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How to stay healthy during the
season of sneezes and sniffl es
f your knees can tell you
when a winter storm is
coming, you are not alone.
Many people who experience
arthritis or inflammation in
the joints find that the cold
temperature may exacerbate
the discomfort. So how can
you keep up your exercise routine
when your joints want to
keep you on the couch?
“The colder, winter months
add stress to the bones, joints,
ligaments and tendons,” said
Matthew Wert, MD, chief of
sports medicine at NewYork
Presbyterian Brooklyn
Methodist Hospital. “Care
must be taken to ensure that
enough time is dedicated to
warming up before outdoor
exercise. If people go from
0 to 60 without warming up
in the wintertime, they run
the risk of strained muscles,
sprained ligaments and sore
joints. Dedicate about 10 to
15 minutes before you begin
your exercise in earnest to
get your heart pumping, and
your blood flowing through
your muscles. A good warm
up also activates the fluids
that lubricate the joints to
flow. Stiffness and risk of injury
Caribbean L 44 ife, Jan. 18–24, 2019
will decrease and mobility
will increase.”
Winter might also be a
good time to try indoor exercise
options. Many gyms have
programs that can get the
heart rate up and joint stress
down. “Equipment such as
the elliptical machine or an
upright or recumbent bicycle
offers great, low-impact exercise
options for people with
joint pain,” said Dr. Wert. “If
the gym facility has a pool,
swimming is a perfect lowimpact
sport.” He adds that
if a person insists on exercising
outside or doesn’t have
access to a gym, he or she
should keep it simple. “Winter
sports call on muscles
that are rarely used during
the summer months—and
unless those muscles are already
developed and in great
condition, taking them out of
retirement for a downhill skiing
weekend can be a recipe
for disaster.” Consider crosscountry
skiing, or snowshoeing
instead. Or even a just a
nice walk, he adds.
If you injure yourself
while exercising outdoors
in low temperatures, move
indoors as soon as possible.
Your core temperature can
quickly drop, especially as
any sweat cools and freezes.
Assess the injury—if it is
muscular in nature, rest and
taking ibuprofen, or another
over the counter anti-inflammatory
drug (aspirin or
naproxen), should start the
healing process. However, if
a broken bone or a more severe
injury is suspected, get
help right away. And listen
to your body—even if you
don’t injure yourself but your
joints are painful, talk to an
orthopedist or a specialist in
sports medicine about additional
exercise options. Joint
pain and winter exercise do
not need to be mutually exclusive.
To schedule an appointment
with a physician affiliated
with NYP Brooklyn
Methodist Hospital, please
call 718-499-2273 or visit www.
nyp.org/brooklyn.
—New York-Presbyterian
Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
The cold weather brings with it a
season of smiles,
the fi rst snowfalls
and, unfortunately, cold
and fl u outbreaks. While
everyone else is suffering,
there are ways you
can make it through the
season unscathed.
It is estimated that
a billion people across
North America will succumb
to the cold virus this year, says
Medline. Considering there is no cure
for cold and fl u viruses, prevention remains
a person’s best option at fending
off cold and fl u, especially for seniors.
There are different precautions to
take that can help protect you against
getting sick or at least reduce the frequency
and severity with which cold
and fl u strikes.
Although there is no magic pill to
take that will prevent you from catching
a cold or the fl u, there are ways to
improve your odds.
Wash your hands the right way.
Washing your hands frequently remains
the single-best way to keep viruses
and bacteria that can make you
sick from infi ltrating the body. Washing
your hands for at least 20 seconds
can effectively remove any dirt, grime
and invisible invaders.
Skip antibacterial
products. Because colds
and the fl u are the result
of viruses, which are different
in behavior and
structure from bacteria,
they will not be killed off
with the use of antibacterial
products. What you
may succeed in doing is
killing off any benefi cial
bacteria on your hands as well as creating
resistant bacteria that form with
over-use of antibiotics and antibacterial
products.
Get the fl u shot. There is no vaccination
to prevent the common cold,
but there are immunizations that can
help reduce your risk of getting the fl u
or help minimize its severity. Doctors’
offi ces, clinics, and even pharmacies
all offer annual fl u shots.
Use sanitizer on items around
the house. Surfaces that are frequently
touched should be wiped down
with a disinfectant product. A bleachand
water solution is an effective sanitizer.
Surfaces to sanitize include
phones, doorknobs, light switches, remote
controls, computer keyboards,
faucets, toys, and countertops.
Avoid sick people.
Wellness
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