bartlett-express.com Thursday, January 19, 2017 | 7

HEALTH&FITNESS

Children benefit in vari-ous ways from theirinvolvement in youth

sports. Being part of a teamfosters feelings of belonging,inspires collaborative playand strategy and can be anexcellent form of exercise.Still, despite the benefits,parents often worry aboutthe injury risk their childrenface on the playing fields.

Those fears are justified.A Safe Kids Worldwide sur-vey of emergency room vis-its found that a young athletevisits a hospital emergencyroom for a sports-relatedinjury more than a milliontimes a year, or about every25 seconds. The Centers forDisease Control andPrevention says more than2.6 million children 0 to 19years old are treated in theemergency department eachyear for sports- and recre-ation-related injuries.

Some of the more com-mon injuries young childrenface have to do with theskeletal and muscular sys-tems of the body. TheAmerican Academy ofOrthopaedic Surgeons stress-es that children's bones,muscles, tendons, and liga-ments are still growing,making them more suscepti-ble to injury. Fortunately,with some education, manyyouth-sport injuries can beprevented.

Sprains and strainsSprains are injuries to lig-

aments, or the bands oftough, fibrous tissue thatconnect two or more bonesat a joint. Strains impact amuscle or a tendon, whichconnects muscles to bones.Clinical research has linkedacute strains and sprains toimproper warm-up beforesports, fatigue and previous

injuries. Preparticipationconditioning and stretchingcan help reduce the risk ofinjury.

PeriostitisPeriostitis is commonly

known as 'shin splints.' Thisis an overuse injury thatoccurs in athletes who areengaged in activities thatinvolve rapid deceleration.Periostitis causes inflamma-tion of the band of tissue thatsurrounds bones known asthe periosteum, and typicallyaffects people who repeti-tively jump, run or lift heavyweights.

To head off potential painin the shins, young athletescan gradually build up theirtolerance for physical activi-ty. Supportive shoes ororthotic inserts may alsohelp. Incorporating cross-training into a regimen alsocan work.

Repetitive use activitiesSwimmers, tennis players,

pitchers, and quarterbacksmay experience somethingcalled a repetitive use injury.This is pain in an area of thebody that is used over andover again. Inflammation ofmuscles and tendons mayappear, but repetitive useinjuries also may result instress fractures, which theNational Institute of Arthritisand Musculoskeletal andSkin Diseases defines ashairline fractures in bonesthat are subjected to repeatedstress.

Rest between exercisescan help alleviate these typesof injuries. Ice, compression,elevation and immobilizationmay be used if pain is per-sistent.

Growth plate injuriesKids Health says growth

plates are the areas of grow-

ing tissue near the ends of thelong bones in the legs andarms in children and adoles-cents. A growth plate pro-duces new bone tissue. If thegrowth plate is injured, it can-not do its job properly. Thatmay contribute to deformedbones, shorter limbs or arthri-tis. Growth plate injuries mostoften result from falling ortwisting.

While there's no surefireway to prevent growth plateinjuries, getting proper andimmediate care after aninjury can help preventfuture problems. An orthope-dic surgeon has the expertiseto diagnose and treat theseinjuries.

Youth sports injuries arecommon but preventable.Warming up, being in goodphysical shape and not over-taxing a growing body canhelp kids avoid pain andimpairment.

Recognize, avoid youth sports injuries

Adequate sleep is anessential element of ahealthy lifestyle. But

as beneficial as a goodnight's rest is, restful sleepis proving elusive for mil-lions of people across theglobe.

According to theAmerican Academy ofSleep Medicine, 10 per-cent of adults in the UnitedStates have a chronicinsomnia disorder. Thattranslates to roughly 32million people in theUnited States. alone whostruggle to fall asleep orstay asleep at least threetimes per week for at leastthree months. Sufficientsleep boosts energy levelsand makes it easier tofocus and concentrate,while insomnia contributesto poor memory, disturbsmood and leads to daytimesleepiness. But insomnia isnot just harmful to individ-uals. The AASM notes thatresearchers estimate thatinsomnia costs an estimat-

ed $63 billion in lost workperformance each year inthe U.S.

Combating insomnia isno small task, but the fol-lowing healthy sleep habitsmay help men and womenovercome their bouts ofinsomnia and get morerestful sleep.

• Avoid too many bever-ages before bedtime.

Drinking water or bever-ages that include caffeineor alcohol too close tobedtime can interrupt sleepor make it difficult to fallasleep. Too much waterbefore going to bed maylead to nightly bathroombreaks that interrupt yoursleep. Along those samelines, alcohol consumedtoo close to bedtime may

make it easy to fall asleepfast, but you're likely towake up once the effectsof the alcohol wear off,which can be very soonafter your head hits the pil-low. In addition, avoid caf-feinated beverages in thelate afternoon or evening,as caffeine stimulates thecentral nervous system andmay compromise your

ability to fall asleep.Nicotine also serves as astimulant, so smokersfighting insomnia shouldavoid tobacco products inthe hours before they planto go to bed.

• Get out of bed if youcan't fall asleep. TheAASM recommends get-ting out of bed if youhaven't fallen asleep with-in 20 minutes of lyingdown. The longer you layin bed without fallingasleep, the more likely youare to dwell on your sleep-ing problems. If you needto get out of bed, spendsome quiet time reading abook in another roombefore returning to bed.

• Dim the lights insideyour home. Two to threehours before bedtime, dimthe lights in your home.Dim lighting signals toyour brain that it shouldbegin making melatonin, ahormone that is closelyassociated with sleep.

• Eliminate potentially

distracting sounds. A poorsleep environment cancontribute to insomnia,and distracting sounds canmake it hard to fall asleep.Fix distractions such asleaky faucets and closebedroom windows if near-by traffic is compromisingyour ability to fall asleepat night. If necessary, use awhite noise machine thatblocks out distractions butcontributes to a consistentsleep environment.

• Use your bed only forsleep and sex. Resist thetemptation to finish watch-ing a movie, televisionshow or ballgame in bed,using your bed only forsleep and sex. If you growaccustomed to working inbed or watching televisionin bed, you may have trou-ble falling asleep once youturn the lights off andclose your eyes.

More information aboutcombatting insomnia isavailable at www.sleeped-ucation.org.

Sleep right: How to ensure a more restful night’s sleep

8 |January 19, 2017 The Bartlett Express

HEALTH&FITNESS

Determining the nutri-tional value of certainfoods can be a tricky

business. Many foods canbe enjoyed in moderation,and labeling them as 'good'or 'bad' might lead to nega-tive connotations. In addi-tion, food labels changefrom time to time as nutri-tionists and doctors learnmore about nutrition andrevise their opinions oncertain items.

One food type that hasremained off the bad foodsradar for quite some timeis protein. Protein sourcesare largely touted as thebe-all and end-all in nutri-tion. But even seeminglyinfallible protein should beeaten in moderation, andeven then only if the rightsources of protein areselected.

Protein is an essentialbuilding block of goodnutrition that is foundthroughout the body andmakes up the enzymes thatpower many chemicalreactions. Protein helpsfuel the hemoglobin in theblood that carries oxygenthroughout the body.

The Institute ofMedicine recommends thatadults get a minimum of0.8 grams of protein forevery kilogram of bodyweight per day (or 8 gramsof protein for every 20pounds of body weight.Physicians in the United

States recommend a dailyprotein allowance of 46grams for women over theage of 19 and 56 grams formen. Too often, however,people are overloading onprotein because they thinkit's a better option thancarbohydrates and otherfood sources. But not allprotein is the same.

Protein that comes fromanimal sources offer all ofthe amino acids a bodyneeds. Unfortunately, someanimal sources are lesshealthy than others. That'sbecause animal-based pro-tein sources also containsaturated fat. Consumingtoo much saturated fat maycontribute to elevated lev-els of LDL, or 'bad,' cho-lesterol in the blood. LDLmay lead to the formationof plaque in arteries thatlimits blood flow and maybe a risk factor for heartdisease. Fatty red meatsand whole-milk productstend to contain more satu-rated fat than other proteinsources.

The key when consum-ing protein is to find theright balance in proteinsources. Fruits, vegetables,grains, nuts, and seeds mayoffer many of the requiredessential amino acids. Therest can be obtained bychoosing smarter animal-based protein sources.Salmon and other fatty fishare good sources of protein

and omega-3 fatty acids(heart-healthy fats) and aregenerally low in sodium.Lentils offer 18 grams ofprotein and ample fiber.Plus, these legumes havevirtually no saturated fat.

When looking forhealthy protein sources,consumers can opt for thefollowing selections.

• Salmon: Wild salmonmay have greater nutrition-al value than farmedsalmon thanks to the morediversified diet consumedby wild salmon.

• Chicken: Chicken isgenerally lower in saturat-ed fat than other animalprotein sources. Opt forpasture-raised chicken forthe greatest nutritionalpunch.

• Greek yogurt: Greekyogurt provides ample pro-tein and can contribute tofeelings of fullness, mak-ing it a more worthy snackthan less healthy snackingalternatives.

• Shellfish: Shellfishincludes clams, oysters,mussels, and snails.Shellfish are sources ofanimal protein that alsohappen to be full of iron,zinc, omega-3 fatty acids,and other nutrients.

Variety is the spice oflife when it comes to pro-tein sources. Eat differentfoods to ensure the bodygets all of the nutrients itrequires.

Are there good and bad proteins?

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HEALTH&FITNESS

Pushing oneself physi-cally can be exhaust-ing and demanding.

But whether you're a sea-soned athlete, a part-timefitness enthusiast or evensomeone who lives a large-ly sedentary lifestyle, youcan find ways to dig downand improve your overallendurance.

Many athletes find push-ing their bodies past certainboundaries to be empower-ing. Letting complacencyset in is easy, but findingthe motivation to press onand push ahead takes men-tal determination. The fol-lowing are a handful ofways to push past physicalglass ceilings and improveendurance.

• Join a marathon. Thestatistics reporting siteStatisticsBrain.com statesthat only 0.5 percent of theU.S. and Canadian popula-tions have ever run amarathon. Running on thetreadmill at the gym or acouple of miles around thetrack is excellent exercise.Runners can take their pas-sion a bit further byenrolling in any of the hun-dreds of marathons andhalf-marathons held annual-ly. Crossing the finish lineafter running 26.2 miles is arewarding feeling, and fewactivities do more toimprove endurance thanrunning a marathon.

• Try a new gym class.

Pushing yourself physicallymay mean getting out ofyour comfort zone. Gymstypically offer an array ofclasses to appeal to as manymembers as possible. Takeadvantage of these groupclasses or personalized train-ing sessions. Explore barreworkouts, which involveloaded movement andstrength training paired withcardiovascular workouts.

• Increase workoutsgradually. It can be daunt-ing to think about greatlyimproving your endurancelevels. But taking a gradual,incremental approach toimproving endurance isboth safe and effective.Also, when engaged, men-tally divide the workoutinto smaller chunks of time.This way you have severalsmaller goals to accom-plish, rather than one largegoal. This can make it easi-er to digest a tough work-out.

• Use friends to keep youmotivated. Having friendsworkout alongside you cankeep you motivated.Workout buddies may offerthe encouragement neces-sary to keep pushingthrough. Another motivat-ing factor is bragging rightsafterward.

• Have a good emotionalconnection. A desire to havea great body may not beenough to motivate you toworkout and push harder. Ifnot, think of a better reasonto exercise, and it may be themind over matter you need.Many people find inspirationfrom family health historyrisk factors or through thegoal of reversing negativehealth reports from doctors'offices. These motivating fac-tors will help you press onand push harder.

Continuing to surpass fit-ness goals is something toinclude in this year's list ofhealth resolutions.

How to improve overall endurance

10 |January 19, 2017 The Bartlett Express