by Dr Alex Jimenez | Diets, Fitness
Taking a short break from an active lifestyle may do more harm than most people might think, a new study warns.
Just two weeks of sedentary behavior can cause healthy, young people to start losing muscle and develop fat around their organs. And this can increase their risk for conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes that could eventually lead to a premature death, British researchers report.
“What’s alarming about this study is that it was done in healthy volunteers. They were not patients or overweight or had risks for type 2 diabetes,” said lead researcher Kelly Bowden-Davies, from the Institute of Aging and Chronic Disease at the University of Liverpool.
“In 14 days we see small, but significant, changes in markers that predispose people to risk,” she said.
In the study, people were asked to limit their physical activity for two weeks. This included taking the elevator instead of the stairs, taking a bus instead of walking and staying at home more than usual, Bowden-Davies said.
After two weeks of a sedentary life, participants lost nearly a pound of lean muscle mass and gained body fat. The increase in body fat tended to be in the belly, a major risk factor for developing chronic diseases.
In addition, fitness levels dropped sharply, and participants were not able to run for as long or at the same intensity as they had before, the researchers found.
Mitochondrial function, which is the ability of cells to regulate energy, also dropped, but the change was not statistically significant, the study authors noted.
“Globally, people are becoming more and more inactive due to technology, public transport, escalators and elevators, and machines that do what we used to do day to day,” Bowden-Davies said.
The good news is that after going back to an active lifestyle, all these changes were reversed and returned to normal within two weeks, she said.
“The negative effect of an inactive lifestyle can be reversed when we become active again,” Bowden-Davies said.
Going to the gym a couple of times a week, however, won’t reverse the trends of an otherwise sedentary life, she said. Exercise is good, but you need to be active all day, which includes being on your feet and taking walk breaks, Bowden-Davies said.
The problem is more severe in older people who have a sedentary lifestyle and are probably in worse shape than younger people, she said. But it’s never too late to change your lifestyle and see improvements in your health.
The findings were to be presented Wednesday at the European Congress on Obesity, in Porto, Portugal. Research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
According to Dr. Minisha Sood, an endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, “We’ve known all along that being sedentary will increase the risk of gaining fat and losing muscle, and overall poorer health.” Sood was not involved with the new study but is familiar with the findings.
“What’s novel about this study is that it emphasizes how little time it takes of a sedentary life to start to see those changes,” she added.
But Sood wasn’t sure that going back to an active lifestyle would reverse all of the damage a sedentary period causes. Some of these changes may be permanent, she said.
“If your goal is to be in optimal health, you shouldn’t have a sedentary lifestyle,” Sood said. “An active lifestyle is one where physical activity is built into the day, throughout the day.”
In addition, different types of exercise — like resistance training to counter the aging of muscle and cardio training to increase stamina — are important, Sood said.
“The point is not to hit the gym once or twice a week, but to build an active lifestyle where you are taking walks outside and not sitting all day,” she said.
For the study, Bowden-Davies and her colleagues collected data on 28 healthy, physically active people, average age 25, with a normal body weight. The participants walked an average of 10,000 steps per day and all wore an armband that kept track of their physical activity.
At the start of the study, participants were given a medical checkup that included measuring fat and muscle mass, mitochondrial function and physical fitness.
The exam was done two weeks later after the participants had reduced their physical activity by more than 80 percent, to around 1,500 steps per day.
In addition, the participants kept a journal of what and how much they ate to ensure there were no changes in diet throughout the study, Bowden-Davies said.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Diets, Fitness
Weight-loss balloons swallowed rather than surgically inserted in the stomach were shown to be safe and effective in preliminary trials, according to findings unveiled Thursday at a medical conference.
So-called intragastric balloons have been used for decades to help obese patients shed unwanted pounds. Inflated with water, the devices curb hunger and make it easier to diet by inducing a feeling of fullness.
Up to now, however, they could only be implanted in the stomach surgically, a costly procedure requiring general anesthesia or sedation.
In a small trial led by Roberta Ienca, a researcher in experimental medicine at Sapienza University in Rome, 42 obese patients — 29 men and 13 women — were fitted with balloons that were swallowed before being inflated with liquid.
“A catheter is attached to the balloon, which is folded into a capsule,” Ienca explained to AFP.
A doctor fills the balloon via the tiny tube, which is then removed via the mouth with a tug. “This process takes just a few seconds,” she added.
The body-mass index (BMI) of the volunteers varied between 30 and 45. The threshold for obesity is a BMI of 30.
The balloons remained in the stomach for 16 weeks, during which time patients were put on a low-carbohydrate, low-calorie diet.
At the end of that time, an internal release valve automatically opens and drains the balloon, which is then excreted.
On average, volunteers shed more than 33 pounds, which amounted to 31 percent of excess weight.
No serious side effects were reported.
After the trial, patients were transitioned to a Mediterranean diet, heavy on vegetables and olive oil, and light on protein and starch.
The new technique “appears to be a safe and effective weight-loss method,” Ienca commented in a statement.
Because the swallowable balloon “does not require endoscopy, surgery or anaesthesia, this may make it suitable for a larger population of obese patients not responding to diet or lifestyle treatment.”
It could also lead to significant cost savings, she added.
“In itself, gastric balloons are not a long-term solution for weight loss,” Simon Cork, a researcher in investigative medicine at Imperial College London who was not involved in the study, commented after reviewing the results.
“Nevertheless, gastric balloons are still useful for some patients, and the introduction of a device which doesn’t require surgery to implant is a positive step forward.”
Developed by US-based Allurion Technologies, the system is already marketed in Europe in France, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Greece. It is also available in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
The company intends to begin the FDA approval process in the United States soon, Ienca said.
The findings were presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Porto, Portugal, which runs through May 20.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Fitness, Health, Wellness
It’s easy to flip through the glossy pages of the most body-positive Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue ever without pausing to consider all that these women actually do—day in and day out—to sculpt those stunning physiques. Many of the models told Health that they work out most days of the week, which can be a real logistical challenge with their hectic work and travel schedules. While the rest of us may not be jetting around the world for photo shoots (sigh), we can certainly relate to the struggle of finding time to exercise. So we asked six of the women for their best tips on sneaking fitness into even the craziest days.
Seize every opportunity to work your body
“I’m in the airport a lot, so I’ll always take the stairs instead of the elevator. Even if that means I have to carry my suitcase! There’s always a way to work out.”
—Hailey Clauson
Turn your home (or hotel room) into a gym
“I’ve got these props that you put under your furniture to move it, and I use them to do sliding ab workouts at my house. I also have a booty band I travel with which has two Velcro bands that go around your ankles. All you have to do is get on all fours and push you leg up and out, and it makes your booty big and round.”
—Ashley Graham
“When I travel, I’m lucky to get to the gym. So I bring sliding disks with me. You just stick them in your suitcase, then you can do arm workouts and ab workouts with them.”
—Hannah Davis
“I have one of those exercise bands that go around your feet. You can use it to do side steps and monster steps. You can do that anywhere, and it doesn’t weigh anything to travel with. You can just do 20 minutes of those steps a day and your butt will firm right up!”
—Kate Bock
“I do a lot of abs: simple crunches and planks are the best way to get your six-pack! I also do a bunch of jumping jacks with a band around my ankles for extra resistance.”
—Nina Agdal
RELATED: 4 Ways to Set Up a Home Gym for Under $50
Maximize the time you do have
“Most of the time, after a long day of work, I don’t want to go to the gym for an hour. But you can always do something. Just go for 5, 10, or 15 minutes of a hard workout. Let that be enough. Whether it’s doing abs or squats, there are plenty of great workouts you can do anywhere.”
—Ebonee Davis
“Find the time of day when you’re the most energetic. Some people tell me I need to work out in the morning to get it over with. But if I work out at 6 am, I’ll be exhausted, I won’t be happy, and I won’t put in 100% effort. So if you’re more of a night person, work out at night!”
—Nina Agdal
Combine fitness with socializing
“You can also work out with a friend! Emily Didonato, who’s also in the issue, is one of my best friends and we always go for workout and coffee. It’s a good hang, but we also did a workout together. So suggest to a friend: ‘Let’s do yoga and then lunch!’”
—Kate Bock
Plan your workouts on the go
“I’ll look on Instagram and find a good video that shows 3 exercises I can do in 10 minutes in the morning. Then it’s something I haven’t done before, it’s mixing it up, and I’m distracted because I’m looking at a video.”
—Hannah Davis
RELATED: 17 Ways to Lose Weight When You Have No Time
Remember working out can give you more energy
“I find when you’re jet-lagged or tired, sometimes you don’t want to work out. But once you’re doing it, you feel way better. sometimes you even get energized. You’re never going to regret [working out].”
—Kate Bock
But allow yourself some rest days
“You definitely need to listen to your body. If you’re run down and you go to the gym, you’re just wasting your time in there, because you won’t get a great workout.”
—Hannah Davis
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Fitness, Health, Wellness
Photo: Pond5
This article originally appeared on DailyBurn.com.
Sure, it would be nice if you bounded out of bed in the morning and into your running shoes. Or rushed home from work and went straight to the gym multiple times a week—no bribes or pep talks required. But let’s be honest, that doesn’t always (uh, rarely?) happen. However, some people have found that one no-excuses method to moving more. They get their butts in gear, even when it’s tempting to stay on the couch. So we asked Daily Burn 365 trainers and fitness pros what their clients say is the best workout motivation. Next time you’re thinking of skipping out on fitness, steal one of their secrets.
RELATED: 275 Exercises to Shake Up Your Workout Routine
1. “I’m doing it for them.” You often hear that exercise should be a time you invest in yourself. It’s all about you. But sometimes, it’s even better to look at the big picture. Figure out who else your health benefits—whether it’s just for bragging rights or something more. “One client told me, ‘I’m exercising to prove to my wife that I can do this,” says Daily Burn 365 trainer Prince Brathwaite, who’s also the CEO and founder of Trooper Fitness. Another said, ‘I want my kids to have something positive to look up to.’”
2. “There’s comfort in routine.” No matter how busy life gets, think of your workout as something that keeps your life in line. Amid the chaos, a sweat sesh can feel pretty darn good. “One of my clients who takes barre just finished her nursing residency. After 12-hour shifts, she’d come to class simply because she wanted to maintain a normal life and have something for herself,” says Krystal Dwyer, instructor at Flybarre and CityRow in New York City and DB365 trainer. “That’s motivation. She inspires me.”
RELATED: 7 Reasons to Never Miss a Monday Workout
3. “Because Jon Snow is waiting.” Rewarding yourself for a workout well done is the way to go. (Err, as long as your prize isn’t always a double scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough.) Bentley Garton, elite trainer at LA Rox and Daily Burn Fitness/Nutrition Coach, had a client with a unique prize in mind. “She would only let herself watch the latest episode of Game of Thrones if she had done four workouts that week,” she says. You might prefer a new sports bra or an hour of Instagram surfing and that’s good too. Whatever gets you to the finish line!
4. “It makes sense financially.” If you pay for a gym membership or monthly subscription, you better use it, right? Sometimes thoughts of throwing cash away can help you get up and at ‘em. “One client sat down with her husband and made a chart with the total cost per month of a gym membership and what that would make each visit cost—for instance, one trip would cost the full monthly amount,” explains Cheri Paige Fogleman, a New York City-based fitness instructor and Daily Burn 365 trainer. “So she turned it into a game and challenged herself to get the average cost of each visit as discounted as possible.”
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5. “It’s on my schedule—in pen.” You know you should put your workout on the calendar and treat it like any other really important, non-negotiable appointment in your life. Well, Becca Pace, owner of In Your Pace Fitness and Daily Burn 365 trainer, has many clients who take that to heart. “They’ll tell their bosses and co-workers that they have a ‘meeting’ every week. Then they can run to class during their lunch hour,” she says. Everyone deserves a break.
6. “I’m helping the world.” With apps like Charity Miles, you can log your activity to raise money for more than 30 non-profit organizations. Knowing that your sweat turns into real equity may help you get to the gym more often. At least that’s what it does for a bunch of Erika Shannon’s trainees. “A few of my clients are currently participating in a fundraiser where every time they check in on social media at a gym or fitness studio, they raise money to help build schools,” says the DB365 trainer. “I love it!”
7. “I sure look the part.” Gone are the days of baggy throwaway tees and shorts you found at the bottom of the hamper. “I hear from women all the time that if they look good, they feel good. So they’ll wear cute workout outfits to feel better heading into a class,” says Lauren Danzinger, creator of Sweat Sessions in New York City, a program that offers complimentary fitness classes for New Yorkers. Permission to buy those sweet sneakers you’ve been eyeing (as long as that means you’re inspired to wear them).
8. “Well, I’m already in my leggings.” If you pop out of bed, brush your teeth and head out for a workout class, you won’t know what happened until you’ve got weights in hand. “One client told me she sleeps in her workout attire so there is no excuse not to make my 6:30 a.m. class,” says Dara Theodore, trainer for DB365 and the Fhitting Room in New York City. “It might not be the best pajama choice, but it works!”
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9. “I don’t have a backup wardrobe.” If you have to force yourself to break a sweat in order to fit into certain clothes, then do what works. That’s what one client of Daily Burn Fitness/Nutrition Coach Sarah Snyder thinks. “When she purchased a dress a couple sizes smaller for an upcoming occasion with no other options, she had to make it fit,” she says. The horror of the outfit being too snug in all the wrong places encourages her to torch those calories.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Fitness, Health, Wellness
Is there a cuter mother-daughter pair than fitness influencers Denise and Katie Austin? We think not. With decades of instructing experience under her belt, Denise brought Katie up to love exercise. And her mini-me is doing big things with her own passion for fitness. Katie has created in-home workout guides called Get Fit With Katie, and has racked up more than 94,000 followers on her health-focused Instagram account.
But we love it best when Denise and Katie come together, which is why we invited them to our studio to do a special mama-daughter challenge just in time for Mother’s Day.
The game went a little something like this: We asked Katie to answer questions about Denise (on her own), then had Denise answer them too (on her own). We also figured it’d be fun to keep score the whole time, because why not?
We queried Katie about her mom’s favorite food and the song she loves to sweat to most. Also asked: “What part of her body is Denise most proud of?” Even tougher, “What part of your body does Mom love most?”
We’ll admit, the questions got tough (See: Katie’s final scorecard). But some of the answers we caught on film made us melt a little bit.
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Take Katie’s reply when we asked her, “What’s the healthiest thing about your mom?” Answer: Her positivity. “I remember growing up, when my sister and I would come home from school and some girl would be mean, [my mom would] say, ‘Well, see it from her side.’”
Katie’s final answer echoes how many of us feel about our own moms. Plain and simple: “I don’t know where I’d be without her,” admits Katie. Cue the (happy) tears.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Fitness, Health, Wellness
This article originally appeared on Time.com.
The more exercise people get, the less their cells appear to age. In a new study in Preventive Medicine, people who exercised the most had biological aging markers that appeared nine years younger than those who were sedentary.
Researchers looked at the telomeres from nearly 6,000 adults enrolled in a multi-year survey run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People were asked what physical activities they had done in the past month and how vigorously they did them. They also provided DNA samples, from which the researchers measured telomere length. Telomeres, the protein caps on the ends of human chromosomes, are markers of aging and overall health. Every time a cell replicates, a tiny bit of telomere is lost, so they get shorter with age. But they shrink faster in some people than in others, explains study author Larry Tucker, professor of exercise science at Brigham Young University.
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“We know that, in general, people with shorter telomeres die sooner and are more likely to develop many of our chronic diseases,” says Tucker. “It’s not perfect, but it’s a very good index of biological aging.”
After adjusting for smoking, obesity, alcohol use, gender, race and other factors, Tucker found in his study that people who exercised the most had significantly longer telomeres than those who were sedentary. The most sedentary people had 140 fewer base pairs of DNA at the ends of their telomeres, compared to the most active: a difference of about nine years of cellular aging, he says.
To qualify as top-tier exercisers, people had to do the equivalent of at least 30-40 minutes of jogging a day five days a week. Doing less was also linked to aging benefits, but they were not as powerful. People who did vigorous exercise had telomeres that signaled about seven fewer years of biological aging, compared to people who did moderate levels of activity.
Tucker says he was surprised to see so big of a difference between moderate and high levels of exercise. “Moderate exercise was still valuable and it had some benefit, but it was really those high levels of physical activity that made the real difference,” says Tucker. The top exercisers were vigorously working out 150 to 200 minutes a week, or engaging in light- to moderate-intensity activity for longer periods. Research continues to suggest that more exercise means deeper reductions in risk for chronic disease, to a certain point.
The current study relied on self-reports about physical activity and was only able to show an association—not a cause-and-effect relationship—between exercise amount and telomere length. It wasn’t able to account for factors like depression, stress, sleep disturbances and dietary practices that could affect exercise habits, genetic changes, or both.
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But a link between physical activity and cellular aging makes sense, says Tucker. Experts believe that telomere length may be linked to inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which exercise has been shown to ease over time.
While there’s no guarantee that people with longer telomeres will live longer, healthier lives, the odds may be in their favor, says Tucker. “We all know people who seem younger than their actual age,” he says. “We know exercise can help with that, and now we know that part of that may be because of its effect on our telomeres.”
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Fitness, Health, Wellness
Exercising on sand offers not only amazing views but also a huge calorie blast. A study in The Journal of Experimental Biology found that running on sand requires 1.15 times more energy than running on a hard surface. (So for a 150-pound person, a half-hour, three-mile run on the beach would burn around 403 calories, compared with 350 on a typical surface.) Plus, it’s good for your joints—as long as the surface isn’t too slanted (instability can be tough on your hips and cause muscle imbalances).
Try this 30-minute interval workout, courtesy of Zack Daley, trainer and training manager at Tone House, an athletic-based fitness studio in New York City. It features running as well as bodyweight exercises to improve total-body strength and is perfect for beginners and experienced runners.
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30-Minute Beach Workout
First, take 25 to 30 large steps from your starting point and make a mark in the sand. This will be your point of reference for the “down-and-back” portions of the workout.
The warm-up:
• Light jog/run down and back two times
• High knees down and back one time
• Butt kicks down and back one time
• Run down and back at about 60 percent of your top speed two times
• 10 burpees
• Lateral shuffle down and back two times, facing away from the water
• Lateral shuffle down and back two times, facing the water
• Skip down and back one time
• Run down and back at about 80 percent of your top speed one time
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The workout:
• 15 to 25 push-ups
• 10 to 20 plank walks (alternate from high plank to elbow plank and back)
• Rest for 30 to 45 seconds and repeat previous two moves
• Walking lunges down and back
• 20 to 30 jump squats
• Rest for 30 to 45 seconds and repeat previous two moves
• Bear crawl down and back
• Rest for 30 to 45 seconds and repeat previous move
• 15 to 25 toe touches
• Plank knee to elbow (in high plank, bring your left knee to your left elbow, then right knee to right elbow; do 15 reps per side)
• Bicycle-crunch burnout (keep going until you can’t do any more)
• Rest for 30 to 45 seconds and repeat previous three moves
• Sprint down and back twice, aiming to reach your fastest speed
Pin the full workout:
Your calorie burn: Approximately 285 (30 minutes of calisthenics for a 150-pound person).
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Fitness, Health, Wellness
In the latest installment of the Alien franchise, set 10 years after 2012’s Prometheus, a new heroine has been charged with kicking some major alien butt: Katherine Waterston plays Daniels, a chief teraformist on a colonizing mission to a new planet. And after an advanced screening of Alien: Covenant, which hits theaters Friday, I can assure you that Waterston embodies the strong female lead that’s been a staple of the Alien movies since Sigourney Weaver’s portrayal of Ellen Ripley, the original badass known for beating down extraterrestrials.
As you might imagine, sparring with (or running from!) blood thirsty—and let’s face it, pretty freaking scary—creatures isn’t an easy task. Translation: Waterston needed to be in great shape.
“I was so nervous that [director] Ridley [Scott] wasn’t going to let me do the stunts,” she said during a pre-screening talkback with cast members. “There was a sort of fit test at the beginning that nearly killed me, but I didn’t want to seem like I couldn’t handle it, because I thought they might take the fun moves away from me.”
But the 37-year-old actress explained that she didn’t arrive on set in the best shape of her life on purpose: “I didn’t want to seem like some kind of warrior at the beginning of the film, because I feel like that journey happens within it, so I didn’t want to come in too ripped,” she said.
Waterston’s plan worked: She got progressively fitter just by playing her role, she said. “A lot of the training happened on set because we were carrying heavy packs and carrying really heavy guns—for me it was heavy.”
Still, Waterston knew she needed to build muscle before filming began to avoid getting hurt on the job. “I didn’t want to rip my shoulder out my socket or something,” she said.
RELATED: 11 Best Exercises to Get Strong, Toned Arms
One of her strengtheners of choice: “curls, really heavy bicep curls.” Which totally makes since considering you’ll see her wielding gigantic guns, and swinging and climbing around a space shuttle for two-plus hours.
Channel your inner warrior and try a few: Stand tall with feet hip-width distance apart and arms at sides, a dumbbell in each hand; palms face forward. Without moving upper arms, bend elbows and curl weight toward shoulders. Slowly lower back to start, and then repeat.
Prefer to do curls with a cable machine? Check out the video below to see the proper form.
Clearly Waterston nailed her training approach for the sci-fi horror flick because actor Michael Fassbender (who plays the androids David and Walter in the film) had this to say about his costar: “She was fearless.”
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Fitness, Health, Wellness
Janette Sherman, 38, a recent transplant to Colorado, recalls how a casual walk with her dog last month turned into a frantic trip to the ER�and the mistakes she made along the way.
On one of the first warm days of April here in Denver, I set off on my lunch break for a hike in nearby Bear Creek Lake Park. I work for a cycling company where most people ride for an hour in the afternoons, but I had my dog with me that day and he needed a good walk.
I moved to Colorado last year from California, and my boss had warned me about rattlesnakes on the trail�especially in the spring, when the ground starts to warm up and the cold-blooded critters�look for places to soak up some sun. Still, I�ve encountered snakes before and wasn�t overly concerned: I was wearing shorts (instead of pants and snake gaiters, like some experts recommend), and certainly wasn�t watching the ground every step of the way.
Almost a mile into my hike, I felt a sharp, sudden pain on my ankle, like I�d been stung by a wasp. I looked up, expecting to see a bug flying away. Then I looked down and saw the obvious puncture wounds.
I glanced behind me and saw the snake, coiled up, ready to strike again. It wasn�t particularly large�its coil was maybe 6 inches across�and it hadn�t rattled, the warning sign that often alerts people to back away. I wasn�t sure what kind of a snake it was, but I knew I should call 911 just to be safe.
The dispatcher asked me if my bite looked like a horseshoe; I learned later that horseshoe-shaped wounds come from nonvenomous snakes with tiny teeth all the way around their mouths. When I told her no, there were three distinct holes (which indicates the fangs of a venomous snake), she calmly told me I should get to a hospital.
But at that point I still felt OK, and was embarrassed to make a big deal about things. Even though the dispatcher wanted to send an ambulance, I told her I�d walk back to my car�the long way, since I refused to backtrack past where the snake had been�and drive myself to a fire station down the road.
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As I walked, my foot began to swell and hurt badly. A driver on the road saw me limping and gave me a ride to my car, and I managed to get myself to the fire station. I was sweating a lot more than normal, and my lips and face had started to go numb. Now I know that overexertion can speed up a person�s reaction to snake venom and make symptoms worse. Looking back, I should have waited for help to arrive.
At the fire station, the EMTs took my shoe off and used a Sharpie to mark how far the swelling had spread�up my leg and across my foot�in the 30 minutes since my bite. This would help the doctors determine how serious my case was, they explained. (They also told me that commercial �snake bite� kits are worthless, but that hiking with a permanent marker is a good idea for this very reason.)
I asked if I could go to an urgent care center, but the EMTs told me that only major hospitals would have antivenin, the technical name for what’s also known as anti-venom. About two out of five rattlesnake bites are what�s known as a �dry bite��not venomous�but with my swelling and facial numbness, that didn�t seem to be the case.
An ambulance took me to Saint Anthony�s Hospital in Denver, where the paramedics’�suspicions were confirmed. But the antivenin had to be mixed in the pharmacy�it�s not always stored in a ready-to-use formula�which would take a while. I was seriously starting to regret not agreeing to an ambulance right away.
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In the meantime, the doctors performed an EKG to check my heart rhythm, and gave me anti-nausea medication to keep me from throwing up (a common symptom of snake bites). Then, about two hours from when I was bitten, I started seeing double and my vision began fading to black. In the nick of time, the antivenin was ready, and the doctors administered six vials.
Over the next few hours, I received six more vials as the hospital staff monitored my vital signs, making sure I didn�t have a bad reaction to the drug. Snake venom can interfere with blood cells� ability to clot, so my doctors also had to take frequent blood draws and pay close attention to that, as well.
The pain from the swelling in my leg was excruciating, and I had to be monitored closely to make sure I didn�t develop compartment syndrome, when pressure builds up and causes tissue and blood vessel damage. But I got really lucky: Because I�d been treated quickly enough, I didn�t have any permanent injury.
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I spent about three days in the hospital, and was discharged with crutches and some strong pain meds. I was cleared for exercise, and went back to the office, a week after the bite happened. I�d tried to answer work emails while recovering at home, but I felt really out of it those first few days�like my brain wasn�t working at full speed.
Then came several follow-up appointments, with an orthopedist and my primary care doctor, to make sure there were no lasting complications. My liver enzymes tested a little high, so I was told not to drink alcohol or take acetaminophen for a month.
It�s now been about three weeks since I was bitten, and I still have tenderness and swelling in my leg�especially if I spend a lot of time on my feet. But the bruising has faded and you can barely see the puncture marks. Also thankfully, I have health insurance: I haven�t gotten a bill yet, but I�ve read that antivenin can cost $2,500 a vial, and that it�s not unusual for snake-bite treatment to total $100,000 or more.
The most lasting effect of all this, honestly, is that it�s made me a little freaked out to go back out on the trail. I finally went for a bike ride at Bear Creek Lake this past weekend, and I screamed a few times when things brushed my leg. Luckily, I was able to calm myself down with some deep breaths and logical thinking.
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I did learn a lot from my experience� that rattlesnakes don�t always rattle, how to recognize a venomous bite, how important it is to get to a hospital ASAP, and what not to do: Experts agree that you shouldn�t apply ice, cut into the wound, raise the affected limb above your heart, or apply a tourniquet.
I do plan to buy some snake gaiters, especially for when I�m exploring on foot, and I�m sure I will be more cautious from now on when I do get back out there. I know I�ll get my confidence back soon, though, because hiking and biking is what keeps me happy and healthy�rattlesnakes and all.
As told to Amanda MacMillan
Check out our sister site on snake bite preparations and readiness.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Chiropractic
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SAMMAMISH, Wa.� The incredible run that was the UTEP men�s golf team�s season came to an end at the 2017 NCAA Washington Regional in Sammamish, Washington on Wednesday.
The Miners shot 32-over 884 (297-294-293) at the Aldarra Golf Club to finish in ninth place, four spots out of the desired fifth place and the opportunity to punch their ticket to the national championships. Top-seeded Southern California, also the no. 1 team in the nation, remained under par to finish first in the regional with 3-under 849 (280-283-286).
Kent State, Florida State, Alabama and Penn State will join Southern California at the NCAA National Championships in Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill. on May 26-31.
Four Miners finished in the top-50 of the field. Charles Corner, who spearheaded the Orange and Blue�s run all tournament, finished in a tie for 22nd with 5-over 218 (70-74-74). Corner collected four birdies in the final round on holes no. 9, no. 10, no. 12, and no. 17 and tied for seventh overall in par-4 scoring (4.11, +3). The junior also shot the team�s lone eagle during round two.
Senior Frederik Dreier made his last appearance as a Miner, shooting 7-over 220 (76-68-76) to finish in a tie for 27th. The two-time C-USA Golfer of the Year led his squad in par-5 scoring (4.75, -3), pars (34) and held the lowest round of any UTEP participant in his second round score of 68. One stroke behind Dreier, Aaron Terrazas finished with a share of 29th after firing 8-over 221 (73-77-71).
The sophomore carded four birdies and tied for fifth overall in par-3 scoring (3.07, +1). Terrazas also tied with Corner for a team-leading eight birdies while collecting 30 total pars.
Andreas Sorensen shot his best round of the tournament to total his 14-over 227 (79-75-73) score, breaking into the top-50 with a tie for 47th place finish. Sorensen collected his tournament-high three birdies in the third round while matching Dreier�s 34 pars to contribute to the teams� 162 total pars.
Nicklas Pihl shot his lowest score of the three rounds on Wednesday and completed the Miners� run with a share of 62nd after shooting 18-over 231 (78-78-75). The junior had six total birdies in the tournament.
The Miners, who made their first NCAA Regional appearance as a team since 2004, ended their season with four tournament titles, including the Conference USA Championship. The C-USA title was the first since 1985 and the second conference title ever in program history.
