Living it up at...
THE
PG
WINTER page 49
The retirement Community That glas It Airl
For more information about The Trowbridge and our Leisure Activities
Call The Leasing Office at (810) 352-0208
24111 Civic Center Drive • Southfield, Michigan 48034
ears. In extreme climates, a face
mask may even be advisable.
With less available daylight,
many people find they are forced
to exercise in the dark during
the winter months. If you're go-
ing to be exercising at dawn or
dusk, experts suggest buying
workout clothes with reflective
tape so that you will be visible
to oncoming traffic.
If you don't want to invest in
new workout clothes, you can
purchase an inexpensive, re-
flective vest or add reflective
strips to your existing clothes.
Make sure the reflective tape is
on front and back.
While the proper workout
attire will help keep your ex-
tremities warm, it's equally im-
portant to warm up your inner
body, particularly your muscles.
One of the most commonly for-
gotten parts of any exercise
regime is the value of warming
up prior to exercising. This is
particularly important during
the winter when your muscles
and joints may be stiff.
Warming up helps prevent
the body from sustaining injury
and increases the heart rate so
the workout won't be stressful
on your heart.
"Warming up is always very
important, but if someone. has
not been involved regularly in
rigorous exercise, the warm-up
is critical," says Maureen Cross,
senior physical therapist at
Saint Louis University Health
Sciences Center.
"It does not matter how good
people's intentions are about
working out because if you don't
warm up properly, the odds of
getting injured increase great-
ly."
The most common injuries
that occur as a result of not
warming up are muscle strains
and small tears in the muscles.
To prevent injuries like these,
experts say it's important to
stretch all the muscles — not
just those you think you may be
using.
Equally . important as the
warm-up is the cool-down pe-
riod. Stretching after vigorous
exercise will help alleviate some
of the muscle soreness.
Finally, although you prob-
ably do not sweat as much in
the winter, it's still important to
stay hydrated. Dehydration af-
fects the body's ability to regu-
late body heat through a
decrease in blood volume and
increases the risk of frostbite.
Be sure to drink plenty of
water before and after exer-
cising.
A Real Pain
In The Back
DAVID MOLL SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
lilt DOLL
The
A OSPITAL
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:1%
TOy
soLDIER
SHOP
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20/20 SALE
20% Off ALL Items
$20 & Under
ends 1/10/97
THE DETROIT J EWI SH NEWS
Crafts Brio i Dollhouse Miniatures
Playmobli Doll Clothes Games & Puzzles
50
3947 W. 12 Mile • Berkley
THE
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(810) 543-3115 • M-Sat 10-5, Fri 10-8
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The scratch-resistant sapphire crystal forms an invisible bond
S.E. Michigan's Largest
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The place to go when you are
looking for real antiques.
10% Discount on Antique
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His or hers, available with strap or matching bracelet.
Mon-Wed. 10-6
Thurs
10-8
Friday
10-3
Harvard Row Mall
21750 West 11 Mile Road • Southfield, MI
ANTIQUE MALL
Your Complete Antique Resource
with the black case. Water-resistant to 99 feet,
(810) 358-5540
I I
Open 7 Days 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Wed. 'til 8 p.m.
(810) 344-7200
Discover
the Difference
42305 W. Seven Mile Rd., Northville
2 Miles W. of 1-275, Exit #169
S
o your back hurts. Get in
line.
Eighty percent of the
population will experience
an acute episode of low back pain
sometime in their lives. It's the
second-most-common cause of
missed work (behind the cold),
and it's thought to cost $26 bil-
lion a year in medical costs, lost
wages, workers' compensation
and attorneys' fees.
"That's probably a conserva-
tive figure at this point," said Dr.
Lisa Snyder of the Institute of
Physical Medicine and Rehabil-
itation in Peoria, Ill.
On the other hand, there's also
a legion of people who simply suf-
fer through their pain without
missing work or seeking treat-
ment. Most of those folks may
not have problems severe
enough to need medical atten-
tion — most episodes of acute
back pain clear up in a few
weeks — but some people are no
doubt denying themselves relief.
So how do you know if your
back pain merits a doctor's at-
tention?
If the pain is localized to the
David Mon writes for Copley
News Service.
back and you can pinpoint what
caused it — something heavy
you lifted while cleaning out the
garage — you probably don't
need to rush to a doctor, said Dr.
James Maxey of the Orthopaedic
Institute of Illinois in Peoria.
In about 80 percent of back
pain cases caused by injury, the
pain passes within two weeks,
Dr. Maxey said. Ninety percent
of the time it's gone after six
weeks.
For a strain or a sprain, rest
but not complete immobility is
called for, advised Dr. Snyder.
"You want to use the muscles,
but you don't want to overtax
them," said Dr. Maxey. "Take
over-the-counter, anti-inflam-
matory medicine like aspirin or
ibuprofen, and apply heat or ice
for brief periods of time if it
helps.
"I basically tell (patients) that
whatever makes you feel better
is appropriate."
If the pain isn't confined to the
back itself, but radiates down the
leg, you should see a doctor. Sci-
atica — pain along the sciatic
nerve, the largest nerve in the
leg — is most often caused by a
herniated disk. That's a rupture
of the tough, fibrous exterior of