become a nutrition champion.

Jingle bells may no longer be ringing in your ears, but the constant barrage of New Year’s resolution pressure probably is! Yet for all the commercials that promise the next great way to shed pounds or get more physically active in the New Year, children are left out of the resolution discussion. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that they shouldn’t be involved in setting healthy goals. Why not turn your New Year’s goals into a family affair?

For children, the goal shouldn’t be “pounds lost” but “healthy habits made.” Set an example for your children by not trying every fad diet but instead making a more concerted resolution to live a healthy lifestyle. Here are some fun ideas to involve your kids in your healthful resolutions...