Fortius Health

09/30/2021

It’s cardiovascular health Thursday! Let’s talk about how CPR works.

CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The first word, cardiopulmonary, refers to the heart and the lungs. Resuscitation means to revive. This is actually a bit of a misnomer because CPR on its own has a low chance of actually restarting a heart that has stopped. CPR is useful, however, in manually circulating blood while more effective resuscitation techniques are accessed and employed.

Let’s talk about the manual circulation of blood. CPR works because the heart is located directly behind the sternum (breastbone) in the center of your chest. The sternum acts as an anchor for the ribcage and physically protects the heart from trauma, but it also comes in handy for performing CPR. This is because when the heart is compressed between the sternum and the spinal column, it pumps as it is meant to do.

Blood is normally oxygenated by the lungs, but during normal function, the blood holds onto an excess of oxygen in case of an emergency. In the emergency of cardiac arrest, blood will effectively supply vital bodily tissues with its reserve of oxygen so long as the rescuer is providing breaths and manually pumping the victim’s heart. This is because oxygen delivery to the tissues relies on a concentration gradient – the more the tissue needs the oxygen, the more likely the blood is to unload oxygen at that specific tissue.

CPR is a skill that can save lives and it is highly recommended to take an instructional course to learn how to do it. Comment below if you have any questions about CPR or want to share your experience!

09/28/2021

It's mobility Tuesday! Let’s talk about range of motion.

First, what is range of motion? Range of motion is the amount of space a body segment can move through – more practically, range of motion is essentially the mobility of a joint. In clinical settings, it can be measured in degrees with a tool called a goniometer. Every joint has its own range of motion based on bone shape, muscle that runs across it, or other structures that limit its freedom such as ligaments or bursas. Injury and disuse can cause a reduction in range of motion.

“Active” range of motion refers to movement that a person produces purely through the action of their own muscles. “Passive” range of motion involves an external force being applied to the body segments around the joint so that more range can be achieved. This happens when you pull on your ankle to bend your knee, for example, or when a clinician is stretching you on a table. Passive range of motion is notably greater than active range of motion.

Practicing at least active range of motion is critical for maintaining mobility through the process of aging. To prevent joint problems, try gently and actively moving your joints through their full range each and every day. While stretching muscles passively has its benefits, simply practicing full active range of motion can prevent pain and dysfunction over the long term.

Comment below if you have any questions about range of motion, mobility, or would like to share your experiences!

09/23/2021

It's cardiovascular health Thursday! Let’s talk about the relationship between aerobic fitness and heat adaptation.

Recall that aerobic fitness is achieved by training in aerobic activities such as running, swimming, cycling, rowing, et cetera. One major advantage of being aerobically fit is that you will be more able to tolerate the heat of a summer day. Let’s discuss just a few reasons why:

1) Aerobic fitness increases total blood volume. This means you can absorb more heat from the environment before your core temperature rises.
2) Total blood volume means you have an extra fluid reserve for perspiration when you need to cool off. When you are hypo-hydrated (AKA dehydrated), you will be unable to shed heat via evaporation.
3) Aerobic fitness improves blood flow, and blood flow is also a major method of cooling off. Many new blood vessels are created to increase the efficiency of circulation, and your increased volume of blood rushes to the superficial layers of your body to release heat into the environment by way of a concentration gradient.
4) People who are aerobically well-trained are often leaner. While fat tissue certainly keeps you warm in the cold, it also keeps you warm in the heat. This is because fat acts as an insulator. With a leaner body composition, there is greater ability to release heat into your environment.

Aerobic training improves not only your tolerance to hot environments, but your ability to be physically active in those hot environments as well. And as you might have guessed, your heat tolerance will be even greater if you train aerobically in a hot environment. Always remember to consume adequate fluid before, during, and after exercising in the heat, stop if you feel ill, and progress gradually.

Comment below to ask about the body’s heat adaptation methods or share your experience!

09/22/2021

It’s strength Wednesday! Let’s talk about delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

The microscopic structure of muscle tissue can sometimes be damaged if we exercise excessively or attempt movements that we are not used to. The result is DOMS, a painful condition that commonly occurs the next day or two days following the activity. The pain can sometimes take several days to subside, and it often discourages further exercise. To minimize this happening to you, consider the following:

1) DOMS only occurs if you make a drastic change in your activity level. To avoid it, approach anything new very gradually. Always incrementally increase the load or volume to avoid the DOMS and also avoid potential injuries.
2) DOMS is almost exclusively caused by eccentric contractions. Recall from a previous post that eccentric contractions occur when our muscles contract while lengthening. The damage to the muscle occurs because the microscopic fibers are “holding on” against a change in momentum. Imagine your muscle fibers are like hands, supporting your bodyweight as they hold onto an overhead bar which is jostling around. The damage to the muscle would be similar to hands losing their grip on the bar. Avoid too much volume with heavy lengthening contractions during your workout, and your soreness will decrease. Apply tip #1 for best results.
3) There is little you can do to alleviate the pain – only time can reliably heal you. Mild activity, such as walking, may prevent it from getting worse, however. If the pain is severe, acetaminophen may help temporarily. DOMS is not permanent, however. Again – refer to #1 to prevent it from happening!
4) DOMS does not mean you had a good workout, and a workout without DOMS does not mean you had a bad workout! DOMS simply means you did more than you were accustomed to.

Comment below to ask questions or share your experience with DOMS – hopefully it wasn’t a painful experience!

09/22/2021

It's strength Wednesday! Let’s talk about the plank exercise.

The plank is an exercise that primarily targets the core. To a slightly lesser degree, the shoulders and legs are also involved. The plank is an isometric exercise; recall that this means the muscles are contracting without changing length. Since gravity is forcing the hips to the floor (hip extension), we use the muscles that flex the hip (found in the core and front of thighs) to prevent this from happening. Similarly, gravity is also causing the spine to want to bend (spine extension), we use the muscles that flex the spine (found in the core) to counteract this.

The goal of the plank is to simply hold the position. See the photo below for many variations of planks – but be aware that some of them are more challenging than others. Here are a few tips:
1) It doesn’t require any equipment, so start doing them today! In the home, in the office, outdoors, or anywhere else. Practice them even once per day to gain benefits in whole body strength.
2) Increase the difficulty by extending the duration of the hold or having someone place a weight on your back.
3) If your form begins to suffer (hips dragging), end the hold and rest for the next set. It is more important to gradually increase your ability than to risk getting injured. Set up a camera to watch your own form.

Comment below to ask anything about the plank or to share your experiences! For how long can you hold a plank?

09/21/2021

It's mobility Tuesday! Let’s talk about a tip you can use to overcome squat mobility issues.

If you are trying to perform a squat but find you are held back by your ankle or hip range of motion, you may find it difficult to squat low. While stretching is one solution, it may take time and is not always guaranteed to get you to the depth that you desire.

There is one simple fix to this problem – simply elevate your heels. If you place something below your heels, your ankles no longer need to flex quite as far to achieve the same forward movement of your trunk. It also similarly mitigates hip inflexibility. Alternatively, you can also perform squats with your heels flat but on a decline surface, which achieves the same effect. In using these techniques, you will shift the muscular focus away from the hips and more to the thighs.

Comment below to ask questions or share your experience with squat mobility!

09/16/2021

It’s cardiovascular health Thursday! Let’s talk about aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

The body’s energy requirements are very high during exercise, and it will automatically select the most efficient fuel system to match the demands. During long durations of at least a few minutes of moderate to high intensity exercise, the body uses the aerobic system (referring to oxygen). This is a sustainable system which relies on fat in the bloodstream for as long as possible. Fat is an energy-dense solution, but it cannot be metabolized at a rapid pace. Once the intensity starts to overwhelm the aerobic system, there will be a gradual shift from fat to carbohydrate usage (carbohydrate is found in the bloodstream as glucose and also stored directly in muscle tissue). During shorter periods of higher intensity exercise, the anaerobic system (referring to lack of oxygen) predominates. Unlike the aerobic system, the anaerobic system is not sustainable, and rapidly loses effectiveness depending on muscular endurance and amount of circulating or stored carbohydrate. This means that after a few minutes, you will be forced to slow down.

So what does this have to do with health or performance? For one, spending all your time at a moderate pace will train only the aerobic system, whereas practicing at an anaerobic pace will train both systems. Furthermore, these increases in cardiovascular fitness levels can occur with much less volume and time commitment than long-distance training.

Another benefit to including anaerobic-style training is that it reduces risk factors of cardiovascular disease such as elevated blood sugar and poor lipid profile. Since anaerobic training saps your blood of glucose, the muscles will also be drained of their stores, and the next carbohydrate-rich meal consumed will contribute heavily to replenishing these stores. This means better glucose control throughout the day. In terms of lipid profile, high intensity exercise has also been shown to reduce the “bad” cholesterol, LDL, while increasing the “good” cholesterol, HDL. Together, these improvements in metabolic health mean lower overall risk of cardiovascular disease.

Comment below to ask questions about the body’s energy systems or share your experience with high intensity exercise – which is a very strong trend in the realm of modern fitness!

09/15/2021

It’s strength Wednesday! Let’s talk about types of muscle contractions.

Muscle is a unique bodily tissue because it can “slide” over itself, shortening or lengthening in the process. When a joint achieves a smaller angle, we describe the muscle as shortening (called “concentric contraction”), and when a joint achieves a larger angle, we describe the muscle as lengthening (called “eccentric contraction”). Muscle can also contract by holding their position without changing a joint angle – this is called “isometric contraction.” Our bodies produce each of these three contractions in our daily activities.

Interestingly, nearly every joint in our body has a complementary muscle on the opposite side to produce contraction in that direction. For example, biceps (located on the front of the upper arm) act concentrically to decrease the angle of the elbow, while triceps (located on the back of the upper arm) act concentrically to increase the angle of the elbow. However, if you were lowering a cup from which you just drank, the biceps would actually be acting eccentrically to slow the straightening of the elbow against the force of gravity – so remember that every muscle can act in all three contraction types. The amazing part is that when you decide to move, your body instinctively selects which muscles should be working together and which contraction type is most appropriate! Below are a few common exercises and which type of contraction is involved:
- bicep curls (raising weight is concentric, lowering weight is eccentric, holding it midpoint is isometric)
- plank (holding it is isometric for abdominals, lowering body slowly is eccentric for abdominals)
- squats (lowering body is eccentric for front of thighs but the back of thighs are uninvolved due to gravity; raising body is concentric for front and back of thighs)

Next time you exercise, try to think of which muscles are working and in which mode of contraction. Stay tuned for more posts on muscle contractions and how they implicate post-workout soreness! Comment below if you have any questions about muscle contractions!

09/15/2021

It’s mobility Tuesday! Let’s talk about the hamstrings and how to stretch them.

In case you didn’t know, the hamstrings are a group of muscles on the backside of your upper leg. Like all muscles, they act upon every joint they cross; since they cross two major joints, they produce movement at both. The hamstrings are primarily responsible for flexing (bending) your knees and extending (straightening) your hips. These joint actions play a critical role in athletics; acting together with the gluteal muscles of the buttocks, the hamstrings propel the body forward while running.

So, how do we stretch the hamstrings? A rule to remember is that to stretch a muscle, we must do the opposite movement to which it produces when contracting. Therefore, we must extend (straighten) the knees and flex (bend) the hips. The most common way to do this is to sit on the floor with your legs in front of you and gently reach towards your toes. Here are a few more tips:

1) If you are going to perform this stretch statically (holding it over a long period of time), do so only following your physical activity. Otherwise, you may suffer a reduction in your strength output.
2) Avoid leaning towards your toes and curling your back to do so. Instead, try to keep your spine relatively straight up as you instead use your hips to bend forward. The reason for this is it becomes more of a lower back stretch this way. If you avoid doing this, you can focus on isolating the hamstrings instead.

Comment below to ask questions or share your experiences with stretching!

09/09/2021

It’s cardiovascular health Thursday! Let’s talk about cardiovascular disease, and how we can take action to avoid developing it.

Cardiovascular disease is a condition that may affect the coronary arteries (large blood vessels that supply the heart with blood) via the development of a plaque that reduces or completely occludes blood flow. In turn, this may cause a heart attack – when the muscle cells of the heart are deprived of blood for long enough to become permanently damaged. Unfortunately, many heart attacks are difficult to predict and can occur suddenly. The best thing that we can do to avoid this is to be as consistently diligent with our lifestyle habits as we can.

A few factors in the development of cardiovascular disease:
1) Poor “lipid profile.” Although cholesterol is essential for our body, excess cholesterol or the wrong type of cholesterol can cause problems because it gets stuck in the coronary arteries. To keep levels under control, exercise regularly (especially aerobic exercise) and eat a healthy diet. Specifically, consume adequate soluble fiber (such as oatmeal, legumes, and vegetables), because consumption of this type of fiber optimizes the lipid profile.
2) High blood pressure. When blood pressure is too high, it may damage the inner lining of the coronary arteries, causing attraction of cholesterol or other debris that could accumulate into a plaque. To control elevated blood pressure, participate in regular aerobic activity, reduce stress levels through mindfulness/yoga/meditation, and get a restful 7-9 hours of sleep per night.
3) High blood sugar. Similar to high blood pressure, too much glucose in the bloodstream also damages the inner lining of blood vessels. To control blood sugar, engage in aerobic activity – even a brisk walk after a meal can prevent a spike in blood sugar. Additionally, soluble fiber again comes to the rescue – this type of dietary fiber slows the release of food from the stomach, which regulates the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. Finally, having meals that are mixed in composition (moderate fat, protein, carbohydrate) also slows glucose release into the bloodstream.

Did you notice a pattern? Many of the good habits that we are advised to adopt into our lifestyle are directly responsible for mediating the very factors that can contribute to cardiovascular disease. Physical activity, nutrition, stress control, and sleep are four cornerstones of health that you can optimize to reduce your risk. Check out the animated video below - it shows how a build up in the coronary arteries eventually causes a complete blockage of blood flow. Comment to ask questions or share your experiences!

Atherosclerosis is where the walls of arteries thicken due to the presence of cholesterol in the bloodstream. Contact Us:Website: http://www.abplearning.com/...

09/08/2021

It’s strength Wednesday! Let’s talk about the relationship between muscle, joint, and bone strength.

Bones exist as a place for muscles to anchor, and joints exist to keep bones connected. However, when we move our bodies, we only have active control of muscle, and yet the strengthening of muscle also strengthens our joints and bones accordingly. Therefore, one of the best ways to maintain healthy joints and bones throughout the process of aging is to strengthen your muscle through appropriate training.

You may have heard of the term “use it or lose it.” This basic concept can apply to many things, but German scientist Julius Wolff used the human body as an example to introduce “Wolff’s Law.” When we try to overcome a resistance force using our muscles, the muscles cross joints and pull directly on their associated bones – and this places a healthy stress on the joints and bones themselves. The body adapts to this stress by getting stronger.

As we age, we often reduce our physical activity, which causes our muscles, joints, and bones to weaken. This reduction in physical activity is one of the leading factors in developing osteoporosis – the loss of bone mass that can make falling very dangerous. Therefore, while all physical activity is beneficial, aging adults should consider strength training for at least two sessions per week to counteract Wolff’s Law – and more importantly, to ward off osteoporosis.

Here is a link to an article if you want to learn a bit more: https://www.healthline.com/health/wolffs-law. Comment below to ask questions about Wolff’s Law and how it applies to the human body!

Wolff's law is a principle that explains why bones remodel themselves over time. We'll go over how it applies to physical therapy, preventing osteoporosis, and treating bone fractures.

09/07/2021

It’s mobility Tuesday! Let’s talk about stretching the calf muscles.

You probably know that the “calf” is the back of the lower leg. What you might not know is that the calf is comprised of several individual muscles, the two largest being the gastrocnemius (gastroc, for short) and soleus. Gastroc is closer to your skin, while soleus is found a little deeper. So, what makes these two muscles distinct, given that they are found so close to one another? The answer is that gastroc originates from above the knee joint, and thus acts to move the knee joint as well as the ankle joint, while the soleus originates from below the knee joint, and thus acts to move only the ankle joint.

Why is this important when it comes to stretching the calves? The answer is that we must make a simple adjustment to our knee joint in order to change which muscles we want to stretch. The two stretches look similar, but there is one key change.

1) When stretching gastroc, the knee must be extended (straightened) first. Place your foot flat on the floor and lean forward so your ankle bends upwards towards your shin.

2) When stretching soleus, the knee must be flexed (bent) first or the gastroc will be stretched instead. Otherwise, follow the same procedure as the gastroc stretch.

Remember to stretch both of the primary calf muscles next time you stretch! This will help you on your journey to becoming a more flexible (and therefore happy) individual. Check the comments to see a video demonstration of how to stretch both of these muscles! Comment below to ask questions or share your experience with stretching the calves!