I spend many a happy hour browsing for free podcasts on the i-tunes store.

I recently came across a video podcast called self massage for athletes.  They say athletes but don't let that put you off if you aren't one.  These massage techniques will benefit everyone. 

You don't even need an i-pod that supports video, you can simply watch it on your computer screen.  You will need to download i-tunes onto your computer if you don't already have it.

The "episodes" consists of short videos aimed at different body parts.  I have a peek at a few and they look good and easy to do.

So have fun!

I love sleeping - always have and probably always will.  Sleep is now being attributed with improving fitness, marriage and the immune system.

This article in the New York Times, explains how research has shown that athletes who sleep 10 hours a night improve their performance and go on to say that "sleep loading" may be just as important as carbo loading before an endurance event.

Music to my ears!

Photo courtesy of:  Freedigitalphotos.net

Regular readers of my blog will know that I regularly expound the virtues of group exercise.  I can never understand people who do the same gym circuit over and over again, sometimes never increasing their time or reps.  What's the point?

Needless to say I was delighted to read that research has shown that a particular sort of exercise makes you smarter and here's the important bit - pushing yourself further than you normally would makes you even smarter!  I'm always pushed a lot harder than I might normally push myself in an exercise class, thats why I love them.

Here is an excerpt take from a New York Times article:  "For some time, researchers have known that exercise changes the structure of the brain and affects thinking. Ten years ago scientists at the Salk Institute in California published the groundbreaking finding that exercise stimulates the creation of new brain cells. But fundamental questions remain, like whether exercise must be strenuous to be beneficial. Should it be aerobic? What about weight lifting? And are the cognitive improvements permanent or fleeting?"

To find out which exercise is best for the braincells click here

I listened to the Chris Moyles Breakfast Show on Radio 1 yesterday and he was talking to comedian Eddie Izzard, who is doing an amazing challenge for Sport Relief.

He's running 6 marathons a week for 7 weeks!

I baulk at the idea of running a mere one [snivel] and he's doing this?  I didn't even think he was remotely sporty.  Just shows you what the human body is capable of.

To follow his progress click here.

To sponsor Eddie click here

Follow Eddie on Twitter

Did you know:

"The culprit for delayed muscle soreness is not, as some people used to think, the buildup of lactic acid, a byproduct of exercise that dissipates from the muscle tissues within an hour. That kind of soreness is considered acute. As soon as someone stops exercising, or shortly afterward, the burn goes away".

I've read about this "new" discovery over the last few years but never really found an article which explained this phenomonon really well. Until I found this excellent article in the New York Times from 2004.

It goes onto to explain:

"No one knows for sure exactly what does cause muscle soreness. But many scientists now think that the delayed pain is caused by microscopic tears in the muscles when a certain exercise or activity is new or novel. These tiny tears eventually produce inflammation, and corresponding pain, 24 to 36 hours later.

The good news is that as these little tears repair themselves, they prepare the muscles to handle the same type of exercise better the next time.

"The muscle gets more resilient, meaning the next time you do that same exercise you won't get damaged as much," said Dr. Priscilla Clarkson, a professor of exercise science at the University of Massachusetts and a leading researcher on muscle soreness. "That doesn't mean you are stronger, or mean you can lift more weight. It just means your muscle fibers are likely stronger so they won't tear as easily. Over time they'll build up and become a stronger fiber to lift more weight."

The article goes on to explain which exercise will guarantee soreness and how to limit stiffness and soreness with the right nutrition.

To read the article in full click here

So, if there's no accumulation of lactic acid to get rid of, then how does massage help with stiffness?  Well, microtears and the resultant inflammation causes the muscle fibre to swell slightly and this causes stiffness and nerve sensitivity [pain].  Massage reduces the swelling through improved blood and lymphatic system cirulation and assists in the removal of metabolites and other toxins.  Plus, it feels good!