Thinking about tri-ing a tri? Doing a du? Here is the lowdown on one of the fastest growing sports around!

Multisport is a “lifestyle” exuding vitality and charisma. It is fresh, new, and exciting, while at the same time being tough and demanding. It is the perfect cross-training exercise program combining the simplicity of two or three very common sports, with the intricate challenge of putting them all together on race morning. Multi-sport training is physical, mental, and social. Think you can’t do a multisport race? Think again, anybody committed to a healthy lifestyle and willingness to put the time in to train, can complete a triathlon or duathlon!

Read the full post on Entering the World of Multi-Sport Racing.

Having been fortunate to rarely sustain an injury to the lower extremities, it’s been of recent that I trashed my knee after one – 3.5 mile run in a bad pair of sneakers. Yes, I’m also aware that being built like the primitive, Neanderthal Man, I shouldn’t be running long-distance, anyway.

In the days preceding the injury, time was limited, despite the need to buy a new pair of running shoes. The indicators were a slight, transient soreness in the knee and some left hip discomfort, which are usually the 6-month markers prior to shoe replacement.

Read the full post on One Possible Solution to Lower Body Pain – Your Feet.

Did you know?
Awareness for Alcohol & Other Drug-Related Birth Defects is the 2nd week of May. Too much alcohol in pregnancy can result in fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). This causes mental and physical birth defects.

Steps to take
It is not known if and how much alcohol is safe to drink during pregnancy. Follow your doctor’s advice. If you serve beverages to pregnant women, have nonalcoholic choices, such as water and caffeine-free iced tea. Learn more from nofas.org.

Did you know?
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It is caused by normal wear and tear on joints and injuries and overuse of joints. Being overweight and a family history of the disease increase the risk.

Steps to take
To help prevent osteoarthritis, get to and stay at a healthy weight; get regular exercise, but prevent falls and injuries. Find out more from the Arthritis Foundation at arthritis.org.

Getting deep and restful sleep is important to your overall health. One of the key factors to achieving deep slumber is maintaining a bedroom temperature that is conducive to rest.

In general, researchers found that most people are sleeping in a room that is too warm. Studies have come out with two different ranges, one from 60-65 degrees and the other from 65-72 degrees, as optimal in promoting deep sleep. Generally, you want your bedroom to be a bit cool, as your body lowers its temperature as you sleep, and a lower body temperature is a signal to your brain that it is time to rest. You’ll want to experiment a bit to find your personal temperature preference.

Read the full post on Setting Bedroom Temperature for Sleep.

Did you know?
May is Healthy Vision Month. This promotes the vision objectives in Healthy People 2010.

Steps to take
Find out this year’s goal to promote healthy vision from healthyvision2010.org/hvm.

George Clinton and the Funkadelics had it right even back in 1978:

“One nation and we’re on the move
Nothin’ can stop us now
Feet don’t fail me now”

Whether you’ve increased your jogging to offset the surge of holiday calories or you’ve been doing the “mall crawl” for best bargains …

Before you complain about achy feet …

It’s time to heed a few rules:

1st – Don’t skimp, when given the choice, go for the better quality!
No matter if it’s shoes, sneakers, kicks, pumps, cleats, boots, loafers, high tops, or heels, they are the most important piece of equipment in your arsenal of clothing. If they aren’t right, the moment your foot hits the ground, everything goes wrong.

Read the full post on Feet Don’t Fail Me Now!.

Did you know?
May is National High Blood Pressure (HBP) Education Month. HBP can be present without signs or symptoms. Only 2 out of 3 people with HBP know that they have it.

Steps to take
Get your blood pressure tested at every office visit or at least every 2 years. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at nhlbi.nih.gov.

Did you know?
Mental Health Counseling Week is the 1st week of May. It promotes the importance of good mental health and the need to get help for mental health problems.

Steps to take
Find out about mental health problems from the National Mental Health Association at 800.969.6642 or nmha.org. Find a counselor from the American Health Counselors Association at amhca.org.

Getting adequate amounts of quality sleep isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity for good mental and physical health. And a lack of adequate rest can cause decreased levels of daytime alertness, even causing people to fall asleep at work, at school, or when behind the wheel of an automobile.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drowsiness and fatigue cause more than 100,000 accidents per year, and young drivers are at the wheel for more than half of those collisions. Driving while drowsy not only creates a health risk to the drowsy person operating a vehicle, but also puts other drivers who come in contact with that person in danger. Recent surveys showed only 20% of adolescents get 8 hours of sleep a night, and 1/3 of them reported falling asleep while in school.

Read the full post on Sleep and Drowsy Driving.