Live Strong & Age Well

Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release (SMR) technique. It can help relieve muscle tightness, soreness, and inflammation, and increase your joint range of motion. Foam rolling can be an effective tool to add to your warm-up or cool down, before and after exercise. Myofascial release helps manage pain and discomfort by applying pressure to area that are tight or sore to help them relax.  By using a foam roller, you can apply pressure and massage the area by rolling back and forth. Benefits of foam rolling:  Ease muscle pain and soreness, reduces muscle inflammation, increases range of motion,increases blood flow to the muscles, aids in muscle recovery and relaxation. Foam rollers come in various types, each designed to provide different levels of massage intensity and target specific needs. Here's a breakdown of the common types: Based on Texture: Smooth Foam Rollers: These are the most basic type, offering consistent and gentle pressure. They are excellent for beginners a...

Physical Health Benefits: Cardiovascular Health: Cycling is an excellent aerobic exercise that strengthens the heart, lowers blood pressure, and improves circulation. This is particularly important for women as they are often at a higher risk of heart-related issues. Regular cycling can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Weight Management: Cycling is an effective way to burn calories and manage or lose weight. Moderate cycling can burn a significant number of calories per hour. It also helps in increasing metabolism and burning body fat. Combining cycling with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can further accelerate weight loss. Low-Impact Exercise: Cycling is gentle on the joints, making it a suitable exercise for women of all ages and fitness levels, including those with joint pain or recovering from injuries. It reduces the stress on hips, knees, and feet compared to high-impact activities like running. Muscle Strength and Tone: Cycling engages ...

Your bowel movements can reveal a lot about your digestive and overall health. Here's what different aspects might indicate: 1. Frequency Normal : Anywhere from 3 times a day to 3 times a week. Too Frequent (Diarrhea) : May indicate infection, food intolerance, IBS, or stress. Too Infrequent (Constipation) : Often linked to low fiber, dehydration, inactivity, thyroid issues, or medications. 2. Color Brown : Normal due to bile. Green : Could be from leafy greens or fast transit time. Black : May indicate bleeding in the upper GI tract (or iron supplements). Red : Possible lower GI bleeding (or from foods like beets). Yellow or Pale : Could point to fat malabsorption, liver, or gallbladder issues. 3. Shape and Consistency (Bristol Stool Chart) Type 1-2 (hard, lumpy) : Constipation. Type 3-4 (smooth, sausage-shaped) : Ideal/healthy. Type 5-7 (soft, mushy, watery) : Diarrhea or urgency, possibly IBS or infection. 4. Smell Foul odor : Can be from infections, poor ...

EPI occurs when your pancreas does not make enough digestive enzymes.  Sometimes the enzymes don't work as they should.  Enzymes are proteins that cause chemical reactions in your body.  Digestive enzymes break down food, allowing your body to get nutrients.  The pancreas is part of your digestive system.  It makes enzymes that aid digestion and help your body absorb nutrients.  When you have EPI, you don't have enough digestive enzymes.  Foods pass through your intestines in a more complete (undigested) state.  As a result, your body doesn't get the nutrients it needs from foods. There are differently types of pancreatic enzymes.  Amylase, which breaks down carbohydrates.  Lipase, which breaks down fats.  Protease and elastase, which break down proteins. Causes:   Chronic pancreatitis is the main cause of EPI in adults.  Other causes are Celiac disease, Diabetes, Inflammatory bowel disease, Pancreatic cancer, and surgery...