The first thing you need to do to get started on your post-holiday exercise program is organize a support group. Let your friends and family know your intentions and solicit their support. Next, find a gym, an exercise DVD or scheduled group classes you can attend; or ask a neighbor or friend to join you on schedule walks around the neighborhood or mall. In short–join forces with others. For more tips on joining forces and starting a support network, read magazines like Men?s Health, O the Oprah magazine and Self magazine.

Next, get your body moving. You can do this by doing traditional exercises or starting smaller with house cleaning activities like mopping and vacuuming. Keep your exercising interesting. Crank up some tunes and have an indoor dance party with your kids. Find a local indoor pool and go swimming. Time flies when you?re having fun so make exercising fun. Read magazines like Real Simple, Woman?s Day and Parenting for ways to incorporate your kids into your exercise program and how to keep things fun.

While recent studies show most people only gain a few extra pounds during the holidays and not an absurd amount of weight, the effect of a small amount of weight can be just as serious. Do not fall into the thinking that a few pounds are nothing to worry about.

One great strategy that will help you lose weight and improve your health is to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Not only are fruits and vegetables low in calories but they also supply your body with much needed vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Food magazines like Cooking Light, Cook?s Illustrated and Every Day with Rachael Ray offer many healthy recipes.

Just 20 to 30 minutes of exercise performed 3 to 4 days per week is sufficient to achieve noticeable improvements in your health. Magazines like Self, Women?s Health, Fitness and Shape offer readers helpful guidelines on choosing exercises.

Deciding today to take a proactive approach to your health and your weight is the most important first step you can make to a healthier and thus happier you.

Physical Benefits – CrossFit is great for kids because of the wide variety of disciplines it involves, from weightlifting to calisthenics to gymnastics. Kid’s brains are like little sponges, itching to make neurological connections and adaptations. These connections in the brain are made in response to stimuli. The more kids can be exposed to when they are young, the more connections and capacities they develop and retain for the rest of their lives. Think of friends you have who did not play sports growing up, unless they have consciously worked at it as an adult, they are probably still somewhat uncoordinated.

On the other hand, people you know who trained regularly in athletics growing up have a capacity to take on new things still as adults and display efficient and effective movement with their bodies. It’s always best to consider working with crossfit personal trainers in the Tampa Bay area, or where ever you may be, to achieve the level of fitness for you or your kids. Emotional Benefits – CrossFit is similar to sports and martial arts in how it can develop children on an emotional level. In my program we work with kids on sportsmanship, leadership, teamwork, listening skills, self-discipline and manners. These are all skills, though not physical, that will help kids become successful later in life.

In addition, I see a noticeable difference in the confidence level of children who have been doing CrossFit. As their bodies get fitter and their abilities expand, children generally become more physically active and less self-conscious in other athletic situations. I have also seen children lose considerable amounts of weight, resulting in a major change in body image and a big boost in self-esteem. This is especially important and beneficial in the pre-teen years. The truth is that the very same methods that are used on the world’s greatest athletes to make them perform at their best are the same methods that will help us attain the goals we just stated above.

There is no way that the majority of the people out there can lift as much or as well, as an Olympic Athlete. That’s why they are called “Olympic Caliber Athletes.” What we CAN do is to scale the exercises to ANYONE; from kids to Grandparents- EVERYONE has a level at which they can perform at CrossFit Tampa. We program the exercises to challenge the best athlete at the gym; but that doesn’t mean that its set in stone. You can adjust the weight or the number of reps down to your level at no consequence and don’t worry; you won’t be the only one.

We help you set your own intensity to accommodate any fitness or comfort level. The exercises don’t change, the way you lift doesn’t change and the methodology doesn’t change. The weight, reps and intensity, though, adapt to you. The CrossFit method can work for anyone. Whether you see yourself in one of the categories below, or in a category all your own, we are confident you will benefit from our workouts.

So you have been diagnosed with sciatica and even though your doctor explained to you about the condition, you have come looking for a bit more information on sciatica.
Lets start with the basic question on most peoples mind, what is sciatica? The general term used for pain being felt along the sciatic nerve is sciatica. This pain is usually described by patients as a sharp electric shocking type pain that starts in the buttocks and travels down the back of the thigh and leg. Most often caused by a herniated disk, there are also other causes. When diagnosing sciatica symptoms a MRI scan is most often taken to help with this process. If your MRI shows a herniated disk make sure to get referred to a spine specialist. A spine specialist can look over your X-rays and be able to recommend the proper course of treatment.

Some signs and symptoms of sciatica are:

A cramping sensation of the thigh
Shooting pains from the buttock, down the leg
Tingling, or pins-and-needles sensations in the legs and thighs
A burning sensation in the thigh
Maneuvers such as squatting, coughing or sneezing worsen the sciatica symptoms that the patient is having. The cause of the worsened sciatica symptoms is the jerking motion adding pressure that is being placed around the nerve.
I mentioned earlier that sciatica is not always caused by a herniated or slipped disk. Some other causes of Sciatica could be:

Iliolumbar Syndrome: This is simply inflammation or a tear of the ililumbar ligament. This is the back of your pelvis and it extends from the spine to the iliac crest.

Lumbar Facet Joint Syndrome: The pain coming from the joints in your back with this particular symptom can cause Sciatica like symptoms along with pain and discomfort. Just like the knee and elbow can get inflamed and cause pain, the facet joint is like any other joint in your body and follows these same rules.

Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: This is the narrowing of the spinal canal causing sciatica type symptoms. Disk problems and arthritis of the spine can cause this narrowing.

Piriformis Syndrome: Simply put this is pain caused by the Piriformis muscle that may be in spasm, inflamed, or irritated. Located in you buttock and laying right on top of the sciatic nerve as it exits the spine down your leg. When this muscle is inflamed, irritated or in spasm it will cause pressure on the sciatic nerve causing the sciatica like symptoms.

Sacroiliitis: The joint where your hip meets your spine is called the sacroiliac joint. When your sacroiliac joint becomes inflamed it is known as sacroiliitis. Sciatica type syndromes can be felt due to inflammation caused by arthritis or traumatic injury. Anesthetic injections or anti-inflammatory medications can take away the pain.
Being extremely uncommon in younger patients sciatica can still affect most anyone. Most people who suffer from sciatica are in the age range of thirty to fifty. Most often back injury or over exerting the back will bring on a sudden onset of sciatica.