Now that we are in a new year, many of us have taken to hitting the gym. New year, new me, right? Quite a few of the members of my family have done so and boy am I hearing about it on Facebook! Now don’t get me wrong, I love seeing that so many of my loved ones are attempting to get healthier. I think it’s wonderful and wish I could join them. However, I am also seeing with every post they make how much they’re hurting from their new exercise regimens. Believe me, that I do not envy them.
If you are finding yourself in quite a bit of pain due to gym activity, remember rice. Now while rice may be yummy, I don’t mean to eat. As an acronym, it is a quick way to remember how to help minor aches and pains, such as those you may feel from pushing yourself a little too hard on that bench press. It also works very well in an old (clean!) sock if you put uncooked rice in the microwave to make a hot pack. The acronym is as follows:
R Rest. You need to let your body recuperate before plunging back into working out. This is why many people have “leg day” and “arm day”. It’s a chance to let other body parts rest.
I Ice. Any swelling that you may have should be iced to bring down the inflammation.
C Compress. If there is a great deal of swelling or pain, you may want to use an ace bandage or a brace to bring down the inflammation.
E Elevate. If there is a certain part of the body that hurts and is swollen, by elevating the area you can reduce the amount of blood flow and therefore bring down the swelling. It’s good to do this while you watch an episode of your favorite show on Netflix as a reward for working so hard.
The other wonderful thing you can do to help relieve your pain is come on into DiBella Chiropractic! We specialize in pain relief with no needles or pills. We use good, old-fashioned joint cracking to help release those air pockets that might be causing you discomfort. We can also help to get you on a good exercise program and the right food. We love to help, so come in and let us do what we do best!
