Justin G. Walls, Certified Personal Athletic Trainer

No more sore knees for sports and running The link above is for an article by Justin Price, M.A. on alleviating knee pain. Ouch! That's some serious knee pain! The first thing to understand is knee function: the knee only functions in one plane, and that would be going straight forward or straight backward. In order for the knee to move in a different direction, other joints have to give in order to change the legs direction. Those joints that assist in angling the direction of the knee are the hip and ankle joints. If the muscles around these joints are weak or overused, then inflamation can develop, reduce range of motion to protect the area, and create unnecessary load on the knee. An overloaded knee can result in recruiting tendons for support, and the tendon most likely to suffer is the ilioptobial band (ITB), which is located on the outside of the knee. The article mentions the benefit of using the BOSU balance trainer to increase the range of motion of the f...

Psychiatric Drug Use Spreads - WSJ.com The article above shows the trend in the US to treat more young adults with anti-depressant and other drugs. It also mentions that there has been more awareness of the weight gain that occurs as a result of their use. Please read it before continuing ... I have first-hand experience with people suffering from psychological issues and their battle with weight gain. No medication can replace our inner drive, either for good or bad. Being healthy only comes from inside. There has not been a pill invented to replace this: the medications remove impediments to our higher functions. There is one self-evident truth: Sometimes we all need help, and help can come from the outside. The Talmud (Berachos 5b) relates how difficult it was for Rabbi Yochanan to get out of bed. He was suffering from illness and depression. Rabbi Eliezer visited him, and asked if he was recovering well. Rabbi Yochanan replied, "the prisoner cannot let himself out of j...

One possible change to diet can be the introduction of probiotics into the diet. Studies going back as far as 2008 have demonstrated benefits such as changes in the amount of fat around the abdomen, BMI, and imporved digestion. This article  collects several of the studies that have been researched over the years to discern the benefits of probiotics. A little bit of backgorund on probiotics: Probiotics are types of bacteria that are found in fermented dairy and soy products, such as yogurt. These bacteria can contribute to the breakdown of foods in the digestive tract, such as the small intestine, and aid the absorbtion of beneficial nutrients while eliminating many food-born ailments such as high cholesterol. I recommend getting some of the smoothie products as a dietary supplement, such as Kefir and other yogurt smoothies. Adding some of these products may make a difference in how your body responds to food, such as making you feel more full. Try it out and leave your commen...

I have added some new features to the blog. You can review many of my posts from the past several months. Enjoy the new Blogger Dynamic view to more readily find information on my blog.

From the IRS website : You can include in medical expenses amounts you pay to lose weight if it is a treatment for a specific disease diagnosed by a physician (such as obesity, hypertension, or heart disease). This includes fees you pay for membership in a weight reduction group as well as fees for attendance at periodic meetings. You cannot include membership dues in a gym, health club, or spa as medical expenses, but you can include separate fees charged there for weight loss activities. Many employers offers an FSA (flexible spending account) or HSA (health savings account) as part of their health care package. This means that you may be able to use the money from those accounts towards personal training. You need to do two things before jumping in and purchasing sessions: You need a prescription from a medical doctor, or a note from your health care professional describing your need for a personal trainer. You should consult with your tax advisor about writing off the co...

The constant battle with the scale can be unending and unnerving. Before you even consider using it as your guide to a healthy weight, you should really consider the alternatives: Body fat percentage : this is the most accurate measure of health and fitness. It means a low weight or lean person can have too much body fat and still have the potential for many ailments associated with being "overweight" including Type II diabetes and osteoporosis, for example. A heavier person with normal body fat percentage would actually be better off. Technology allows us to measure body fat percentage through a bioelectric resistance pad, which are those silver pads you can find on some scales. Make sure you purchase that kind of scale because it really appraises you of true progress- more lean tissue and less fat. See how you fall out on the chart below: Waist-to-Hip Ratio: this is another effective way to measure how much fat has accumulated around the abdomen. As a general rule...

In a recent UCLA study , a variant in the oxytocin receptor gene has demonstrated different expressions of empathy and social skills. In their study, those with one type of variant were predisposed towards depression. Oxytocin is generally related to certain types of outgoing behavior, generousity, and is also known as the "cuddling gene" (from orginal tests that oxytocin made rats cuddle). The study sheds light on an issue that certain people may not have the same fundemental psychological tools to cope with stress and other life challenges, leaving them predisposed and tending toward symptoms of depression. It's important to note that, according to this study: nobody is doomed to fail. It just means that you have to stimulate your own production of oxytocin. In a study at  SUNY Stoney Brook , scientists were able to link dopamine and oxytocin production to people who had a real goal (specifically: this study was about "falling in love"). The production of th...