# data[].attributes.body
Sophia Miller Period 3S

# data[].attributes.body
I am physically healthy because I do track.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The physical and mental health benefits you can get from running.

# data[].attributes.body
I am physically healthy because I eat balanced meals.

# data[].attributes.body
I can improve my physical health by resting when I am injured.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The importance of rest for injury recovery.

As for any career, there is always one part of your job that you dislike. For me as a physiotherapist, that part is telling my clients they need to rest from the respective sport or training that is aggravating their injury. Not only is delivering this news hard for me because I want to be a miracle healer and eradicate people's pain instantly but for most of my clients, rest is the last thing they want to do.

The most common reason resting from sport or training is so difficult for clients, is that it means putting a halt on their progress and reaching their goals. Clients feel like they are going backward and all their hard work has been for nothing. However, as frustrating as resting from injury is, it is important to get the rest period over and done with sooner rather than later; understand why it is important in the bigger picture and consider other aspects that can help improve the efficiency of injury recovery.

Get your rest period over and done with!

The first strategy or perspective to take when resting from physical activity is "get it over and done with". Based on the severity of injury (e.g a muscle strain or tear), your clinician will tell you how long you need to rest from strenuous activity. For example, if you sustain a moderate hamstring strain, your Physio will tell you to rest from strenuous lower limb loading for 4-6 weeks. From here, it would be better to 'get it over and done with' and rest for 4 weeks to get the best chance of fully recovering from this injury, rather than returning to activity sooner, risking aggravation and elongating healing times.

During the "rest" period, your clinician should provide you with a graduated exercise program to not only improve your injury recovery but to address any underlying factors which may have caused the injury in the first place. Although "rest" is not the answer you want to hear, by knowing that you have a clear timeline of when you should be physically able to return and do the things you love, resting and looking after yourself becomes a little easier.

Not only does avoiding recommended rest periods result in increased healing times, but it can also result in secondary (sometimes more serious) injuries. This is largely due to the body compensating (often without you realising) to protect the injured area which causes increased load on another area of the body. For example, I had a client with a moderate ankle sprain who needed to rest from sport for 1-2 weeks. Instead, she pushed through the injury and ended up getting a stress fracture in her foot ultimately resulting in having more than 2 months off. As one would say, short term pain for long term gain!
Cell Death and Differentiation; Nature International Journal of Science 2016
Understanding tissue injury and repair.

Understanding the physiology behind the tissue repair process should make it easier for clients to adhere to prescribed rest and rehabilitation guidelines.

Following any injury, inflammation at the affected site is the standard, initial response of the body as it limits the extent of injury and initiates repair and regeneration of damaged tissue.

Upon tissue injury, damaged cells release inflammatory chemical signals that provoke local vasodilation(widening of the blood vessels), increased blood flow, swelling and the sensation of pain. After the initial inflammation stage of an injury, the tissue repair and regeneration phase starts and new, healthy tissue is produced.

During the first few days after an injury, a short period of immobilisation has been shown to accelerate the formation of new tissue at the site of injury but should be limited only until the new tissue reaches sufficient strength to bear the muscle-contraction induced pulling forces without re-rupture. At this point, gradual mobilisation should be started followed by a progressively intensified exercise program to optimise the healing by restoring the strength of the injured tissue, preventing muscle atrophy and the loss of strength and tissue extensibility.

In most cases, if rest and a graduated rehabilitation plan isn't considered, the initial inflammatory response keeps repeating itself as the damaged cells aren't able to heal and therefore they continue to release chemical signals causing ongoing inflammation and pain. It is therefore always best to consult with your clinician following an injury to determine the type and severity of your injury as well as establish a clear rehabilitation plan.

Other factors to consider.

Reducing mental and psychological stress during injury recovery is just as important as reducing physical stressors. There are many ways to do this but to keep it simple, doing the things you enjoy most are generally the most relaxing.

Engaging in relaxing activities helps to down-regulate the nervous system favouring the 'rest and digest' response, or the parasympathetic nervous system (which is one of the two divisions of the nervous system, the other being the sympathetic nervous system or the 'flight or fight' response). The parasympathetic nervous system aids with dilating blood vessels to enhance blood flow to the injured area and accelerate the healing process.

Spending time with family and friends is always relaxing (perhaps debatable for some). As a result, being in a social setting causes the hypothalamus (a region in the forebrain that contributes to functions of the nervous and endocrine systems) to release oxytocin, a hormone responsible for growth and repair. Oxytocin also creates a feeling of well-being, reduces experiences of pain and decreases anxiety.

Sufficient sleep is another important factor to consider during rehabilitation from injury as it stimulates growth and repair of injured tissues.

Lastly, nutrition can and should be used strategically to speed recovery. Eating more anti-inflammatory foods (and less pro-inflammatory foods such as those high in sugar and trans fats) can have a powerful effect on inflammation and recovery post-injury. If you'd like to read more about anti-inflammatory foods and nutrition post-injury, check out our previous blog by dietitian Evie.

Ultimately the type and severity of an injury will determine the appropriate rehabilitation plan. Inevitably "rest" from desired activities is often required to heal an injury successfully. It is always best to consult with a medical professional regarding an injury to ensure your rest time is minimised, recovery is maximised and to address any potential underlying causes to prevent any further injuries in the future.
Josh is available at Kinematics Tuesday - Saturday for Physiotherapy + injury rehabilitation services.
Physiotherapist | Kinematics Health + Performance

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The importance of rest for injury recovery. - Kinematics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As for any career, there is always one part of your job that you dislike. For me as a physiotherapist, that part is telling my clients they need to rest from the respective sport or training that is aggravating their injury. Not only is delivering this news hard for me because I want to be ...

# data[].attributes.body
I can improve my physical health by working out regularly.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Regular exercise has been shown to help boost energy levels and enhance your mood. It may also be associated with many other health benefits, including a reduced risk of chronic disease.

Exercise is defined as any movement that makes your muscles work and requires your body to burn calories.

There are many types of physical activity, including swimming, running, and walking, to name a few.

Being active has been shown to have many health benefits, both physically and mentally. It may even help you live longer.

Here are the top 10 ways regular exercise benefits your body and brain.

Exercise has been shown to improve your mood and decrease feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress.

The authors of a 2019 review found that 10-30 minutes of exercise is enough to improve your mood.

Exercise may increase brain sensitivity to serotonin and norepinephrine. These hormones relieve feelings of depression. It may also increase the production of endorphins, which help produce positive feelings and reduce the perception of pain.

Stopping to exercise may also affect your mood. A 2017 review found that active people who stopped exercising regularly experienced significant increases in symptoms of depression and anxiety, even after only a few weeks.

Inactivity may play a major factor in weight gain and obesity, which may lead to health complications. Exercise can help you manage your weight by helping with energy expenditure, also known as spending.

Your body spends energy in three ways:

digesting food

exercising

maintaining body functions, like your heartbeat and breathing

A reduced calorie intake may lower your metabolic rate, which can temporarily delay weight loss. However, regular exercise may your metabolic rate. This can burn more calories and help you manage your weight.

Combining aerobic exercise with resistance training may also maximize fat loss and muscle mass maintenance. This could help you manage weight, maintain lean muscle, and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Exercise plays a vital role in building and maintaining strong muscles and bones.

As people age, they tend to lose muscle mass, strength, and function. This leads to an increased risk of injury. Practicing regular physical activity is essential to reducing muscle loss and maintaining strength as you age.

Exercise also helps build bone density. The authors of a 2022 review found that regular exercise significantly improved bone density in the lumbar spine, neck, and hip bones. This may help prevent osteoporosis later in life.

Impact exercises like gymnastics, running, or soccer may help higher bone density than no-impact sports like swimming and cycling.

Exercise can help boost your energy levels while helping to reduce fatigue. This may help as a treatment method if you have certain health conditions, such as cancer.

Aerobic exercise boosts your cardiovascular system and improves lung health, which may help with energy levels.

Your heart pumps more blood as you move, delivering more oxygen to your working muscles. With regular exercise, your heart becomes more efficient at moving oxygen into your blood.

Over time, exercise results in less demand on your lungs. This is one of the reasons why you may find yourself getting less and less out of breath during exercise, according to the American Lung Association.

Regular physical activity is a in reducing your risk of chronic diseases, such as:

Your skin can be affected by the amount of oxidative stress in your body.

Oxidative stress occurs when your body's antioxidant defenses cannot completely repair the cell damage caused by compounds known as free radicals. This can damage the structure of the cells and negatively impact your skin.

Intense and exhaustive physical activity may contribute to oxidative damage. However, a 2018 review suggests that regular moderate exercise may actually help alleviate the stress caused by free radicals.

The authors of a 2021 review concluded that regular exercise may help delay the appearance of skin aging, prevent psoriasis, and improve venous leg ulcers.

Exercise can improve brain function and protect your memory and thinking skills.

To begin with, exercise increases your heart rate. This promotes the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain. It can also stimulate the production of hormones that enhance the growth of brain cells.

For example, exercise has to cause the hippocampus to grow in size, which may help improve mental function. This is part of the brain that's vital for memory and learning.

Regular physical activity is important in older adults because it can help the physiological effects of aging in your brain. It may also help reduce changes in the brain that can contribute to conditions like Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Regular exercise can relax and sleep better.

It may help improve your sleep quality because the energy loss that occurs during exercise stimulates restorative processes during sleep.

Also, the increase in your body temperature during exercise may help it during sleep, which could promote better sleep.

A conducted over 4 months in people with chronic insomnia found that both stretching and resistance exercise helped improve sleep quality and duration while decreasing the amount of time it takes to fall asleep.

Chronic pain can be debilitating. For many years, the recommendation for treating chronic pain was rest and inactivity.

However, the authors of a 2021 review suggest that aerobic exercise may serve as a natural treatment option to provide pain relief and improve quality of life.

One way that exercise may help prevent or reduce chronic pain is because it increases your pain tolerance over time.

Exercise may also help you control pain associated with various health conditions, including:

chronic low back pain

fibromyalgia

chronic soft tissue shoulder disorder

Regular exercise may help improve your sex life.

For example, engaging in regular exercise can strengthen your heart, improve blood circulation, tone muscles, and enhance flexibility, all of which may help improve your sex life.

A 2018 review of 10 studies found that exercising for at least 160 minutes per week over a 6-month period could help improve erectile function in males.

Another 2018 review suggests that regular exercise may help improve sexual satisfaction, arousal, and well-being in females. Regular resistance training may also help increase sex drive.

Which exercise can you do every day?

It's important to let your body recover between intense resistance and cardiovascular exercise sessions. That said, there are some less intense exercises you can do every day to help you get to 300 minutes per week. These may include walking, cycling, dancing, and skateboarding.

What exercises are good for belly fat?

According to the British Heart Foundation, you can't target one specific area of fat to burn off. But, a consistent mixture of aerobic exercise, resistance training, and eating a well-balanced diet can help you burn fat all over your body. Some exercises include swimming, yoga, running, strength training, and rock climbing.

Exercise offers incredible benefits that can improve nearly every aspect of your health. Regular physical activity can increase the production of hormones that make you feel happier and help you sleep better.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends you aim for 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity throughout the week.

Moderate-intensity aerobic activity is anything that gets your heart beating faster, like walking, cycling, or swimming. Activities like running or participating in a fitness class count for vigorous intensity.

You can use weights, resistance bands, or your body weight to perform muscle-strengthening exercises.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Exercise: The Top 10 Benefits of Regular Physical Activity

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Exercising regularly has many benefits for your body and brain. This article explores the top 10 benefits of regular exercise, all based on science.

# data[].attributes.body
I am companionate.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
relating to or having the manner of companions; specifically : harmoniously or suitably accompanying… See the full definition

# data[].attributes.body
I am intelligent.

# data[].attributes.body
I am optimistic.

# data[].attributes.body
My proudest moment was when I submitted my NJHS essay.

# data[].attributes.body
I enjoy singing.

# data[].attributes.body
I enjoy playing lacrosse.

# data[].attributes.body
I enjoy hanging out with my friends.

# data[].attributes.body
One of my personal stressors is doing homework.

# data[].attributes.body
One of my other stressors is keeping up with good grades.

# data[].attributes.body
One healthy way I relieve stress is by fidgeting.

# data[].attributes.body
One other healthy way I relieve stress is by breathing in and out.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The term "fight or flight" is also known as the stress response. It's what the body does as it prepares to confront or avoid danger. When appropriately invoked, the stress response helps us rise to many challenges. But trouble starts when this response is constantly provoked by less momentous, day-to-day events, such as money woes, traffic jams, job worries, or relationship problems.

Health problems are one result. A prime example is high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease. The stress response also suppresses the immune system, increasing susceptibility to colds and other illnesses. Moreover, the buildup of stress can contribute to anxiety and depression. We can't avoid all sources of stress in our lives, nor would we want to. But we can develop healthier ways of responding to them. One way is to invoke the relaxation response, through a technique first developed in the 1970s at Harvard Medical School by cardiologist Dr. Herbert Benson. The relaxation response is a state of profound rest that can be elicited in many ways, including meditation, yoga, and progressive muscle relaxation.

Breath focus is a common feature of several techniques that evoke the relaxation response. The first step is learning to breathe deeply.

Deep breathing benefits

Deep breathing also goes by the names of diaphragmatic breathing, abdominal breathing, belly breathing, and paced respiration. When you breathe deeply, the air coming in through your nose fully fills your lungs, and the lower belly rises.

For many of us, deep breathing seems unnatural. There are several reasons for this. For one, body image has a negative impact on respiration in our culture. A flat stomach is considered attractive, so women (and men) tend to hold in their stomach muscles. This interferes with deep breathing and gradually makes shallow "chest breathing" seem normal, which increases tension and anxiety.

Shallow breathing limits the diaphragm's range of motion. The lowest part of the lungs doesn't get a full share of oxygenated air. That can make you feel short of breath and anxious.

Deep abdominal breathing encourages full oxygen exchange - that is, the beneficial trade of incoming oxygen for outgoing carbon dioxide. Not surprisingly, it can slow the heartbeat and lower or stabilize blood pressure.

Practicing breath focus

Breath focus helps you concentrate on slow, deep breathing and aids you in disengaging from distracting thoughts and sensations. It's especially helpful if you tend to hold in your stomach.

First steps. Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit or lie down. First, take a normal breath. Then try a deep breath: Breathe in slowly through your nose, allowing your chest and lower belly to rise as you fill your lungs. Let your abdomen expand fully. Now breathe out slowly through your mouth (or your nose, if that feels more natural).

Breath focus in practice. Once you've taken the steps above, you can move on to regular practice of controlled breathing. As you sit comfortably with your eyes closed, blend deep breathing with helpful imagery and perhaps a focus word or phrase that helps you relax.

Ways to elicit the relaxation response

Several techniques can help you turn down your response to stress. Breath focus helps with nearly all of them:

Creating a routine

You may want to try several different relaxation techniques to see which one works best for you. And if your favorite approach fails to engage you, or you want some variety, you'll have alternatives. You may also find the following tips helpful:

Choose a special place where you can sit (or lie down) comfortably and quietly.

Don't try too hard. That may just cause you to tense up.

Don't be too passive, either. The key to eliciting the relaxation response lies in shifting your focus from stressors to deeper, calmer rhythms - and having a focal point is essential.

Try to practice once or twice a day, always at the same time, in order to enhance the sense of ritual and establish a habit.

Try to practice at least 10-20 minutes each day.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Relaxation techniques: Breath control helps quell errant stress response - Harvard Health

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Relaxation techniques - such as deep breathing - can help control stress and the "fight or flight" response that can interfere with everyday life....

# data[].attributes.body
I have a special relationship with my friends.

# data[].attributes.body
I look up to my mom because she is always a hard worker, is always very caring and funny.

# data[].attributes.body
One way I can improve my mental health is by sleeping better.

# data[].attributes.body
I have a special relationship with my grandma.

# data[].attributes.body
I have a special relationship with my brother.