• Tips on Dealing with Arthritis
• Nine Ways to Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Customer Recipe: Spicy Corn on the Cob
• No Pain, No Pain

"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year,
but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place.
If I quit, however, it lasts forever."

Lance Armstrong

When we were kids, arthritis seemed a million years away. It was an old person's disease. Maybe not as funny (at the time) as hemorrhoids or back hair, but still, an affliction not to be worried about for a while.

But then we got older. Nowadays, those knees just don't seem to work as well as they did in high school. Maybe that tennis elbow has turned into something more chronic. What happened? You're not old yet!

Well, no, you're not, but that doesn't matter. Arthritis may be more prevalent in the elderly, but one in three American adults suffers from some form of the disease, and that includes spring chickens like you.

Arthritis comes from the Greek word arthron, which means "joint," and the Greek suffix -itis, which means "swelling." It's not actually an affliction but a general term for a group of over 100 diseases associated with joint swelling, stiffness, and pain.

One of the better-known types of arthritis is osteoarthritis, in which the protective pads at the ends of the bones, called cartilage, wear away, so that the bones rub against each other. Another common form is rheumatoid arthritis, in which the immune system accidentally wages war against your joint lining, causing swelling. Then there's gout, in which an excess of uric acid causes small, sharp crystals to form on the joint, causing intense pain.

There are scores of treatments and medications for these diseases, and it's best to get a doctor and a physical therapist involved if you think you have a serious problem. However, there's plenty you can do now to prevent arthritis from setting in, or to keep that annoying elbow injury from blossoming into full-tilt, debilitating arthritis later in life.

1. First thing you can do is eat right with an eye on losing weight. The heavier you are, the more stress you put on your joints. And the more stress you put on almost anything in your body, the quicker it wears out.
   
   
2. As long as you're eating right, why not throw a workout in there? Exercise helps with arthritis in so many ways, it's not even funny. It can both relieve pain and prevent further injury. Strengthening exercises can build the muscles around a weak joint to help keep it stable. Aerobic exercise can help with that weight loss we mentioned earlier. Range-of-movement exercises, many of which are also aerobic, can keep affected joints mobile and comfortable in a wider range of positions.
   
   Keep in mind that arthritic joints are operating in a weakened state, making them somewhat more fragile, so if you'd like to build up strength or really work on range of movement, a physical therapist will be able to make suggestions that won't potentially cause further damage.
   
   
3. In order to keep joints from going arthritic, it's important to take care of minor injuries, no matter how hard you want to "work through it." Even the smallest of twists, sprains, or strains can, if not looked after, leave scar tissue, which can increase the chance of the joint's becoming arthritic.
   
   
4. So before you even begin exercise, prevent these injuries from happening by warming up, cooling down, and taking time to stretch at least once a day. When an injury happens, allow it to heal, and make sure to keep stretching. Keeping muscles loose and comfortable can prevent the formation of scar tissue. That said, don't overdo it. Don't stretch before working out and don't stretch to the point of discomfort. An overstretched muscle doesn't offer support to the joint, and that can lead to further injury.

A final important aspect of exercise for the arthritis sufferer is that it makes you feel good. As I said, most of us think of this as an old person's disease—and no one wants to get old. By lifting those weights or going for those walks, we're keeping ourselves young and keeping our bodies useful. So if you think it might be happening to you, take it head-on and get yourself healthy. See a doctor, start eating right, and get up out of that La-Z-Boy! It won't be as easy to fix as that back hair, but it'll be far more rewarding.

Eating right and exercising are two important factors that can prevent arthritis. Go to TeamBeachbody.com and learn how you can start taking control of your health today.

Back to top.

What is carpal tunnel syndrome?
Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on the median nerve, which runs through a small tunnel in the center of the wrist. This nerve gives you sensation in your thumb, index, and middle fingers, and half of the ring finger. When surrounding tissues, like ligaments and tendons, become inflamed, it puts pressure on the nerve. This can cause numbness, tingling, burning, or pain along the path of the nerve.

Preventing carpal tunnel syndrome
Many people who get carpal tunnel syndrome are predisposed to the problem by having a narrow carpal tunnel. Even so, it is largely preventable if certain precautions are taken.

In general:

• Take frequent breaks. Resting lets your body recover.
• Switch hands during a task. Alternating gives one hand a break without the need to stop working.
• Keep your wrist straight, avoiding downward or upward tilt of the hand. If you find that you can't avoid this, a wrist brace will help remind you to keep your wrist level.
• Don't hold your arms too far away from your body. It increases the chance that your wrists aren't in a neutral position, thus increasing pressure on your wrists.
• If you feel your wrists getting tired, or your hand getting numb—stop!
• Stretch frequently to keep muscles loose. Not just your wrists, but your whole arm.
• Make sure your tools are not too big for your hands. The wider the grip, the more pressure on your wrist!

At the computer:

• Don't rest your wrists in front of the keyboard while typing.
• Adjust the height of your chair so your forearms are level with the keyboard.

Don't sit all day. Get up and walk around.

Yoga has also been shown to reduce carpal tunnel pain. To learn how to do the popular Sun Salutation yoga vinyasa, see the Bonus move in "The 5 Key Moves of Power 90" in Tony's Corner on TeamBeachbody.com.

Back to top.

Unfortunately, the only things that go together better than corn on the cob and summertime are corn on the cob and butter. Not a lot of people like to gnaw on this high-fiber treat without slathering on a slab of cow fat.

Happily, Beachbody member Jennifer B. has come up with a better option—and it's much more exciting, to boot. Thanks for zinging up our summer BBQ, Jennifer! Enjoy your T-shirt!

Remove the corn from the husk and rinse it well. Lay the corn on a square of aluminum foil large enough to wrap around it. Pour the hot sauce on the corn. (This is all to your liking—a lot for very spicy, or a little for not so spicy.) Smear garlic on top. Wrap and grill! Grilling time may vary depending on the grill. Jennifer claims her grill cooks it perfectly on "high" for 10 minutes on each side.

If you have a recipe you think is Beachbody material, send it to recipes@beachbody.com. If we choose to use it, we'll send you a free T-shirt!

For dozens of heathy recipes that will help you shed the extra pounds, visit the Team Beachbody® Club recipe archive!

Back to top.

The old adage of "no pain, no gain" is simply not true. There are times when your body will hurt, but it is not a gauge as to whether or not your program is working. The only time exercise should really hurt is when you are in a power-endurance phase and your body is building up massive amounts of lactic acid. Even for athletes, this represents a small percentage of the time they work out. Most exercise should not hurt. If it does, chances are that you have an injury. (Of course, if you've never exercised at all, you may think everything hurts but that is just getting used to exercising. If it feels good when you're done, chances are the "hurt" did not do any damage.) You can also expect to get sore after workouts at the beginning of a training program. When soreness occurs, back off a little on your next few workouts. Don't skip them, just allow yourself to go easier. Soon your muscles will recover and you'll be energized to increase the intensity.

Back to top.