Well Being Magazine

The mystery behind muscle cramps during exercise… and potential causes and treatments

By Brian B. Parr, Ph.D., ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist Muscle cramps are a common condition experienced during endurance exercise and many sports. Known as exercise-associated muscle cramps (EAMC), these sustained and painful muscle contractions tend to occur during prolonged exertion including exercise and physical labor that results in fatigue. Despite their frequency, the cause and treatment for muscle cramps is not well understood by many recreational and competitive athletes. Muscle Read more »

Engraining Exercise as a Way of Life

Far too many trees have given their all for self-help books to be published about breaking bad habits. All too often the bad habits we so desperately want to leave behind were engrained in us at a young age, and the earlier we learned them the more difficult they are to shake. On the other hand, the good habits we develop as young children are likely to stick with us Read more »

Common Workout Mistakes

The good news is that you have made a commitment of time and effort to a regular exercise regimen. The bad news is, after several weeks or even months of working out, you aren’t seeing the results you had hoped for. Chances are that you could be committing some common workout mistakes that can sabotage your best exercise intentions. Here are some tips that can help you avoid these fitness Read more »

“Summerize” your exercise routine.

Just because the mercury is rising to the near-triple digit mark doesn’t mean that you have to give up on your fitness plan. According to Mayo Clinic, a healthy adult should get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week. To safely make that happen in hot weather, you may have to make some adjustments to when, where and how you Read more »