(ProActive Sports Rehab offers a weekly column promoting health, fitness and physical therapy. Please be sure to check back each week for a new topic!)
A busy lifestyle and cooler weather can take a toll on the body, especially for those who suffer from chronic aches and pains. Whether the cause of your pain is due to injury, stress or poor sleep, there are many ways to feel better while avoiding future pain.
To stay well this season and naturally manage muscle pain, consider these tips from professional ballroom dancer Tony Dovolani, who’s no stranger to the subject of pain management.
• Stretch. Stretching is not just for before or after a workout. Stretch throughout the day to keep blood flowing, particularly if you have a job that keeps you sedentary.
• Eat right. Your diet should include lean protein and healthy carbs. “And I eat my vegetables, too!” says Dovolani. “Mainly spinach, string beans and broccoli.” Figure out which vegetables you like best, and be sure to incorporate them into your diet.
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Water is necessary for muscle repair. Drink water throughout the day and especially when you’re active.
• Apply heat. Heat is a timeless remedy, and it’s clinically proven to relieve pain associated with muscle tension and stress, helping to relax muscles and improve blood flow. The increased blood flow restores oxygen and nutrients to inflamed areas to help accelerate healing.
“After every rehearsal and performance, I use heat to soothe aches and pains and improve blood flow to my neck and shoulder muscles,” says Dovolani, whose pain relief routine includes using The Sunbeam Renue Neck Wrap. “It’s great for providing relief to the back of my head, neck and shoulders.” Because it features an adjustable neck collar that contours to the shape of the neck of the user, it can provide high-level, concentrated heat for targeted relief.
Don’t let aches and pains set you back. With a healthy, active lifestyle, you can feel your best!
— StatePoint
ProActive Sports Rehab, with offices in Hamburg and West Seneca, offers one-on-one physical therapy and rehabilitation services. For more information, please visit http://proactivesportsrehab.com or call 674-9600 (West Seneca office) or 648-8700 (Hamburg office). You can also follow ProActive Sports Rehab on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ProActiveSportsRehab for frequent updates.
