LIVING FEATURE  Whether you’re training for a big event or just trying to get into shape, a key piece of any exercise routine is stretching. While everyone remembers touching your toes for 30 seconds in P.E. class, new research shows there’s a better way to stretch. Think “moving” instead of “holding.” Read More>>

Anita Trinkle, who had been a power walker in the past, developed pain in her right hip. For well over a year, she reports, “it was getting worse and worse, and I was having difficulty walking, sitting at the computer for long period of time. At night time, the pain would get really bad where it would bring me to tears. It felt like someone was gripping the outside of my leg.”  Read More>>

EXERCISE  It’s no secret that back pain is an epidemic in the United States, costing millions every year in medical costs and lost wages. In a recent survey, as many as 60 percent of U.S. respondents said they had experienced neck or low back pain in the previous three months, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Read More>>

EXERCISE  The shoulder is such a clever joint. With the upper arm bone nimbly suspended by delicately balanced muscles and ligaments in a shallow spoon-like cup, the shoulder’s architecture allows maximum motion in every direction. But all that range of motion can come at a price. Especially when we suddenly take on the delights of summer — swimming, baseball, softball, tennis. The result? Shoulder pain. Read More>>

EXERCISE  During last year’s Bloomsday run, 110,176 knees crossed the finish line. One can only imagine how many of those knees were in pain, especially considering that so many people suddenly ramp up miles to prepare for the course. It was that type of mileage increase that got Jason Gillmer into trouble when he competed in his first marathon, the Cowtown Marathon in Fort Worth, Texas, last year. Read More>>

EXERCISE  Vi Hunter had an achy foot. During the 5k Camp Sekani Trail run, she recalls how she developed arch pain. “I remember exactly when it happened. I was coming down a steep trail and I felt the bottom of my foot strain, up by my heel. I told my son and he looked on the Internet for how to treat it and suggested I use a frozen water bottle and roll my foot back and forth over it.”

She followed the advice for a week or two, but things didn’t get much better. She was even told it might take a year for her foot to get back to normal. “I don’t have a year that I want to give up waiting for this to get better. I am not that young anymore!” she says. Read More>>