Health Tip: Lift Weights to Boost Your Health
Lifting weights is a great way to build up or tone your muscles. But if you're not careful, you can cause permanent injury.
The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions for safe weight lifting:
- Remember to always wear sturdy shoes that provide traction when lifting weights. Also make sure that any weight machines are in good working order.
- Keep your back straight when lifting. Also remember to be careful when carrying weights around the weight room.
- Always ask someone to spot you when lifting very heavy weights.
- Always exhale while you lift the weights upward.
- Limit each set of muscles to only three workouts each week.
- If your muscles start to hurt, stop lifting.
Health Tip: Helping a Broken Toe Heal
A small toe can be a big pain if it's fractured.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers these suggestions to help ease the pain and speed healing of a broken toe:
- Any fracture, confirmed or suspected, should be evaluated by a physician.
- Try not to walk on the toe, and keep your weight off the foot as much as you can.
- Place an ice pack on the toe to minimize swelling and pain. Make sure the ice isn't directly on the skin, and that you don't leave the ice on for more than 20 minutes at a time.
- Take an over-the-counter painkiller, such as aspirin or ibuprofen.
- Choose a wide shoe with a firm, supportive sole.
- No exercise, sports or activities until the toe heals, especially the activity that caused the break. Swimming is a good alternative until your toe is feeling better.
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