My life as a couch potato effectively ended during late December 2014. In the previous years, which I spent as a completely dedicated couch potato, I remained injury-free. After all, it is hard to injure oneself when watching TV and eating a bag of chips. I am sure it is not impossible, but it definitely hard.
 |
| At least in the 'old days' one had to actually get up off the couch to change the channel - even that effort has been long erased by the remote control. |
Us 'athletes' must deal with injuries from time-to-time. Having successfully navigated past my hernia, two new problems have recently popped up. I have been noticing an increasing pain from time to time to time on the front of my right leg as well as an annoying itchiness on both of my feet. This information was lifted directly from the the mayo clinic website.
The term "shin splints" refers to pain along the shinbone (tibia) — the large bone in the front of your lower leg. Shin splints are common in runners, dancers and military recruits. Medically known as medial tibial stress syndrome, shin splints often occur in athletes who have recently intensified or changed their training routines. The muscles, tendons and bone tissue become overworked by the increased activity. Most cases of shin splints can be treated with rest, ice and other self-care measures. Wearing proper footwear and modifying your exercise routine can help prevent shin splints from recurring .In most cases, you can treat shin splints with simple self-care steps:
- Rest. Avoid activities that cause pain, swelling or discomfort — but don't give up all physical activity. While you're healing, try low-impact exercises, such as swimming, bicycling or water running.
- Ice the affected area. Apply ice packs to the affected shin for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, four to eight times a day for several days. To protect your skin, wrap the ice packs in a thin towel.
- Take an over-the-counter pain reliever. Try ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), naproxen sodium (Aleve) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) to reduce pain.
Resume your usual activities gradually. If your shin isn't completely healed, returning to your usual activities may cause continued pain.
* * * * * * * * *
Athlete's Foot (tinea pedis) is a fungal infection that usually begins between the toes. It occurs most commonly in people whose feet have become very sweaty while confined within tight-fitting shoes. Signs and symptoms of athlete's foot include a scaly rash that usually causes itching, stinging and burning. Athlete's foot is contagious and can be spread via contaminated floors, towels or clothing. Athlete's foot is closely related to other fungal infections such as ringworm and jock itch. It can be treated with over-the-counter antifungal medications, but the infection often recurs. Prescription medications also are available. Athlete's foot usually causes a scaly red rash that typically begins in between the toes. Itching is often the worst right after you take off your shoes and socks. Some types of athlete's foot feature blisters or ulcers. The moccasin variety of athlete's feet causes chronic dryness and scaling on the soles that extends up the sides of the feet. It can be mistaken for eczema or even as dry skin. The infection can affect one or both feet and can spread to your hand — especially if you scratch or pick at the infected parts of your feet.
When to see a doctor
If you have a rash on your foot that doesn't improve within a few weeks after self-treatment, see your doctor. Seek medical advice sooner if you have diabetes and suspect you have athlete's foot or if you notice excessive redness, swelling, drainage or fever.
Couch potatoes never have these issues. However, I prefer to keep active and deal with these things as they pop up because the alternative is now completely unacceptable.
.
 |
| morning session |
 |
| late afternoon session. The 'low impact' elliptical machine puts virtually no pressure on shin splints. In my way of thinking, a day spent on the elliptical machine is equivalent to a day or rest as far as shin splints are concerned. |
Your Food Diary For:
| BREAKFAST | Calories | Carbs | Fat | Protein | Sodium | Sugar | |
| Chiliquiles | 200 | 21 | 3 | 5 | 343 | 7 | |
| Bacon, 3 slice | 300 | 0 | 24 | 21 | 1,050 | 0 | |
| Cheddar Biscuit, 1 biscuit | 180 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Mushroom Gravy | 100 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 385 | 3 | |
| 780 | 35 | 36 | 32 | 1,778 | 10 | ||
| L U N C H | |||||||
| Homemade - Enchilladas | 500 | 54 | 12 | 45 | 1,199 | 0 | |
| Oreo - Thins, 8 cookies | 280 | 42 | 12 | 2 | 190 | 22 | |
| 780 | 96 | 24 | 47 | 1,389 | 22 | ||
| D I N N E R | |||||||
| Sandwich Artisan Ham and Swiss | 980 | 114 | 28 | 72 | 3,360 | 8 | |
| 980 | 114 | 28 | 72 | 3,360 | 8 | ||
| Totals | 2,540 | 245 | 88 | 150 | 6,527 | 40 | |
| Your Daily Goal | 6,165 | 770 | 205 | 309 | 2,300 | 231 | |
| Remaining | 3,625 | 525 | 117 | 158 | -4,227 | 190 | |
| Calories | Carbs | Fat | Protein | Sodium | Sugar | ||
| *You've earned 4,235 extra calories from exercise today | |||||||
Your Exercise Diary for:
| Cardiovascular | Minutes | Calories Burned | |
| 78 | 1,213 | ||
| 99 | 1,229 | ||
| 99 | 1,102 | ||
| 102 | 907 | ||
|
N/A | -216 | |
| Daily Total / Goal | 379 / 30 | 4,235 / 590 | |
| Weekly Total / Goal | 1092 / 210 | 11,372 / 4,130 | |
My companion for a late evening walk downtown, where we were hunting for a small treasure at Target, something called My Mini MixieQ's™
