Just when you thought exercise was important in order to maintain your ideal weight, and keep you physically fit, we hear about a down side, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). It’s not likely that you’ll ever experience DOMS, but the fact remains that it does affect many people who are determined to stay, or get in shape.

According to Wikipedia, "(DOMS), sometimes called muscle fever, is the pain or discomfort often felt 24 to 72 hours after exercising and subsides generally within 2 to 3 days. It is commonly thought to be caused by increased lactate concentrations; however, this is a misconception as it has been shown elevated levels of lactic acid rarely persist after an hour of rest." [1]

This sort of muscle pain is not quite the same as the muscle pain or fatigue you experience during exercise. This delayed pain is also very different than the acute, sudden pain of and injury such as muscle strains and sprains, which is marked by an abrupt, specific and sudden pain that occurs during activity and often causes swelling or bruising.

There are no known simple treatments for DOMS; however, several theories or home remedies, if you will, have been used to treat DOMS. Research continues on DOMS, but researchers haven’t come up with a solution for a quick recovery from DOMS. Although there is no real cure, research has been focusing on "anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents."

One of the key elements of focus is omega-3. Many of us may know that omega-3s are known for their anti-inflammatory agents. That’s why attention has been moving towards these broadly beneficial fatty acids.

Not only do essential fatty acids (EFAs), which are primarily found in fatty fish, such as salmon, herring, and to a lesser extent tuna, help protect the heart and lower cholesterol, but now researchers are finding that they can also help cure DOMS.

A research team in Iran has published the encouraging results of a small randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (Tartibian B et al. Clin J Sport Med 2009). [2]

"In this study, 27 men who had not participated in any exercise program for 60 days were asked to do bench-stepping in a way known to cause ‘eccentric muscle loading’, wherein the muscle lengthens as it contracts, frequently causing muscle damage and resulting DOMS." [3]

Before beginning the exercise, the men were assigned to take either fish oil (high in omega-3 EPA and DHA) or placebo pills.

"The researchers measured indirect markers of muscle soreness, including perceived pain, thigh circumference (an indicator of muscle inflammation), and range of motion in the knee joint. Compared to the placebo and control group, the men in the omega-3 fish oil group showed significant improvements 24 and 48 hours following the exercise." [3]

If your starting a new exercise routine, follow the advice of physical fitness experts and start slowly and make sure you warm-up, before exercising, and cool-down, after exercising. These simple steps may prevent DOMS. If you’re like me, you want to go full out right away, which is not the best way to loss weight or get in shape.

If you do happen to experience DOMS, or if you’re looking for an omega-3 supplement, try TriVita’s Omega Prime, a supplement that supplies your daily requirements of omega-3 fatty acids.

You can find additional information on Omega Prime and all of the TriVita nutritional products by going to my TriVita Products page.

Jeffrey Sloe
Independent TriVita Business Affiliate – #12871028
440-725-3729

Sources:
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_onset_muscle_soreness
[2] Tartibian B, Maleki BH, Abbasi A. The effects of ingestion of omega-3 fatty acids on perceived pain and external symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness in untrained men. Clin J Sport Med 2009 Mar;19(2):115-9. doi: 10.1097/JSM.0b013e31819b51b3
[3] http://newsletter.vitalchoice.com/e_article001546097.cfm?x=bg4sCWR,bfv5gTb0

When it comes to setting goals, setting and achieving worthwhile goals is the key to lasting happiness. Some goals seem so large that they must be comparable to eating an elephant – just too big to even know how to begin. Weight loss can be that challenging for many. Looking at the BMI chart and knowing how far you have to go can be discouraging. Don’t sweat – there is some good news. Losing just a little can have profound health benefits.

When it comes to eating that elephant, take small bites. The same goes for weight loss – if you are overweight or obese, set a goal to lose only 10% of your body weight. That’s all – just 10%. Meeting this goal will give you most of the health benefits and much of the energy you will need to improve your life substantially.

It’s often said that weight loss is simple, just not easy. Many experts tout the "calories in – calories out" formula as if it were Holy Scripture. I first heard this as the prescription for weight loss when I was a teenager. Now, here I am well over 50 years of age and I still hear it almost daily. In those intervening decades we have experienced an explosion of obesity. So, merely repeating the same formula over and over is clearly not working!

What does work is having a purpose. The reason purpose works is because it ignites passion, passion that ones from within. Purpose defines the reason for effort – for example, the reason we want to lose weight. At the same time, passion translates that sense of purpose into action; it gets one moving in the right direction. Ok, it is true that some people want to lose weight for reasons that do not require much passion, like necessity. Cosmetic weight loss may be one example and disease prevention may be another.

With purpose, it requires a plan. Keep these simple objectives (SMART Goals) in mind when setting goals of any type:

• Specific
• Measureable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Timely

If you take that sense of purpose, fuel it with your passion, and structure a plan, you will accomplish your mission. Yes, it’s that simple!

Purpose, passion, plan and mission are successful strategies when it comes to weight loss, or any other life-changing task. These strategies have withstood the test of time and continue to work today. Now, this is not as simple as "calories in – calories out." But it is easy. And it works with the way we function as human beings: with purpose!

To reach your SMART goals you will likely need better health and more energy. Did you know that even modest amounts of weight loss can provide you with substantial improvements in vitality? Use the Body Mass Index (BMI) Chart to calculate your BMI.

If your BMI calculation is over 25, consider making it a SMART goal to lose 10% of your body weight. Losing just 10% of your body weight as fat can help improve your blood pressure, blood sugar, digestion and metabolism. You will have more energy, better self-esteem and a more optimistic view of life in general.

Remember, the elephant you’re trying to eat, so to speak, is not weight loss itself. Trimming down gives you more energy to do the things that matter to you the most. Weight loss is a means to an end: a means to living a life of purpose. So, as a milestone on your goal toward a life of purpose, set a 10% reduction in weight as a SMART goal. Use a body composition scale to make sure that you are losing only fat, not lean tissue like muscles, bones and brain. You will need those as assets in your journey.

TriVita’s Leanology® body-composition program was thoroughly reviewed in an ArizonaStateUniversity study. Researchers found that with Leanology, 100% of the weight loss came from fat – none from vital, energy-producing organs.

So, do you know how to eat an elephant? The answer is still "one bite at a time," only now we see that there must be a valid reason for eating the elephant in the first place! Don’t try to eat the elephant all at once and don’t try to do it alone. Purpose, passion, plan and mission are the stuff of life. Yet, life is about balance. As humans, we Love, we Play, we Work and we Worship. Our manner of life should reflect these priorities.

Jeffrey Sloe
TriVita Business Affiliate – 12871028
440-725-3729
Additional Weight Loss Information

*Content courtesy of the Weekly TriVita Wellness Report, written by Brazos Minshew, TriVita’s Chief Science Officer (www.trivita.com/trivita-mailings/wwr/2009/September/20090912/0139-losingWeight-pf.html?tref=12871028&sid=4297).