Preventing Injuries

   Exercise and a certain amount of strenuous physical activity are important for maintaining good health.However,before engaging in them,it's imporant to know how to prevent injuries from occurring,especially for athletes and elderly people.Injuries can be minimized by doing a proper warm up.This consists of increasing your heart rate and the blood flow to all parts of your body.A good way to do this is through a series of static stretches,which are done while moving.

   Using the proper equipment is essential,especially in contact sports.To protect the head,for example,well-designed helmets can greatly reduce the incidence of concussions.Concussions are caused when the soft,jello-like brain slams into the hard human skull.Research shows that repeated concussions can have series consequences.

   Compression sportswear is another way to reduce the risk of injury,especially muscle injuries.More and more athletes are using them because their use can also speed up muscle recovery when an injury occurs.

   Another contributing factor in sports injuries is fatigue.Doctors believe that fatigue is an important warning sign that the body to protect itself.Therefore it's a good idea to stop an activity at the first sign of fatigue.Rest periods,even for professional athletes,can prevent serious injuries from ocurring.

   Understanding injuries and the body's reaction to them can help people cope with the problem that accompany physical exercise.The support and understanding of coaches,teammates and family can be a critical factor in prevention and recovery.Once an injury occurs,it's too late to prevent it,and recovery can take a long time.For the elderly,a simple fall can be fatal.

Blood Pressure and Stroke

   A large international study has found that ten risk factors account for 90 percent of all the risk of stroke.Of that list,five risk factors usually related to lifestyle are responsible for a full 80 percent of stroke risk.According to the researches these risk factors-high blood pressure,smoking,abdominal obesity,diet and physical activity-are modifiable and can be controlled.

   The findings come from a study of 3,000 people who had had strokes and an equal number of healthy individuals with no history of stroke.The study also includes a brain scan of all participating stroke survivors,according to the researchers.

   Across the board,high blood pressure was the most important factor,accounting for one-third of all stroke risk.Blood pressure,it was noted,plays a major role in both forms of stroke:ischemic,the most common form(caused by blockage of a brain blood vessel),and hemorrhagic or bleeding stroke,in which a blood vessel in the brain bursts.

   Blood pressure is easily measured,and there are lots of treatments.Lifestyle modifications to control it include increasing physical activity and reducing salt intake.The other lifefstyle risk factors are modifiale as well.High intake of fish and fruits,for example,is associated with a lower risk of stroke.

   Many of the same risk factors have been reported in other studies,but this is the first stroke risk study to include both low- and middle-income participants in developing countries.The study confirms that high blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke in both developing and developed countries.This highlights the need for health authorities in those countries to develop strategies to reduce high blood pressure,salt intake and other risk factors.