Weekender Alicante South Issue 106

Facebook: @TheWeekenderSpain
Stretching more
than the imagination
DON’T seize up! That’s the
message from fitness experts
who are urging us to
fit stretches into our daily
routine or face increasing
discomfort as we get older.
The human body naturally
declines in function as it ages,
with ageing muscles losing
mass without the right exercise,
so any opportunity to reduce
the speed of the process
should be seized according to
experts.
Flexibility of joints and
muscles shouldn’t be taken
for granted and noticing increased
difficulty bending,
moving or reaching is the cue
to act before it’s too late.
Office workers who spend
the day desk-bound are among
the most vulnerable to stiffening
joints and muscles as the
years pass, but simple stretches
can help sedentary people
stay supple as they get older.
But anyone can have a go
at tackling increasingly poor
elasticity by rotating stiff
shoulders, aching ankles and
a numb neck, according to research
from the experts.
Fitness specialists at Vivotion.com
have researched some
of the best activities for loosening
up the body and encourage
people to give them a try
before they start to get aches
and pains in areas they forgot
they had.
They also point out that is
important not to overdo it,
so only stretch to the point
of brief and mild discomfort
rather than pain and always
ensure sufficient rest and recovery
afterwards. A spokesman
from Vivotion.com says:
“As we all age, our bodies don’t
seem to function as well as
they used to – but that doesn’t
mean a total loss of elasticity is
inevitable.
“The best way to steer clear
of major discomfort, inconvenience
or pain in older age is
to get your body moving a bit
more as soon as possible.”
STAYING SUPPLE
Here are the exercises that
can help stop you seizing
up:
STIFF SHOULDERS
Stand up or find a backless
stool, bend an arm at the elbow
back towards your body
and raise your elbow above
your eyeline; then lean your
shoulder backwards, and rotate
around until it has drawn
a complete circle. Repeat this
several times until the joint
feels slightly more supple and
then repeat the motion in a
LOVE THE SKIN
YOU’RE IN
by Melanie Ratcliffe
SKIN – it’s the biggest organ
in the body and in the average
person covers an area
of two square metres. It’s a
clever organ too. Renewing
every 28 days!
Everyone wants softer,
smoother skin and a clear,
youthful complexion. We
would also like naturally
healthy and shiny hair and
strong pliable nails.
Can we delay skin ageing
and maintain our youthful
looks? Let’s take a look.
You are what you
eat!
The foods that we eat can
have a direct effect on skin
integrity, health and even
beauty, with well documented
studies showing that dietary
changes can improve skin
structure, reverse symptoms
and improve appearance.
Increasing our intake of
fruit and vegetables is a great
way to start ringing in the
changes. Introduce a ‘rainbow’
of coloured foods to maximise
intake of beneficial skin nutrients.
Green leafy vegetables and
herbs are a few good examples
whilst other nutrient dense
foods such as berries, rich in
proanthocyanidins, support
skin health and boost a youthful
appearance.
Avocados contain the highest
fruit source of Vitamin E,
a fat soluble nutrient known
to protect against cell damage
by neutralising free radicals
which cause the skin to age.
Proanthocyanidins also protect
the skins collagen structure
in a number of ways. Reinforcing
the collagen matrix
of connective tissue and inhibiting
collagen damage caused
by inflammation and infection.
Believe it or not, onions and
garlic are also items for your
shopping list too! Both contain
sulphur, an essential dietary
component that has a critical
role in maintaining the integrity
of connective tissue.
Be sure to add legumes,
whole grains, nuts and seeds,
especially walnuts and linseeds,
rich in omega 3, along
with sustainably sourced oily
fish.
Omega 3 fatty acids are
important for cell membrane
structure and fluidity, aiding
the skin’s appearance. These
beneficial fats have also been
shown to have anti-inflammatory
properties.
forwards direction, before following
the same process with
your other shoulder.
BAD BACK
When laid in bed, turn onto
your front, place your hands
flatly under the pillow and
rest your forearms by your
shoulders; then slowly raise
your shoulders (support yourself
by pushing with your arms
if necessary). Hold the position
for several seconds or until uncomfortable
and then rest as
required, before repeating the
motion as many times as you
can.
TENDER THIGHS
Stand upright, raise one leg
behind yourself and hold the
ankle against your bum; balance
on the remaining grounded
leg for as long as possible,
leaning against a wall with
the spare arm if necessary, to
stretch out the raised thigh.
KNOCKING KNEES
Sit down and fully extend
your legs, one at a
time, with only the heel of
the foot touching the floor;
then, keeping heel and
bum planted, raise and
lower your knee (causing
a slight bend) at a comfortable
pace.
Extra virgin olive oil is another
source of beneficial dietary
fat to include, but save
this for salad dressings, it’s not
one for frying with!
Contrary to popular belief,
fats are not the enemies we
once thought. Not all are bad.
In fact, good fats, such as omega
3 and 6 fatty acids are essential
to our diets.
Their role in maintaining
healthy skin cannot be overstated.
Our obsession with fatfree
diets has left many people
with chronic deficiencies in essential
fatty acids.
Symptoms include brittle
nails, extensive wrinkling and
dry, flyaway, or splitting hair.
Plant seed oils are one way
of topping up your omega fats
and may deliver numerous
health and beauty benefits.
FIRM FINGERS
Pop aching pockets of air in
your finger joints by pushing
down on your knuckles with
the thumb of the same hand;
playing an imaginary piano
can also loosen your digits.
HURTFUL HAMSTRING
Slowly try to touch your toes
in a standing position, making
sure that at least your heel always
remains grounded, until
the back of your leg feels mildly
uncomfortable, then do the
same with the other leg.
ACHING ANKLES
Find a comfy seat, raise
your lower leg off the ground
and moving only your foot,
draw some clockwise circles
in the air (of several inches in
diameter) with your big toe.
This will rotate your ankle
and can then be repeated,
Oils that have been shown
to aid healthy skin are golden
flaxseed oil, hempseed oil and
evening primrose oil.
Is your skin crying out
for moisture?
I’m sure you are all aware
of the importance of drinking
water when it comes to skin
health. It’s a simple, inexpensive
and effective way to keep
hydrated.
Many beauticians and nutritionists
alike recommend
drinking one to two litres of
water daily.
Try swapping your coffee,
tea, fizzy drinks and dare I
say your favourite tipple for a
glass of water. You’ll soon be
increasing your intake and noticing
a difference.
Why not try a glass of warm
water in the mornings with a
slice of lemon?
You can further support the
skin’s natural moisturising
mechanisms by applying topical
moisturisers.
A good quality body or facial
oil will permeate the skin
and support skin cell structure
enabling them to retain moisture,
cream based moisturisers
on the other hand sit on the
surface of the skin to create a
barrier.
Be savvy when selecting
skincare products and make
sure they are appropriate for
your skin as skin types and
needs will differ from person
to person.
Consider also the ingredi-
FRIDAY 30TH AUGUST 2019 25
Health&Lifestyle
with sufficient rest and recovery
in between stages, in an
anti-clockwise direction and
before applying the same process
to your other ankle.
NUMB NECK
Without moving your chest
at all, try to touch the tip of
your shoulders with your ears,
to stretch the sides of your
neck. To work the rear, tilt
your head back to face the sky
and then roll your neck several
times, before repeating in
the opposite direction.
WEARISOME WAIST
Stand upright, face ahead,
place your hands on your hips
and spin your waist around
clockwise – imagine a hulahoop
– at a comfortable pace
for a minute or so, before reversing
into an anticlockwise
rotation.
ents in skincare products. Are
they naturally sourced and
organic? Are they full of synthetic
chemicals and artificial
fragrances?
Try to opt for products that
contain as few ingredients as
possible and that will be gentle
in their action, nourishing, repairing
and regenerative.
Some of the best topical
oils
Organic Coconut Oil – a
significant skin conditioner.
Rich in antioxidants and fatty
acids that penetrate into the
underlying tissues, it can help
with the appearance of stretch
marks and aid in the prevention
of premature ageing. It’s a
fabulous lip balm too and great
for applying to cold sores.
Organic Rose Oil – Damascena
rose is a wonderful
anti- inflammatory agent and
tissue regenerator. High in
antioxidants with amazing
hydration properties, it can
also help reduce redness. Rosa
Mosqueta oil has also been
shown to be particularly beneficial
in wound healing and
scar reduction.
Sea Buckthorn Oil – Protects,
heals and regenerates
damaged skin by its high
concentration of natural carotenoids,
tocopherols, sterols
and fatty acids. Natural antioxidants
and fatty acids aid
reversal and damage caused
by sun radiation while minimising
long term effects of sun
exposure.
SQUEEZED SIDE
Either seated or standing,
firmly place your right
forearm on top of your head
and lean to the left for a moment,
before swapping to
your left forearm and leaning
right.
CRAMPED CALVES
Face a wall, prop a heel
on the ground and touch
the wall with your toes;
push your body weight towards
the wall to feel your
calf stretch, hold for several
seconds and then swap legs
and repeat.
WORKED WRIST
Keeping your forearm
still by holding it with your
other hand, clench your fist
and rotate your wrist in
both directions before repeating
on the other side.
Organic Pomegranate
Oil – moisturises and nourishes
skin restoring the skins
PH balance, fights damage
causing free radicals leaving
the skin super soft and smooth
Lavender Essential Oil
– ideal for a natural first aid
kit. Well known for its wound
healing, cleansing and toning
properties and removing redness
and heat from the skin.
There also a number of well
documented nutrient and
beauty supporting compounds
that can be taken in supplement
form too.
As a fundamental building
block, a supplement containing
the key skin nutrients vitamin
C, beta carotene, biotin,
zinc, copper and selenium and
MSM is a worthy addition to
any skin regime.
Pine Bark Extract (Pycnogenol)
is one of the most researched
and effective ‘insideout’
cosmetics.
It’s a naturally occurring
complex of several bioavailable
antioxidant nutrients and
has been demonstrated to protect
and increase collagen and
hyaluronic acid levels in the
skin whilst improving blood
circulation to the skin.
The content of this article is
for information purposes only
and should not replace the advice
of your healthcare professional.
Always seek the advice of
your GP if taking prescribed
medication or undergoing
medical treatment of any form.