Health-and-Fitness online information.

They start showing up every year around February at the physical therapy and sports clinics. By early spring, they're arriving en masse, with pulled muscles, aching knees, and shin splints. They are the newly active legions who have declared New Year's resolutions to get in shape or to return to old passions like bicycling or running. Unfortunately, too many of them don't listen to, much less understand, their own bodies. As a result, they end up with injuries that sideline them for a while, or worse, convince them to quit altogether.

"Experienced athletes might know their bodies pretty well, but its something that's difficult for people who are just starting out," said Thomas Minton, a USA Cycling coach and physical therapist at Mission Rehab and Sports Clinic. Minton and other experts say knowing your body and understanding its limits can be as important as having the discipline and drive to push yourself in new ways. They recommend paying attention to how your body feels, easing into new activities, and learning the right way to chase new pursuits, preferably with some professional advice. Do that, and you're more likely to have an injury-free year and stick with your activity, they said.

To follow this path, one should first recognize the difference between good old-fashioned soreness and potentially harmful pain.

"Good" pain tends to be evenly distributed, or symmetrical, and not concentrated in one spot or one side of your body, Minton said. He described the difference as a "general burn versus a sharp pain." Sore arms might be acceptable after an upper body workout, for example, but not a stabbing sensation beneath one shoulder. Rest days can be vital in preventing a little soreness from into an injury, he said. Overall, good physical activity should actually give you more energy; chronic exhaustion may be a sign you're pushing too hard, or may signal a deeper health issue.

Unfortunately, many people throw themselves into a sport or exercise regimen with a kind of all-or-nothing gusto. Instead, they should ease into one with patience and determination.

"People decide they're going to go for it and undo ten years worth of sitting around in one week," said Kathie Campbell Beldon, owner of the Pilates studio Asheville Body Works and also a physical therapist. "It just doesn't work that way." Start off easy by scheduling two or three easy workouts in the first couple of weeks, with restdays in between. During this time, you will build a good foundation for a successful year, but also learn to listen to messages from your body.

After those initial sessions, which body parts develop aches or soreness? Heavy biceps may be a sign of a good upper body workout, for example, but lower back pain may signal poor form during the workout. Good form makes, a difference in so many activities--a straight back here, a good stride there, for example. Bad form can be a prescription for pain. But other than aches after the fact, how does one know whether they've got good form?

Check yourself in a mirror at home or have a friend observe Better yet, consult an expert who is already well-versed in the body language of a particular endeavor. Countless yoga and Pilates DVDs will no doubt be sold in these early months of the year, but a television can't tell you whether or not you're doing a pose correctly, Beldon said. A yoga or Pilates instructor can make minor adjustments to your form. As the instructor does so, note how your body feels before and after the adjustment. The more you note these differences, the clearer they will become.

# posted by Medical Information : 3:08 AM