10 Easy Exercises to Strengthen Your Hips and to Help Relieve Pain

While not everyone can have those supple hips like Shakira, you can all benefit from working on and strengthening muscles that support those agile hips.

Although often ignored and uncared for, your hips are the fulcrum point for all the movements in your lower body. Sitting at work or home for most of the day leads to tight hip flexors that causes troubles like hip pain, lower back pain and injury.

Moreover, weak hips can lead to an antalgic gait, causing knee, ankle or foot injuries that can leave you resting in bed for days or months at a stretch.

And this is just the beginning, hip problems don’t stop here. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, more than 2.5 million Americans today are living with an artificial hip. In fact, hip replacements are on the rise in the United States, peaking specifically among adults in early middle-age.

A 2005 study published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine discovered an association between overuse injuries in the lower extremities and poor strength in the hip abductor, adductor and flexor muscles around the hip region.

So, it’s worthwhile to take a look at your hip troubles and work to improve their strength and flexibility.

While nothing can beat walking, jogging and running, compound hip-specific strengthening exercises like squats, bridges and lunges are important to make sure your hips stay strong.

Here are some great hip flexor exercises that will help strengthen your hips and improve flexibility.

1. Bridging

This exercise works on your hamstrings, hip flexors, quadriceps, lower back and glutes, for strengthening and reducing pain.

1. Lie down on your back.
2. Bend your legs and bring your feet in toward your bottom.
3. Slowly, pushing through your feet, lift your bottom.
4. Make sure your hips are in line with your shoulders and knees.
5. As you do this, tighten your glutes and hamstrings.
6. Hold for 2 seconds and slowly sink your bottom to the ground.
7. Repeat 10 to 20 times daily for effective results.

2. Lying Lateral Leg Raise

Lying lateral leg raises help strengthen and develop your iliotibial bands that are responsible for your side-to-side leg motions. This exercise works on your gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus, obliques, hamstrings and quadriceps.

1. Lie on your right side.
2. Extend your right arm out for balance.
3. Lift your left leg up as far as you can, keeping it straight while you lift it.
4. Slowly, bring your leg back down so that it is in line with the right leg.
5. Complete 15 repetitions with that leg.
6. Roll over to the other side and repeat with your right leg.
7. Practice this every other day to get rid of hip pain.

3. Lying Leg Circles

Lying leg circles work on your gluteal muscles and hip flexors to promote flexibility, strength and range of motion in all the muscles that make hip and leg rotation possible.

1. Lie down on your back.
2. Extend your legs straight out.
3. Elevate your left leg to about 3 inches off the ground.
4. Make small circles, keeping your whole leg straight and aligned.
5. Switch to the other leg and repeat the process.
6. Perform 3 sets of 5 rotations on each leg, for 15 total reps on each leg daily.

Eventually, as you practice the exercise daily, you may raise your leg higher.

4. Single-Leg Squat

Also known as pistol squats, single-leg squats are a great exercise that work primarily on increasing the resilience in your legs. It targets your glutes, hips and quad muscles to improve your balance and stability.

1. Extend both arms out in front of you, and interlock your fingers.
2. Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart, firmly planted on the ground with your toes pointing forward.
3. Extend one leg out in front of you. (Make sure you do not bend the knee.) Do not let this leg or foot touch the ground.
4. Lower your body by sitting back and bending the knee of your other leg (as if sitting in a chair).
5. Squat down as low as you can.
6. Hold this position for 20 seconds.
7. Press down on your foot and slowly stand up.
8. Repeat 15 sets on each leg daily.

You may increase the number of sets gradually as you acquire strength.

5. Seated Butterfly Stretch

The butterfly stretch primarily works on your hips, inner thighs and lower back to increase flexibility and strengthen muscles.

1. Sit on the floor, knees bent to the sides, soles of your feet in front of you, back straight and your hands on top of your feet.
2. Engage your abdominal muscles to stabilize your spine.
3. Exhale and gently pull your heels toward you.
4. Simultaneously relax your knees toward the floor, as far as you can.
5. Breathe deeply and hold for 20 to 30 seconds.
6. Finish with leaning forward from your upper body. (Make sure you keep your back straight and push your knees toward the floor, as much as you can.)
7. Initially, practice this 15 to 20 times every day. As you acquire strength and flexibility, you may increase the number of sets performed.

6. The Clam

The clamshell exercise works on balancing the muscular effort between your pelvic floor and your inner and outer thighs, thus strengthening your hips and lower body. It primarily aims at your gluteus medius, a muscle in your hip abductors.

As the name suggests, think of a clamshell opening as you do the exercise. Your glute should do all the work, so keep the rest of your body completely still as you lift and lower your leg.

1. Lie on your side.
2. Bend your knees at 90 degrees.
3. Bring your heels together and in line with your bottom.
4. Without rotating your back or pelvis, lift your leg to open your knees as far as you can.
5. Hold for 15 seconds.
6. Return to the resting position.
7. Repeat 15 times on each side for stronger hips

7. Pigeon Pose

The pigeon pose is an effective exercise that helps reduce stress and tension in the hip region, thus improving flexibility. It works on your groin and hip flexor muscles and opens up your hip rotator muscles (gluteus medius & minimus).

1. Begin in a plank position.
2. Lift and sit with your right knee bent forward.
3. Inch your right foot away from your body.
4. Extend your left leg straight behind your body, as far as you can.
5. Keeping your hips square, lower yourself to the floor bringing your upper body as close to the floor as possible.
6. Hold the position for 5 breaths.
7. Repeat on the other side.
8. Practice 10 sets on each leg daily.

8. Marching Glute Bridge

Marching glute bridges help stabilize your pelvis, while working on your glutes, hamstrings and spinal muscles in the lower back.

1. Lie down on your back.
2. Bend your legs and bring your feet in close toward your bottom.
3. Slowly, pushing through your feet, lift your bottom.
4. Make sure your hips are in line with your shoulders and knees.
5. As you do this, tighten your glutes and hamstrings.
6. Slowly lift one knee toward your chest until your hip is at 90 degrees. Do not let your back sag or overarch.
7. Return your foot to the floor and lift the other knee.
8. Repeat 10 to 20 times every day. As you gain perfection, you may increase the count as per your capacity.

9. The Hip Drop/Step Up

The step-up is one of the best exercises for your hips and legs.

If you do not have a stepper at home, you may practice by climbing up and down the stairs.

1. Place one foot on a sturdy box.
2. Step with your weight placed on the center of your foot.
3. Push your hips back and then stand straight up.
4. Hold this position while keeping your body tall and your hips and shoulders square.
5. Push your hips back again.
6. Slowly lower your trailing foot to the floor.
7. Repeat with the other leg.
8. Practice 10 sets on each leg every day.

Once you’ve perfected this pattern, you can perform this exercise while holding a pair of dumbbells in your hands.

10. Lying Hip Extension

The lying hip extension, or reverse straight leg raise, is an effective exercise for strengthening your glutes and hamstring muscles.

1. Lie down on your stomach.
2. Keep your knees straight.
3. Slowly lift your leg with your bottom muscles.
4. Make sure your legs and knee are straight.
5. Hold for 2 seconds and release.
6. Repeat 10 times daily on each leg.

Resources:

http://journals.lww.com/cjsportsmed/Abstract/2005/01000/Hip_Muscle_Weakness_and_Overuse_Injuries_in.4.aspx
http://newsroom.aaos.org/media-resources/Press-releases/25-million-americans-living-with-an-artificial-hip-47-million-with-an-artificial-knee.htm

Source : http://www.top10homeremedies.com/news-facts/strengthen-hips-get-pain-relief-exercises.html/

8 sleeping positions & their effects on health

सोना हर प्राणी की जिंदगी का एक अहम हिस्सा है, क्योंकि इसके बगैर जिंदगी की गाड़ी आगे बढ़ ही नहीं सकती। हर व्यक्ति के सोने का तरीका अलग-अलग होता है और उनका यही तरीका उनके बारे में कई मजेदार बातें भी बताता है। आइए, जानें आपके सोने का तरीका आपके बारे में क्या-क्या कहता है।

In what position do you sleep most often? It turns out this is a very important question. Getting enough sleep is the most important thing – but did you know that how you sleep can also impact your health?

Sleeping on your back with your arms at your side is generally considered to be the best sleeping position for spine health and it’s good for your neck too, as long as you don’t use too many pillows.

That said, back sleepers tend to snore more than those in any other position and sleep apnea is strongly associated with sleeping on the back.

Let’s take a look at eight common sleeping positions and what they do to your body.

Source : http://www.trulymind.com/8-sleeping-positions-their-effects-on-health/

एक पैर पर संतुलन बनाकर न खड़े हो पाना दिमाग की सेहत का संकेत (Balance on One Leg & Stroke Risk Linked)

हाल में हुए शोध में एक छोटी सी कसरत के आधार पर यह पता लगाया गया है कि स्ट्रोक हो सकता है या नहीं।

Science Daily  पर प्रकाशित शोध   की मानें तो अगर कोई व्यक्ति लगातार 20 सेकंड तक एक पैर पर खड़ा नहीं हो पाता है तो उसे आगे चलकर स्ट्रोक का खतरा हो सकता है।

जापान की क्योटो यूनिवर्सिटी के शोधकर्ताओं का मानना है कि एक पैर पर संतुलन बनाकर न खड़े हो पाना दिमाग की सेहत का भी संकेत है।

शोधकर्ता याशुहारू तबारा के अनुसार, ”एक पैर पर 20 सेकंड तक न खड़े रह पाने का संबंध दिमाग से संबंधित हो सकता है।”

शोध के जौरान औसतन 64 साल के 841 महिलाओं और 546 पुरुषों पर परीक्षण किया है। यह शोध अमेरिकन हार्ट एसोसिएशन के स्ट्रोक जर्नल में प्रकाशित हुआ है।

स्त्रोत : अमर उजाला

Balance on One Leg &  Stroke Risk Linked

Difficulty standing on one leg may indicate that small strokes or tiny bleeds have already occurred, which means the risk for more serious strokes is high, the investigators reported online Dec. 18 in the journalStroke.

“Individuals showing instability while standing on one leg, as well as problems walking, should receive increased attention, as this physical frailty may signal potential brain abnormalities and mental decline,” said lead author Yasuharu Tabara, an associate professor in the Center for Genomic Medicine at the Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine.

Stroke, a leading cause of disability and death, occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain is interrupted because of a clot or bleeding.

For the study, Tabara’s team had nearly 1,400 men and women, average age 67, try to balance on one leg for a minute. The researchers also took MRI scans to assess disease in the small blood vessels of participants’ brains, in the form of “silent” strokes — or microbleeds.

Source : http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141218210013.htm

सर्दियों में सीजनल एफेक्टिव डिसॉर्डर (सैड) – Seasonal Affective Disorder or Winter depression

सर्दियों के दिनों अवसाद या डिप्रेशन की एक आम समस्या है ।  अवसाद कॆ  कारणॊ के पीछे कई वजह  हो सकते हैं लेकिन अगर आप सर्दियों मे दूसरे मौसम की अपेक्षा आलस, थकान और उदासीन महसूस करते हैं तो हो सकता है कि आपको सीजनल एफेक्टिव डिसॉर्डर (सैड) की समस्या हो। सर्दियों में अक्सर दिन के समय सूर्य का प्रकाश हमें कम मिलता है जिससे कई बार हमारी दिनचर्या और सोने व उठने का चक्र प्रभावित होता है। ऐसे में हमारे मस्तिष्क में ‘सेरोटोनिन’ नामक केमिकल प्रभावित होता है जिससे हमारा मूड बिना वजह खराब ही रहता है। कई बार यह स्थिति हमें अवसाद का शिकार बना सकती है ।
सीजनल एफेक्टिव डिसॉर्डर (सैड)  का वर्णन   मेडिकल सांइस मे सबसे पहले १९८० के दशक से दिखता है हाँलाकि इसके पहले कई चिकित्सक और रोगी भी इस बात से वाकिफ़ थे कि सर्दी का मौसम शुरु होते ही स्वभाव मे बदलाव दिखना आरम्भ हो जाता है । इस तथ्य का वर्णन पांचवी सदी ईसा पूर्व हिप्पोक्रेट्स  के कुछ आलेखों मे भी देखा जा सकता है । कई देशॊ मे जहाँ दिन काफ़ी छॊटे होते है और धूप का सर्वथा अभाव रहता है वहाँ अवसाद के रोगियों का मिलना एक आम समस्या है । जैसे स्वीडेन के उत्तर  भाग मे जहाँ छ्ह महीने रात और छ्ह महीने दिन रहता है वहाँ आत्मह्त्या की दर सबसे अधिक है ।

SAD के बारे मे कुछ तथ्य

• कोई आवशयक नही कि ठंड मे रहने वाले लोगों को ही यह समस्या हो , जो लोग उन जगहों पर रहते हैं जहां ठंड कम पड़ती हो और बहुत अधिक ठंड वाले इलाके में आ जाएं।
• महिलाओं में इस बीमारी की आशंका अधिक रहती है।
• 15 से 55 वर्ष की आयु वाले लोगों में इसकी आशंका अधिक रहती है।
  सीजनल एफेक्टिव डिसॉर्डर से पीड़ित व्यक्ति के बहुत अधिक संपर्क में रहने वाले व्यक्ति को भी यह बीमारी हो सकती है।

SAD के लक्षण

• लगातार थकान महसूस हो और रोजमर्रा के कामो मे मन न लगे ।
• मन मे नकारात्मक विचारों का बार बार आना ।
• सही प्रकार नींद न आना या बहुत अधिक नींद आना ।
• कार्बोहाइड्रेट युक्त चीजों जैसे रोटी, ब्रेड या पास्ता आदि खाने का हमेशा मन करना ।
• वजन का तेजी से बढना ।

SAD से बचने के उपाय :

• अपनी दिनचर्या निर्धारित करे ।
• रोजाना योग , ध्यान , मार्निग वाक और एक्सर्साइज करें ।
• थोडा खायें और बार –२ खायें लेकिन खाने मे हरी सब्जियों और फ़लों का सेवन अधिक करें ।
• सुबह देर तक न सोयें ।
• सर्दियों मे संभव हो तो दोपह्र का खाना धूप मे खायॆ ।
• इतवार को और अधिक खुशगवार बनायें ,  धूप का आंनद लेने के किसी पार्क मे जायें ।
• अगर घर मे ही काम करना पडे तो कोशिश करे कि ऐसी खिडकी के पास अपनी टॆबल रखें जहाँ प्रचुर मात्रा मे धूप उपलब्ध हो ।

मेडिकल उपचार
आमतौर पर डॉक्टर सैड के मरीजों का उपचार दो तरह की लाइट थेरेपी से करते हैं- ब्राइट लाइट ट्रीटमेंट और डॉन सिमुलेशन। ब्राइट लाइट ट्रीटमेंट के तहत रोगी को लाइटबॉक्स के सामने रोज सुबह आधे घंटे तक बैठाया जाता है।
दूसरी विधि में सुबह सोते वक्त रोगी के पास धीमी लाइट जलाई जाती है जो धीरे-धीरे तेज होती जाती है। सूर्योदय जैसा वातावरण तैयार किया जाता है। इसके अलावा योग, अवसाद हटाने वाली दवाओं और कॉग्निटिव बिहेवियरल थेरेपी से भी इस बीमारी का उपचार किया जाता है।

होम्योपैथिक उपचार

SAD के रोगियों को देखने के दौरान निम्म रुब्रिक्स  जो बहुतायात रोगियों मे पाये जाते है  :

• *Sadness, melancholy
• *Feelings of worthlessness
• *Hopeless
• *Despair
• *Sleepiness
• *Lethargy
• *Craving for sweets
• *Craving for carbohydrates
• *Company aggravates
• *Desire to be alone
• *Music ameliorates
• *Difficulty concentrating/focusing
• *Thoughts of death or suicide.

औरम मेट , फ़ास्फ़ोरस , सीपिया , रस टाक्स . इगनेशिया सर्दियों मे होने वाले अवसाद की मुख्य औषधियाँ है । हाँलाकि लक्षणॊ की सम्पूर्ण्ता ( Totallity of symptoms ) ही औषधि चुनाव का आधार है ।

लेकिन मुख्य औषधियों पर एक नजर :

Aurum metallicum is for those who sink into terrible depression in the dark of the winter feeling like the cloud is sitting over them. At their worst they feel that life isn’t worth living. They take solace in work and/or religion and hide themselves away listening to sad music until the sun returns the following spring.
Phosphorus has a really close relationship with the weather, loving the sun and sparkling with it – actually feeling invigorated by being out in the sunshine. They are deeply affected by cloudy weather – becoming miserable and gloomy the longer the sun stays away. In the deepest, darkest time of the winter they can slow right down, not wanting to do anything. Chocolate (especially chocolate ice cream) is their great source of comfort at those times – as are their friends. Even brief outbursts of sunshine on a winter’s day will lift their spirits, as can getting out with friends and going to a party or going dancing!
Rhus toxicodendron is useful for those who are particularly vulnerable to cloudy weather, who find that the cold, damp, wet and cloudy weather makes them feel just plain miserable. Their body reacts to the cloudy weather by stiffening up – especially the back and the joints – which makes them feel even worse. Getting up after sitting or lying down for a while is hard, and then continued movement eases the stiffness – unfortunately those joints start to hurt again if they are using them for a while so they have to rest – after which the whole maddening cycle starts again, thereby causing the restlessness that is a keynote for this remedy.
Sepia is for extremely chilly types who hate everything about winter: the damp, the rain, the frost, the snow, the clouds – everything. Their moods start to lift when they begin to get warm again in the late spring and early summer when they can get out in the fresh air and do some vigorous exercise. These people love to run much more than jog, and it is this kind of exercise – vigorous exercise in the fresh air – that makes them feel really well overall. If they can’t do it they sink into a depressed, irritable state where they want to be alone (and eventually, so does everyone else – want them to be alone that is!)

जीवन जीने के लिए कुछ संक्षिप्त नियम ( A brief guide to life )

 

इस आपाधापी की जिदंगी मे क्या जिंदगी जीना वाकई मे कष्ट्दायक है … अधिकतर लोगॊं का मानना यही है लेकिन लियो बाबूटा ऐसा नही मानते । जीवन जटिल भी हो सकता है अगर ह्मारी  सोच ऐसी बन चुकी हैं लेकिन Thich Nhat Hanh के शब्दों मे सरल जीवन जीने की कला मात्र  छ्ह शब्दों पर केन्द्रित है , ’ मुस्कराओ , साँस लो और धीरे-२ चलो ’

अगर जीवन जीने के लिये इन छह शब्दों का पालन करेगें तो जीवन आसान हो सकता है लेकिन इसके अलावा  इस आधुनिक युग मे कुछ और दिशानिर्देशों की आवशयकता है जैसे :

• कम टी.वी. देखें और अधिक पढें ।
• कम खरीददारी करे और अधिक बाहर निकले ।
• कम अव्यवस्था फ़ैलाये और व्यवस्थित जीवन जियें ।
• कम जल्दवाजी मचायें और काम को आराम से करें ।
• कम खपत करें और अधिक बनायें ।
• कम जंक फ़ूड खायें और अधिक कुदरती  खाने पर जायें ।
• कम बिजी रहे लेकिन प्रभावी रुप से रहें ।
• कम ड्राइविंग करें लेकिन अधिक टहलें ।
• कम शोर लेकिन अधिक एकांत ढूँढें।
• भविष्य पर कम ध्यान दें लेकिन वर्तमान पर अधिक देखें ।
• कम काम करें और अधिक खेले ।
• कम चिंता करें और चेहरे पर  अधिक मुस्कान लायें ।
• सोशन नेट वर्किंग साइट का प्रयोग कम करें लेकिन वास्तविक जिदंगी में अधिक मित्र बनायें

क्यॊ भाई कैसी रही …

( लाओ बाबूटा की अनुमति से लेख “ a brief guide to life’ का हिन्दी मे अनुवाद )