Saturday, January 19, 2008

Strength, Flexibility, and Balance

From those of us who can bench press 200 pounds to those of us who can barely bench the bar, from those of us who are contortionists to those of us who can only touch our toes when our knees are at a 90 degree angle, we all know that strength, flexibility, and balance are important factors in preventing injuries from sports, accidents, and everyday life. But, what about when an injury does occur - catching you off guard and sneaking into your body before you can swat it away - what happens then? Can the balance between strength and flexibility you've worked at maintaining help you to heal faster?

Renew your gym and yoga memberships, the answer is yes.

When it comes to muscle strength, the benefits are almost limitless. Not only does greater muscle mass facilitate metabolism and booster immunity, which helps heal injuries, but it also improves oxidative capacity of muscles, rushing the life force of oxygen to the area in need of attention. Additionally, muscular strength supports cardiorespiratory fitness, helping your heart to deliver minerals and nutrients to the point of injury.

From an emotional standpoint, having a body filled with strong muscles can help relieve stress, and produce confidence in your body and its ability to heal itself, both of which are factors in rebounding from an injury at an accelerated rate.

Strength is often viewed as muscle mass and bulk, but true strength is the ability of a muscle to contract when it needs to work and to relax when it doesn't. If your muscles are always working you will soon become fatigued and have no inner strength to deal with the most basic stressors of everyday life.

Inner strength doesn't have all to do with muscle strength; it also has to do with your ability to find your center in gravity: to feel the balance of your skeleton in the matrix of surrounding connective tissue, muscles, and organs. Orienting yourself around your center allows you to move out into the world from this place with ease and grace. From here any exercise you choose to do to build muscular strength will support integration, balance and harmony rather than more tension through the fabric of your being.

Flexibility, not to be overshadowed by muscular strength, also markets itself as a tool for healing. Our body has natural methods of healing stored within, and flexibility plays a vital part in making these methods work to their fullest capacity; flexibility is like adding grease to the wheels. It greatly improves circulation, which rushes nourishing blood to the areas crying out for help. Circulation also rushes antibodies and endorphins to the area of concern.

In addition, flexibility can help develop self-awareness, which helps you to become aware of, and adequately cater to, any injury you may sustain. It also improves both physical and mental relaxation; a person who is relaxed and at ease will heal much quicker than one who is rigid and tense. And, like muscular strength and inner strength, it lessons the accumulation of stressors on the body, which can greatly hinder the healing process.

While they might not prevent all injuries, cultivating strength, flexibility, and balance will help limit the power of your injuries, keeping them from getting worse, as well as aid you in a speedier recovery process.

TWISTED is a medical yoga studio at the Center for Osteopathic medicine in Boulder, Colorado. Twisted integrates osteopathic medicine, hatha yoga and mindfulness practices to teach optimal balance between physical, mental, and emotional health. It aims to educate and help people to live a healthy life from the inside out. Rehabilitation programs offer a comprehensive treatment regime for the whole being, empowering each person one breath at a time to stimulate the bodys natural healing potential.

Jennifer Jordan is senior editor of for http://www.yogatwisted.com. Specializing in articles that not only teach yoga techniques, but also teach techniques on fulfillment and enrichment, she aims to educate students proudly enrolled in the school of life.

Certification Yoga

Choosing the Right Golf Carts

Depending on which courses you are playing, renting a golf cart may make getting from one hole to another much easier. Because golf courses can be spread out over many acres of land, golf carts make transporting people, golf equipment, and other items more enjoyable than having to carry them from hole to hole. Because golfers want to spend the majority of their time on the course golfing instead of walking, renting a cart is advised.

If you are playing on a smaller course, you may not need to rent a cart. Carrying your equipment or renting a small push cart may be all you will need. These carts, even though they are small, can carry a lot of weight, so dont worry about not being able to fit all of your stuff into it. small groups should consider renting push carts for each player so that it is easy to get from one hole to another. Some golf bags have wheels on them for courses like these, so you may not have to rent any type of cart at all.

Those who golf often and those who live on or near golf courses will sometimes buy their own golf carts and keep them at their homes. this is very convenient for those who golf everyday. When purchasing a golf cart, find one that is large enough for your needs and one that has an extensive warranty because you never know what will happen in the future. Read through the warranty carefully to see if the cart needs to be taken to a specific repair shop or if you can take it anywhere for repairs.

Owning a golf cart means you need to take care of it as you would a small car. Regular oil changes, engine cleanings, and tire checks are necessary in order to keep it in good shape for a long time. You will appreciate having a golf cart when friends or family visit so you can take them golfing. cleaning the upholstery often will prevent scratches, tears, and discoloration. Store your cart in a garage or keep it covered so you dont run the exterior.

Additional accessories you may need include batteries, headlight covers, canopy covers, and additional storage for clubs, water, and other items you may want to take with you. Since a round of golf can take a few hours to complete, you should bring enough water and other items like a map of Alicante area with you so everyone will have a good time and remain hydrated.

Clinton Maxwell writes at large for http://www.alicante-spain.com, a website with information about Altea, Murcia and other topics. You can find his writings on map of alicante area at different sources for map of alicante area knowledge.

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