The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
It’s not uncommon for fitness enthusiasts to break a sweat in the gym and regret it the next morning. On the other hand, there are multiple other reasons why you may experience muscle fatigue, even if you’re the kind of person who leads a sedentary lifestyle. The most common causes of muscle soreness include stress, overuse, and tension.
The good news is, there are natural and effective ways for you to alleviate muscle ache, so here’s what you can do.
Since the year 2020 has taken quite a turn, it is best to use this time wisely. What better way to make use of the summer than by getting fit and healthy? Adding a fitness regimen to your daily schedule will not only benefit you physically, but it will also improve your overall mood. Studies show that getting just ten minutes of exercise a day promotes the release of endorphins, making you happier and more productive throughout the day.
photo courtesy of Valley Hospital
February 26,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Paramus NJ, Every Tuesday at 9 a.m., Thrive’s Walking Club meets at Westfield Garden State Plaza. Last Tuesday, we had a special event at Sur La Table! Each walker was given a beautiful dish towel compliments of the Thrive program, plus sample expressos, cappuccinos and an instant pot demo by the store manager! March 27th will be the final day of indoor exercise for the Walking Club. If you would like to join us, please call 1-800-825-5391 to register. You may also go to www.valleyhealth.com/thrive for more information.
January 6,2017
by George Becker, M.D., Director, Emergency Department, The Valley Hospital
Ridgewood NJ, Believe it or not, winter has officially begun! And, although there has been a lack of significant snowfall and cold temperatures in our area, we should still be prepared for the possibility of more seasonable weather.
Typical winters in the Northeast are beautiful, especially after a fresh snowfall. However, as many of us know, the arrival of snow means that it is time to dust off our shovels and get to digging! We understand that shoveling snow is our winter norm, but did you know that shoveling snow can actually pose a serious cardiac health risk to some of us?
In fact, although most people are not in danger from shoveling, the American Heart Association (AHA) still shares useful tips for anyone shoveling snow in the winter. To begin with, the AHA recommends that those who don’t exercise on a regular basis, those that have a medical condition, or those that are middle age or older consult with a doctor before shoveling.
The AHA also has the following general tips for staying safe while shoveling:
Take frequent rest breaks during shoveling.
Don’t eat a heavy meal prior or soon after shoveling.
Use a small shovel or consider a snow thrower.
Don’t drink alcoholic beverages before or immediately after shoveling.
Be aware of the dangers of hypothermia.
Learn the heart attack warning signs and listen to your body.
Some signs that you might be having a heart attack are pain in the chest, arm(s), back, neck, jaw or stomach. You might also break out in a cold sweat, feel short of breath, nauseated, lightheaded, or uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness in the center of your chest.
If you are concerned that you may be having a heart attack, you should not hesitate about seeking medical treatment—every minute is crucial when experiencing a heart attack. Call 911 immediately or head directly to the closest emergency room.
Our Emergency Department, located at 223 N. Van Dien Avenue in Ridgewood, NJ is open 24/7, 365 days a year and is staffed with physicians who are board certified in emergency medicine.
Posted on January 17, 2017 by George Becker, M.D., Director, Emergency Department, The Valley Hospital :
https://toyourhealth.valleyhealth.com/blogs/valleyblogs/january-2017/shoveling-snow-winter-chore-or-health-hazard
file photo by ArtChick
August 1,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most frightening, yet least understood ailments we face as human beings.
The loss of memory – forgetting family, friends and the most important events of our lives – is painful, tragic and heartbreaking for anyone who is close to the person suffering from the disease.
But Alzheimer’s doesn’t just arrive one day, full blown. It begins its insidious work long before the patient has a hint of what’s happening.
“Research suggests Alzheimer’s disease starts in your brain decades before you experience any symptoms,” says Daniel Amen, M.D., a clinical neuroscientist and brain imaging expert who also is the founder of Amen Clinics (www.amenclinics.com), which treat patients at six locations around the country.
He says the good news is you can find out what’s happening in your brain and, while there is no known cure for Alzheimer’s, there are things you can do to better care for your brain.
Amen, author of the New York Times bestseller “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life,” uses SPECT scans to examine his patients’ brains. SPECT stands for single-photon emission computed tomography. Amen says the brain-imaging device can show the abnormal patterns of Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia in their early stages and also can help distinguish multiple forms of dementia.
“That’s critical information,” Amen says, “because the varying types of dementia often have similar looking symptoms – at least in the early stages – but each type has its own ‘signature’ blood flow pattern in the brain that’s revealed with SPECT imaging.
“Identifying the type of dementia a person has is important because the treatment that works best for one type may not be effective for another type.”
But Amen also says there are steps that anyone can take to keep their brains healthy long before Alzheimer’s becomes a concern. Those include:
• Maintaining a proper diet. People who focus on healthy eating often are worried about their waistline, but the brain also benefits from or is harmed by what’s on the menu. Too many Americans sustain themselves on a diet filled with sugar and processed foods, which are associated with dementia and depression, Amen says. For a healthier mind, he says, there are “super foods” that nourish the brain such as various fruits, vegetables, fish and nuts.
• Avoiding too much alcohol and tobacco. Heavy alcohol and tobacco use lowers blood flow to the brain and reduces the ability to think over time.
• Exercising the brain. Activities such as dancing, tennis or table tennis (which Amen calls the world’s best brain sport) boost your coordination. Mindful exercises like yoga and Tai Chi reduce anxiety, depression and increase focus.
“In spite of the natural process of aging, you actually have a choice in how fast your brain ages,” Amen says. “What you choose to do – in other words, your behavior and habits – can speed up or slow down the rate at which your brain declines with age.”
About Daniel Amen, M.D.
Daniel Amen, M.D., (www.amenclinics.com) is a clinical neuroscientist and brain imaging expert who heads Amen Clinics, which are located in Orange County, Calif., Atlanta, San Francisco, New York City, Washington, D.C., and the Seattle area. He has written numerous books, including “The Amen Solution: The Secret to Being Thinner, Smarter, Happier” and “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life.” Dr. Amen also has appeared as a guest on such TV shows as “The View” and was a consultant for the movie “Concussion.”
JANUARY 5, 2016 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2016, 7:41 AM
BY KARA YORIO
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The teenager’s green Nikes bounce up and down on a big rubber band attached to the desk as teacher Kaitlyn Brock talks about continents and hemispheres. Nearby another student swings his legs on the bands. Their upper bodies remain still, they are taking notes and appear focused.
It had been two weeks since Brock had brought the Bouncy Bands to her Paterson classroom where she teaches about 120 seventh- and eighth-graders social studies each day at Alexander Hamilton Academy. She had already noticed a difference.
“They seem to be more focused when they can move their feet at the same time and they’re not completely confined to their seats,” said Brock, who is part of a movement among teachers to allow more movement.
The days of teachers yelling “Sit still” to kids in elementary through high school seem to be ending. Educators around North Jersey are realizing the value of a little freedom and physical activity while teaching.
It’s kinesthetic learning, according to Barry Bachenheimer, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment for the Pascack Valley Regional High School District.
“[It’s] the idea that when your body is in motion, you’re firing up endorphins, things are moving and instead of [you] sitting in a singular place the entire time,” said Bachenheimer. “If you’re sitting still for a long time, your brain doesn’t work.”
As more adults are coming around to the idea that “sitting is the next smoking” and working movement into their work routine, the idea of physical activity and education is moving more and more toward implementation instead of simply discussion. It is still not enough, according to Aleta Margolis, executive director of Washington, D.C.-based non-profit Center for Inspired Teaching.
Daily walk adds years to your life: Just 20 minutes a day is enough
A BRISK daily 20-minute walk could reduce the risk of an early death by almost a third, a new study shows
Lack of exercise is responsible for twice as many deaths as obesity, it says. Couch potatoes face greater danger from deadly cardiovascular problems like heart attacks and stroke as well as some cancers.
However, a 20-minute walk at a vigorous pace, or a cycle ride of the same duration, would move an individual from being classed as inactive to moderately inactive.
That small change alone would reduce their risk of early death by between 16 and 30 per cent, the Cambridge University researchers found.
Across the entire UK population, exercise from a young age would lead to an increase of nearly 12 months in average life expectancy. Individuals moving from total inactivity could gain many more extra years.
Even a small increase in physical activity each day like walking up escalators or using the stairs instead of the lift could provide significant health benefits.
Exercise for 20 minutes is recommended as a minimum and, where at all possible, more extended exercise should be carried out to achieve even greater benefits, the study says.
Professor Ulf Ekelund, head of the research team, said: “This is a simple message – just a small amount of physical activity each day could have substantial health benefits. Physical activity should be an important part of our daily life.”
