Fitness, Health and Wellness for the Nurse: Recent Comments

Comment on Stretching - for Nurses

J.R.Smith — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:47:09 GMT

While I agree stretching can be beneficial, for the most part, it is highly over rated and over prescribed. Having a lack of flexibility is not necessarily the main reason for back injuries or for any musculoskletal injuries for that matter. It is a matter of muscular weakness. In other words, loading the muscles with more work than they can perform.

Also when you are attempting to strengthen a muscle, or perform any type of post rehab on a previously injured muscle or joint, at times it is good to train that muscle or muscle group then leave it alone and allow the laxness of that weakened area to develop some taughtness. Overly stretched muscles can lead to increased joint laxity creating further problems than not stretching; this is called a dynamic reflex injury.

Granted we all need balanced muscular strength and flexibility but to perform a particular stretch for over a minute at a time is probably going too far. In fact a few years ago the National Strength and Conditioning Association released a position paper stating that they felt that the most you should stretch at any given time would be no more than 30 seconds to 2 minutes max - for everything, not just one muscle group. The key was to perform these stretches several times a day in order to maximize the potential of reducing injury while increasing flexibility but not to over do it due to the dynamic relfex injury I mentioned previously.

Most injuries occur in the first 4 hours at work. Probably the most important time to stretch is just before getting out of bed in the morning when static fixation is at its greatest. A few knee to chest and pelvic rocking stretches will go a long way to reducing the great number of those injuries that nurses or any healthcare worker experiences on the job.

Follow up though with an intensive strength training program that trains muscle groups antagonistically while loading the core, stabilizing the spine and developing strength for a weakened quadrautus lumborum and you will do a tremenous amount of positive good for your body and it can all be done in as little as 20 minutes a day.

Have a strong and healthy day.

J.R.Smith, cft,ssc,spn,mes,clwms
Sport, Fitness and Medical Exercise Specialist
NBFE board registered

Comment on Do cardio before or after weight training?

J.R.Smith — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:11:28 GMT

Glad to see that someone has done their homework. I provide medical exercise programs for nurses and aides and as a professional trainer for over 25 years, it is refreshing to see that you are providing the right advice.

Comment on The Future Workplace - 2015

Ryan — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:09:46 GMT

It's interesting to compare what we were thinking about the future of the workplace three years ago compared to now. I invite you and your readers to visit ERC's blog, Where Great Workplaces Start, for updated information on workplace programs and trends:

http://greatworkplace.wordpress.com

Comment on Techniques for Managing Stress

Caterina — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 19:31:03 GMT

This is an excellent article. Nurses are getting burnout and leaving their jobs; but also leaving us without the so needed professionals. However, there are other ways to stay in this profession and alleviate some of the stress. A great alternative is to become a travel nurse, read more about it at http://www.americantraveler.com/travel-nurse-news-vol22.html.

Also, we all should strive to keep our new year’s resolutions, specially the ones related to our health and wellbeing. This site has a stimulating article about this topic. http://www.50statesstaffing.com/travel-nurse-news-jan08.html .

Finally, our body is so precious and we need to stay health and stay educated about how to prevent long term illness in our selves and anyone around us. This morning a received an email with some good instructions on how to identify the signs of a stroke; to read more about it go to http://ilovetravelnursing.wordpress.com/