Author: Trevor Ling

10 Best Foods For Rapid Muscle Recovery

A little soreness with a workout is bearable. . . maybe even pleasant if it’s a reminder of how hard you worked the day before. However, some aches and pains are more intense or don’t seem to go away quickly enough. This can limit both your ability and motivation to train.

Many clients tell us they don’t take pain medication because of the side effects, they don’t have time for a massage, and the ice bath the trainer recommended is just unbearable. So, the question that follows is . . . how else can I speed up muscle recovery after a workout and get on with my life?

The answer may be found in your refrigerator . . . the foods you eat build you up or break you down.

This is not just post workout, but how you fuel your body on a regular basis. Your muscles and immune system must be ready to take the hit of training and bounce back with ease.

Here are the top 10 foods I recommend as a Physical Therapist & Nutrition Specialist for rapid muscle recovery:

5 Stretches to Prevent Nagging Shoulder Pain

Are you feeling a pinch in your shoulder when you reach overhead?

Did you stop doing pull ups because it hurt your shoulders?

Do you have difficulty throwing a ball with your kids?

If you answered you, then most likely you have tightness in your shoulder muscles that needs to be resolved.

Tight shoulder muscles usually arise due to the rounded shoulder, slumped posture we stay in throughout the day. This puts the shoulders in a bad position, causing them to have to work differently when we move our arms. This not only puts a strain on the the joint, but can pinch the rotator cuff muscles and surrounding nerves.

The simple shoulder solution . . . work on your posture and find time throughout the day to stretch these muscles. The reward will be decreased shoulder pain and a lessened risk of further injury.

3 Running Mistakes Made When Marathon Training And How To Avoid Them

For all of you training for the St. Jude marathon, we congratulate you on your commitment. Whether this is your first or fifteenth race, it is important to train to reach the finish line, but also protect your body so you can make it to the starting line to begin with.

At this point you may be experiencing some aches and pain from logging all those miles. In fact, there are two frequently asked questions we hear as any race day draws closer:

Should I try to run through the pain?
Should I just give up on the marathon?

After all the hard work you put in following your training schedule, we want you to be able to run in this race. For the personal accomplishment it brings, as well as the amazing children this race supports.

We couldn’t possibly discuss every ache, pain, or injury in one blog post. Let’s talk about the top 3 marathon training injuries

How to Keep Your Joints Lubricated & Move with Ease

Have you ever joked about squirting some WD-40 into your creaky knee or stiff hip?

There is actually some truth to it though, because our joints are like hinges.

In a door frame, the hinge attaches the swinging door to the frame and allows it to open and close with ease. If the hinge gets rusty or starts to wear down, the door will creak, scratch, get stuck, or even jammed.

Over time, your joints can experience wear and tear that results in dis-ease of movement. Our knees can start making funny noises when we go up the stairs, we can have trouble straightening our hips after sitting for a long time, or not be able to quite reach up as high as we used to because of pain in our shoulder joint.

When our joints feel like rusty hinges we start to do less and as we do less, the “rust” and stiffness just gets worse. Then, the less we can do because of pain and the cycle continues.

How do we break the cycle of “rusty” joints and continue to move with ease?

What’s the Difference Between Soreness and Pain?

Whether your weekend activities included boot camp, mowing, golfing, biking or cross fit you put some significant physical stress on your body. This may be resulting in physical discomfort come Monday morning.

We often get asked when these types of aches and stiffness creep up . . . “how do I know if it’s pain or soreness?” AND “should I be worried about it?”

Friday Foodspiration: Beauty Blondies

“Beauty Blondies” Can we have our cake and eat it too? Unfortunately, having the cake often results in inflammation, aches, pains, and even wrinkles. In fact, a diet high in sugar will make you look and feel older than you are.

The good news . . . there are powerful ingredients you can sneak into your diet that heal your body from the inside out. These blondies are full of healthy fats, collagen, and antioxidants that nourish your hair, nails, and skin. Additional benefits you won’t see in the mirror include healing your digestive system, improving brain function, and keeping your joints healthy.

Discover the Right Type of Collagen to Reach Your Goals

Interested in remaining strong, confident, and pain free? That’s what will allow us to stay active and independent, enjoying the activities we love for years to come.

If this sounds like you, collagen supplementation may be something you have considered. A quick internet search will show the benefits of Collagen are numerous:

Improves skin and hair
Repairs joints
Improves digestion
Strengthens bones and teeth
Repairs muscle and prevents injury

After looking at that list, you might be saying “sounds too good to be true”. If this is you, then head over to the article we posted “Could Collagen Really Help Me Feel Younger?”. We break down the ways collagen works in the body and what the research says about it.

Or, you might see all those health and beauty benefits and be saying “sign me up”. Don’t get too excited yet. There is one big mistake people make when they go running to the store to buy a collagen supplement. This mistake is the reason that many people decide that collagen is in fact too good to be true.

The truth is, all collagen is not created equally.

Could Collagen Really Help Me Feel Younger?

Collagen is present throughout the human body. It is the protein that makes up our muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and skin. In fact, it can make up nearly 95% of the cartilage in our joints.

The problem is, that starting in our 30’s our bodies become less able to generate and replace collagen. So, it’s no wonder we start experiencing joint discomfort that affects our ability to run, hike, or chase little ones at the park. .

The cellular make up of collagen is strong and can resist stretching and pulling forces without breaking. Meaning, that when we have less of it our body is more prone to muscle pulls, tendon tears, and bones breaking. But, just because it’s a normal sign of aging doesn’t mean these outcomes are inevitable.

If there was a way to get more collagen instead of less as we age, then it seems we would be able to avoid these problems. We would have fewer aches & pains, less injuries, better strength, and even smoother skin. And the result . . . we would feel younger!

Maybe you have heard of collagen supplements or passed them on the shelf of Costco, but wonder . . .

Can consuming collagen really help increase the amount of collagen in my body?

Friday Foodspiration: Oven “Fried” Chicken and Waffles

Ready for some fall comfort food?

It might not feel like it yet, but cooler weather will be here before we know it and I have some fun recipes to get us ready.

Fried chicken and waffles – a combo I had never heard of before I moved to Tennessee – is starting to grow on me, but like many of these new found southern delicacies they don’t fit into my “health habits” meal plan. . . . until now!

The crunching coating for this chicken is made with almond flour and is baked instead of fried. The waffles are made with my zucchini “no corn” bread recipe in a cute mini waffle maker.

Other options . . . serve this chicken on two waffles as a “fried” chicken sandwich or as a protein on top of a salad. Leftovers from this dinner were perfect to recreate what used to be my favorite at a local restaurant – Fried Chicken Salad.

This entire recipe is gluten free, grain free, dairy free, sugar free, soy free, and A+ approved by my kids!

Improve Flexibility to Slow Down Aging

Aches and pains seem to creep up as we age, but it is possible to turn back the clock by remaining strong, flexible, and agile.

Do any of these recent quotes from clients sound familiar to you?

“I want to play on the floor with my grandchildren, but have so much trouble getting up.”
“I’m so stiff in the morning when I can barely get my socks on. “
“I feel like I look older than I am because my shoulders are so slumped forward.”

If you can relate to any of these sentiments that I bet you have chalked up the difficulty to aging. And maybe it is true that you aren’t as flexible as you were a decade ago. However, that doesn’t mean you have to continue down that path.