This is a very common injury and is caused by sudden movement.  The most common muscle to be pulled is the hamstring (at the back of the thigh), but it can happen to any part of the body.  It is actually a tear of the muscle fibres. 

Pulled muscles: the hamstring is the most common site for muscle strain

Causes 

• Sudden, uncoordinated, unexpected movement, say in tennis when you think the ball is going one way and you have to sprint the other way.
• Failing to warm-up and stretch out properly (http://www.vimeo.com/6779948.)
• Not being fit for the activity
• Dehydration
• Fatigue
• Tight hamstrings or inflexible surrounding muscles. 

Symptoms 

• Sharp, sudden pain at the point of injury which will worsen over a few hours
• Limited movement and the site of the pull is hard 

Treatment 

• Rest.  Avoid the activity which caused the problem for about a month to give the tear a chance to heal.
• Ice.  Reduce the swelling with an ice pack.
• Compression.  Wearing an elastic tube can help.
• Elevation.  Put your feet up at every opportunity 

Prevention 

• Warm up and stretch thoroughly before and after exercise.
• Build up slowly when starting a new form of exercise rather than throwing yourself in at the deep end.  Your body will take time to adjust.
• Work on strengthening and lengthening all muscles, especially core, but particularly the offending muscle once it has recovered.
• If you’re tired, avoid the activity.  You just won’t be able to move efficiently.
• Watch your diet, especially your intake of fluids (sodium and potassium are electrolytes and important elements: see this month’s article on minerals).
• If it is a strenuous activity, train for it so that your body is prepared

I’m a great believer in the old adage “you are what you eat” and am particularly interested in the power of vegetables and fruit.  I found a brilliant little book recently called “the food pharmacy” by Jean Carper and thought I would share some of the information contained therein, but it is well worth a read in it’s entirety.   

I went food shopping earlier today and noticed that some fruits had far more space devoted to them than others, so I am assuming that this is because they are the most popular.  Certainly, looking at my fruit bowl, this would seem to be the case.  There are probably seasonal variations but I would suggest that bananas, apples, oranges, strawberries and tomatoes are definitely in the lead.  So on this assumption, here are the main benefits:-

BANANAS

A very healthy, filling alternative to high fat, high sugar snacks.  Try liquidising with soya milk, almonds and honey for a nutritious, satisfying breakfast.

• Prevent and heal ulcers by strengthening the stomach lining
• Lowers cholesterol because of the high pectin content
• High in potassium, so good for reducing blood pressure
• High in carbohydrate, providing energy
• The high fibre content will aid efficient bowel function
• Bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin which improves mood
• The vitamin B content will reduce stress and anxiety

APPLES

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”.  A versatile fruit: great as it is, straight from the tree, cooked or juiced.

• Good for the heart
• Lowers cholesterol
• Reduces blood pressure
• Stabilises blood sugar so good for diabetics
• Anti cancer
• Anti virus/infection, so if you’re fighting a cold …
• Anti inflammatory: if you suffer with painful joints, try a couple of apples a day for a month

Apples are a miracle fruit, extremely beneficial and a very healthy snack

ORANGES

There are many varieties, so something to please everyone.  The high vitamin C content fights diseases such as scurvy and has been used for this purpose for centuries.

• Combats certain viruses
• Lowers cholesterol
• Fights arterial plaque
• Lowers the risk of certain cancers and has been attributed to the drop in stomach cancer in the US!

STRAWBERRIES

A great favourite in the summer: strawberries and cream! These days you can get them all the year round and of course, there’s strawberry jam.

• Destroys viruses, eg, herpes simplex, especially when mashed or liquified
• Linked to lower cancer deaths
• Protects against macular degeneration, the primary cause of lost vision in the elderly

TOMATOES

Classified as a fruit, the tomato has been promoted to the Superfood category in the last couple of decades because of the discovery of the high lycopene content, a powerful anti oxidant.

• Reduces the risk of cancer
• According to a study in Wales, prevents appendicitis
• Tomatoes boost the level of procollagen in the skin, suggesting potential reversal of the skin aging process

Pilates is the safest, most effective form of exercise you could choose to keep fit (advanced flows have cardiovascular benefits), healthy (many health benefits, including prevention of back problems) and in great shape (toned body and you can burn 7 to 8 calories a minute with advanced Pilates), but are there any safety issues we should consider whilst practicing, other than the obvious ones or performing the exercises with control and engaging the core to protect the back? 

There are the obvious ones:- 

• Check with your GP before starting a new fitness regime
• Don’t exercise if you feel unwell
• Perfect your technique before moving up a level
• Do not drink alcohol or eat prior to exercising
• STOP if you feel pain or become dizzy
• Have your back problems or injuries treated before commencing a Pilates programme. 

However, there are two other major areas requiring careful consideration once you reach an intermediate and advanced level.

Hip Flexors (Iliopsoas) 

These cross the hip joint at the front of the leg and as the name suggests, are responsible for flexion – reducing the angle at the front of the hip, for example, when you walk upstairs and lift the leg to step up.  As you move up the levels of Pilates, you may start to feel these, together with the quadriceps – the big muscles running down the front of the thigh – becoming tight and quite sore.  Even the roll up (this weeks featured video and also on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGg2X4kYos0)  can cause problems, especially if you are not using your abdominal muscles effectively.  Certainly the 100, the Teaser and Hip Circles will all overwork this area and tight hip flexors can lead to lower back problems. 

Never move up a level until your abdominal muscles are strong enough to do the work and take the pressure off other areas of the body.  Check that you are fully engaging the core, maintaining neutral position and stable pelvis to care for the lower back, too.  Lengthen through the legs and turn them out to engage the adductor muscles and reduce the pressure, even bend the knees a little. 

Pilates is a very safe form of exercise but the hip flexors (iliopsaos) and the neck are vulnerable areas

Neck 

The further up the spine you go, the smaller the vertebrae become because they do not have to support so much weight.  It is therefore understandable that the neck is vulnerable during exercises where we come up into a shoulder stand position.  Even at a relatively basic level, you will be performing Roll Back or Rolling like a Ball.  This should be performed with great control to prevent yourself from rolling right back onto your head and thereby putting undue strain on the neck.  More of a problem is the Roll Over (this weeks featured video and also on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGg2X4kYos0) and Jack-Knife.  Both should be avoided if you have kind of neck problem and you should always allow the chin to relax to the chest rather than looking up and pushing the back of the head into the floor.  Scissors and Bicycle, whilst not particularly difficult exercises, can also put a strain on your neck: it is all about control and if you start to lose your balance, you will end up taking it in the neck. 

The head is quite heavy, too, and many people find raising the head and shoulders during core strength exercise is very stressful for the neck: build up slowly, check that you are not straining forward with the head and ensure that you are using your abdominal muscles, not your neck.

So you see the importance of walking before you can run?  By the time you attempt the intermediate/advanced versions of these exercises, your body will be well prepared and no problems should be encountered.

A recent documentary found that however much you pay for your beauty products, nothing you put on your skin is going to  get rid of lines and wrinkles (in case you hadn’t worked that out for yourself).  We spend millions of pounds a year on face creams containing the latest wonder ingredient the ads tell us will give that flawless complexion we all crave, but how can something you put on the surface on the surface of the skin which flakes off have such an impact?  If you look at the list of ingredients, would you want all of that penetrating your skin and entering your body? 

Moisturiser helps the appearance of your skin, but a perfect complexion comes from within

Whilst a moisturiser applied to the skin may reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, it will not remove them.  If you really want to make a difference to the quality and appearance of your skin, follow these 10 rules:- 

1. Work from the inside: plenty of fresh vegetables, fruit, fish and water.
2. Avoid the strong sun in the middle of the day.  If you are out in the sun, use a sunscreen.
3. Don’t smoke and avoid polluting atmospheres.
4. Don’t drink too much – it will leave you dehydrated, so drink plenty of water.
5. Exercise: get the blood pumping around the body and improve circulation.
6. Avoid harsh weather conditions or use a barrier cream to protect your skin.
7. Keep central heating to a minimum.
8. Start as young as possible.
9. Choose your parents wisely!  Much of this depends on your genes.
10. Follow a skin care routine which suits your skin, but doesn’t break the bank.  You really don’t need to spend a lot of money. 

We’ve put together some ideas for making your own products using natural ingredients.  Why not give them a try?  We’ve arranged a whole routine for you so look out for the next post!

A slight departure for me this week from health, fitness and exercise into the world of beauty!  

Most of us are well aware of the damage sun can do and the need to take extra care in the summer.  I don’t know about you, but this cold, snowy, wet winter has played havoc with my skin.  Here are some tips to help keep your skin in great condition:- 

Be prepared to make changes to your skin care routine in the winter

1. Seasonal changes:  Be aware of the changes in your skin from season to season.  Unless you are sunburned, your skin is likely to be drier in the winter due to the wind and cold when outside; the heating when inside.
2. Humidifier:  Use a humidifier to prevent your skin and nasal passages from drying out, especially if you suffer from eczema.
3. Exfoliate:  Because your skin is drier in the winter, you need to exfoliate to get rid of the dead, flaky skin so that your skin will then soak up the moisturiser more readily.
4. Skin care regime: Be prepared to make changes.  In the summer, a lotion moisturiser may be enough, but in the summer you may need a cream.  If you don’t already, use a night cream.  Soaps and astringent toners may be fine in the summer, but if your skin is feeling tight and dry, try cleansing with an aqueous cream and rinse with water.
5. Body and hands:  It’s not just the skin on your face that suffers.  Don’t take long, hot baths or showers and always moisturise afterwards.  Wear mittens or gloves when going out in the cold and use a good handcream.
6. Hydrate:  Although drinking plenty of water is easy enough in the hot weather, we also need to keep hydrated in the winter.  If a glass of cold water is unappealing, try hot water with a squeeze of lemon and a little honey and ginger.  You can buy ready prepared fruit and herb teas in supermarkets.
7. Diet:  Watch your diet.  Avoid the stodgy, comfort foods which may be high in saturated fats and sugars.  Get plenty of oily fish, avocados and a few nuts into your weekly menu.
8. Lips:  Keep your lips moisturised at all times.  Carry a lip balm around with you. 
9. Sun:  Even in the winter, you should choose a moisturiser with SPF in it to protect against sun damage.
10. Shades:  The sun is low and shines straight into your eyes, so always carry your sunglasses with you.  Apart from preventing wrinkles, it makes driving safer.

There is no question though that exercise and fresh air will make a huge difference to the quality and appearance of your skin.

Knee problems are common and clients often complain of achy or painful knees.  Apart from some sort of trauma, it is often a result of misalignment through standing incorrectly or muscle imbalances.  For example, a client complained that her son was unable to do any sports at school because he would be in tears with painful knees.  I suggested he see a podiatrist and the problem is now solved: his feet pronate due to weak arches and this causes an inward rolling of the foot onto the instep which pulls on the inside of his knees.  Another client I have been working with all year ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament, underwent surgery and we have been focussing on strengthening the supporting muscles, for example, the hamstrings and quadriceps which cross over the knee joint.  Tight hips can put pressure on the knee joint also: sitting cross legged can lead to painful knees if your hips are tight. 

The knee joint is a hinge joint which, for an extremely complex joint, only affords a limited range of movement.  It can extend (straight leg) or bend, one way only, ideal for walking or running forward.  See how awkward it feels to walk backwards.  The femur (thigh bone) tibia and fibula (lower leg) all meet at this junction with the patella (knee cap) covering the joint.  Apart from muscles, there are ligaments to help stabilise the knee and cartilage to help protect.  Essentially, though, the knee needs to be correctly aligned and move along its natural lines in order to remain healthy and pain-free. 

Sitting in easy cross legged, cobbler/pigeon/lotus pose helps open the hips and takes the pressure off the knees

So how can we avoid knee problems:-

1. When standing, check your posture and alignment:-  feet facing straight ahead (not turned out or in), in line with the hips: NOT the width of the flesh, but the bones.  Engage the leg muscles to prevent rolling inwards and check that your body weight is evenly distributed on the WHOLE of the foot to avoid hyper-extension.
2. Engage your core muscles: this will further correct your posture and take some of the load off the knees.
3. If you have flat feet, see a specialist and use orthotics if necessary.  Do some exercises to strengthen the arches.  In Pilates, we work the feet all the time, pointing and flexing the toes.
4. If your hips are tight, cobbler or pigeon stretch are just two of the very simple stretches you can perform to help open them up. 
5. Take care during exercise, for example:- 

• Sports – correct footwear, varied surfaces, 2 or 3 times a week only to avoid overuse injuries.  Always warm up and cool down with plenty of stretching.  Use specific exercises in your training to help avoid injury to the knees.
• Pilates – a classic example of misalignment is in shoulder bridge with the knee wandering out to the side instead of being lined up with the knee and hip bone.  Also watch out for hyperextension of the knee: pointing the toes with straight legs means lengthening through the muscles, not jamming out the joints.
• Yoga – take care in all standing postures that the bent knee is over the heel, in line with the second 2 toes.  Watch out for tight hips causing pulling on the knees in some postures, for example, lotus and work at opening out the hips.

Soya beans are a species of legume native to Eastern Asia.  The Chinese cultivated them initially to use as manure, but Soya has been used as a food for some 4,000 years.  It is generally considered to be a complete source of protein, i.e., it contains significant amounts of all the essential amino acids (the building blocks of proteins).  Soya protein is comparable in quality to meat and eggs.  It is cholesterol free,  rich in iron, calcium, zinc, the B vitamins and essential fatty acids: Omega 3 and 6. 

A good and healthy form of protein?

However, it is surrounded by controversy.  Production of soya all over the world has risen rapidly over the past 25 years in the light of positive health reports.  On the face of it, it looks like a wonder food.  The east Asian populations have lower rates of heart disease and cancers, such as breast and prostate; hormonal problems which plague women in western society are virtually unheard of in Japan; it seems to strength bones – again, osteoporosis is rare in the east, yet they eat very little dairy; vegans can still get all the protein they require without eating animal produce; those with allergies to dairy  have a substitute in soya. 

Then some health issues were raised which started a rash of further investigation, throwing up some major concerns on the safety of soya.  Large quantities were fed to animals to monitor effects on health.  It was well-known as early as the 1980’s that phyto-oestrogens could produce biological affects in humans, hence the positive links between soya and menopause, but in large quantities, these effects could be negative.  It was found that monkeys given large quantities became infertile; certain cancers were oestrogen dependent; it interfered with thyroid function.  Around 30% of babies in the US are raised on soya formula (it is free for those on welfare), so concerns were high. 

The problem is the same as ever: in large quantities, soya could have a negative effect on your health.  As soon as we hear that something is good for us in the west, we overdo it, thinking that if a little is good for us, a lot must be even better.  In the East, they eat it in small quantities and there seem to be many health benefits, but then can they be assigned to soya or is it part and parcel of their whole lifestyle philosophy?  It definitely has a place in our diet, but in moderation and preferably organic. 

What is much more worrying is the fact that our intake is hard to monitor: according to the food industry, over half of all processed foods in the UK contain some form of soya.  It is in biscuits, cereals, gravies, sausages, soups, pastries, to name but a few. 

If you follow these guidelines, you will probably be able to reap all the benefits without suffering from any of the health scares:-

• Eat in small quanities
• Choose organic
• Avoid processed foods and check labels
• Prepare correctly: soya beans will need to be soaked overnight, rinsed and cooked thoroughly to destroy any toxins they contain.  You can buy them ready-prepared, frozen or tinned.

A healthy diet, full of fresh fruit and vegetables can be beneficial in many ways: from preventing some cancers and disease to helping control your weight.  These two simple recipes can help relieve water retention.

WATERFALL JUICE

Place 3 celery sticks, 3 carrots and 3 green apples through a juicer with a handful of flat parsley.  Drink immediately.

WATERFALL SALAD

Chop 2 celery sticks, a generous slice of water melon, 1 chicory bulb and 2 sweet apples.  Place in a bowl and pour a tablespoon of walnut oil and a tablespoon of wine vinegar over the top and mix thoroughly.

Certain fruit, vegetables & herbs can relieve water retention

Do you have 3 or more of the following symptoms?

1. Puffiness of the face, eyelids, tummy, ankles or shins?
2. Is there decreased flexibility in your hands and fingers?
3. Are your shoes tight, especially towards the end of the day?
4. Are your rings or watch tight some days?
5. Is there indentation on your legs from your socks or boots?
6. Does your weight fluctuate, despite no change in your diet? 

You may suffer from fluid retention.  This occurs when fluid gets trapped in the tiny spaces between the cells.  Usually fluid is carried through the body in blood vessels, lymph ducts and tissues, but if there is an imbalance in pressure between the different cells, fluid can leak into the surrounding tissue. 

There are many reasons for this.  It could simply be that you have been on your feet all day or just landed after a flight.  If you suffer regularly, it may be down to hormonal imbalances, a poor diet, lack of exercise or possibly food allergies.  It can account for anything up to 3kgs extra in weight! 

Remedies

• Check that you are not allergic to anything
• Take regular exercise to improve your circulation
• Look at your diet:  plenty of fruit and vegetables and reduce your salt intake
• Avoid processed foods – they may contain additives and too much salt.  Typically, 80% of our salt intake comes from processed foods
• Waterfall Juice & Waterfall Salad will help relieve water retentionl.  Try drinking Waterfall Juice everyday and nettle tea.  Herbs such as parsley have diuretic properties. 
• It sounds odd, but drink plenty of water.  Our blood has to be maintained at a certain dilution, so if there are toxins and excess salt, the body requires more fluid to flush them out – this leads to bloating
• For PMS, you could try supplements, but start with the above.

Herbs, such as parsley, have diuretic properties

I never noticed people’s feet until I started teaching Pilates.  It’s not often we get the opportunity to go barefoot in this country so they are rarely on show, but in Pilates and yoga we don’t wear anything on our feet.  It wasn’t so much the state some were in, but more the effect they had on people’s posture (and therefore the function of the core).   Our motion and our posture start at the feet.  The foot’s anatomy is designed to distribute the weight and the forces evenly throughout the body when walking and standing.  In turn, the rest of the body is designed to work around a proper foot alignment. When this balance is broken at the feet, the balance throughout the entire body is also broken, eventually causing a long sequence of complications.

During a standing warm up, the first thing I ask my client to do is observe where their body weight is on their feet.  Odd question you may think, but this will have an effect on every part of the body.  The most common faulty posture is “swayback“, where the weight is mostly towards the balls of the feet.  Apart from knee and hip problems due to hyperextension, the natural curve of the lower back is exaggerated, causing compression, the curve of the mid back is also often exaggerated and the head thrusts too far forward, creating potential issues for the neck.  So you see, just by standing incorrectly, there is a chain reaction of  faults travelling all the way up the body.  During Pilates, we work on stretching the tight muscles (eg, lower back), strengthening the weak muscles (eg, core, hip flexors & quads) and learning to distribute the weight evenly through the feet.  Another observation is whether my client is flat footed:  if the arches are weak, we tend to roll onto the instep.  This pulls on the inside of the knees and the sacro iliac joint. 

Pilates & yoga strengthen & stretch the feet, leading to better posture and fewer health issues

In Pilates, the feet are both strengthened and stretched (pointing and flexing) which leads to a more neutral foot print.  In yoga, the variety of foot position, together with the balances (very beneficial for stengthening the feet) and specific foot exercises do the same thing.  With stong, flexible arches, feet facing straight ahead and body weight balanced equally on both feet, evenly distributed, the rest of the body has a better chance of lining up evenly.  Posture is greatly improved and health problems are avoided. 

This week’s featured video (also on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrxpHd5nkyY) is a short collection of exercises which work on the feet as well as other muscle groups.  It is for observation only unless you are at an intermediate/advanced level.  Please warm-up thoroughly first.  Each exercise works the feet by pointing and flexing.