Fitness and Muscle Work

Every runner's guide to preventing and treating 10 common pains and sprains. By Denise Mann Reviewed by Cynthia Dennison Haines, MD WebMD Feature "Don't run and you'll heal," are the words every diehard runner dreads hearing. "Runners don't want to stop running, and the good news is that you can run through most pain without causing permanent damage," says Lewis G. Maharam, MD, medical director of the New York Road Runners Club, the New York City Marathon, NYC Triathlon, the Suzuki Rock 'n' Roll Marathon -- and others. "But," he cautions, "if pain changes your running style, stop and see a sports doctor." Most common running injuries are due to overuse, over training, or a biomechanical flaw in body structure and motion. Here's how to prevent and treat the 10 most common running injuries so you never get sidelined again: 1. Runner's knee Runner's knee is a wearing away of the cartilage behind the kneecap, causi...

Delayed onset muscle soreness is common after exercise and usually means your muscles are getting stronger. WebMD Feature Starting a workout program can be challenging. Making the time to exercise, creating a balanced routine, and setting goals are hard enough, but add to that the muscle soreness that comes with adapting to that regimen, and it may be difficult to stay on track. Chances are, you won't be leaping out of bed to get to the gym when it hurts to hold your arm up to brush your teeth. After participating in some kind of strenuous physical activity, particularly something new to your body, it is common to experience muscle soreness, say experts. "Muscles go through quite a bit of physical stress when we exercise," says Rick Sharp, professor of exercise physiology at Iowa State University in Ames. "Mild soreness just a natural outcome of any kind of physical activity," he says. "And they're most prevalent in beginning stages of a program." ...

Get some summertime health and fitness tips from three Olympic medal winners and their coach. Workout Advice -- Olympic Style What we often don't realize, Selznick says, is that the body can't play "catch up." And the longer we've been out of the fitness loop, the more caution we have to take. "You not only have to take special care to warm up before you begin the activity itself, but you also have to put a limit on how long you participate, particularly the first few times out on the field, the sand, or the court," says Selznick, who has personally trained more than 160 international sports professionals including 25 Olympians. As Selznick explains, when fatigue comes into play, you reduce the body's ability to withstand impact. And this, he says, sets the stage for injury. Olympic gold medal winner Kerri Walsh agrees. "Even being less active for a month can make a difference. If you haven't been physically active for a few months or more y...