Month: May 2007

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Driving ourselves SICK

By Eric M. Weiss, Washington Post
…
"You tell someone they need to exercise or go to physical therapy, but how can they? They leave at 5 a.m. and get home at 7 or 8 p.m. at night," said Robert Squillante, an orthopedic surgeon in Fredericksburg, Va., who has treated patients for back pain and other commuting-related problems.
Constant road vibrations and sitting in the same position for a long time are bad for the neck and spine, he said, and put special pressure on the bottom disc in the lower back, the one most likely to deteriorate over time.
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A Healthy Mix of Rest and Motion

By PETER JARET
Published: May 3, 2007
SOME gymgoers are tortoises. They prefer to take their sweet time, leisurely pedaling or ambling along on a treadmill. Others are hares, impatiently racing through miles at high intensity.
Each approach offers similar health benefits: lower risk of heart disease, protection against Type 2 diabetes, and weight loss.
But new findings suggest that for at least one workout a week it pays to be both tortoise and hare
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It’s All in the Hips

If you regularly experience knee, shoulder, or lower back pain, you may be suffering from the effects of tight hip muscles.
By Alisa Bauman
Stan urban, 48, a competitive cyclist, turned to yoga three years ago when he began to experience lower back pain, a very common ailment among cyclists, who spend the majority of their time hunched forward over the bike. Though Urban thought his problem centered in his lower back, his coach and yoga instructor, Dario Fredrick, had a different theory. Shortened hamstring muscles along the backs of Urban’s legs coupled with tight hip flexors along the front of his thighs, as well as tight groin muscles and hip rotators, were preventing him from riding his bike in the proper form.
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Tour dem Parks, Hon!

THIS SUNDAY

The fifth annual “Tour dem Parks, Hon!” bicycle ride happens Sunday,
June 10 from 8:00 a.m.-12 noon. This is a fun ride for anyone who
would like to see Baltimore’s better-known parks and neighborhoods as
well as those that are quietly tucked away. It is a chance to bike
ride with family and friends, both old and new. Riders can choose from
10, 20, or 30 mile routes, all starting and ending at Carroll Park in
southwest Baltimore. If you have been thinking about taking a ride but
are not feeling as energetic as you need to be out there on the
streets, this is a great opportunity to cycle with others and learn
new routes. The ride promotes cycling in Baltimore and awareness of
its many lovely green spaces, with proceeds going to parks groups
throughout the city. Early registration is $25, day of $30. Kids under
10 ride for $5; teens, for $15. Register online at
www.tourdemparks.org. For more information, call Gary at (410)
396-4369.