Pet Health Pictures Slideshow: Exercising With Your Dog (Part 5)

Gentle Exercises for Older Dogs

Just because your senior dog moves with a slower, stiffer gait then when he was a pup doesn't mean he should stop exercising. Senior dogs, especially those with arthritis, not only can exercise -- in many cases, they should. Exercise helps increase flexibility and endurance, strengthens muscles around the joints, and can help stave off health problems caused by obesity. Exercise also aids bowel function, which is especially important in older dogs. And, since obesity tends to make arthritis worse, any activity that helps your dog lose weight could ease his symptoms in the long run. Try low-impact exercises such as swimming, moderate walking, or even a game of fetch with your old fellow.

Paw Protection

Long walks on rough surfaces can damage a dog's paws. Start slowly, Snyder advises. If you work your way up to longer walks, "most dogs will develop thicker pads on their feet and not have problems." On hot days, avoid prolonged contact with asphalt or sand. On snowy days, check the paws for ice build-up. And if you venture onto very rough surfaces, consider buying a pair of dog booties.

Preventing Heat Exhaustion

Just like people, dogs are susceptible to dehydration and heat exhaustion. On hot days, Snyder suggests bringing a water bottle and foldable drinking bowl or sticking to places with a public water source. Signs of dehydration in dogs include excessive panting, confusion, weakness, and collapse. Brachycephalic or short-faced breeds, such as bulldogs and boxers, are especially vulnerable because they don't pant efficiently.

Overuse injury: How to prevent training injuries

Overuse injury can happen when you try to take on too much physical activity too quickly. Understand how to pace yourself while getting fit.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Thinking of starting a new physical activity program or ramping up your current training program? If so, you may be at risk of an overuse injury — which could ultimately prevent you from being active. Find out what can cause an overuse injury and how to safely increase your activity level.

Common causes of overuse injury

An overuse injury is any type of muscle or joint injury, such as tendinitis or a stress fracture, that's caused by repetitive trauma. An overuse injury typically stems from:

• Training errors. Training errors can occur when you enthusiastically take on too much physical activity too quickly. Going too fast, exercising for too long or simply doing too much of one type of physical activity can strain your muscles and lead to an overuse injury.
• Technique errors. Improper technique can also take its toll on your body. If you use poor form as you do a set of strength training exercises, swing a golf club or throw a baseball, for example, you may overload certain muscles and cause an overuse injury.

Although an overuse injury can happen to anyone, you may be more prone to overuse injuries if you have certain medical conditions. Overuse injuries are also more likely to occur as you get older — especially if you don't recognize the impact aging can have on your body and modify your routine accordingly.

Avoiding overuse injury

Most overuse injuries are avoidable. To prevent an overuse injury:

• Address medical conditions. It's always a good idea to talk to your doctor before starting a new type of physical activity — especially if you have a medical condition that may predispose you to an overuse injury. You may need to correct imbalances in flexibility and strength or, if you've had a previous injury, work to restore range of motion, muscle strength and stability. Your doctor may offer tips to help make physical activity safe. If you have a muscle weakness in your hip, for example, your doctor may show you exercises to address the problem and prevent knee pain.
• Use proper form and gear. Whether you're starting a new type of physical activity or you've been playing a sport for a long time, consider taking lessons. Using the correct technique is crucial to preventing overuse injuries. Also make sure you wear proper shoes for the activity. Consider replacing your shoes for every 300 miles you walk or run, or — if you regularly exercise — at least twice a year.
• Pace yourself. If you're starting a new physical activity program, avoid becoming a weekend warrior. Compressing your physical activity for the week into two days can lead to an overuse injury. Instead, aim for at least two hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or one hour and 15 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity — preferably spread throughout the week. Always take time to warm up before physical activity and cool down afterward. Also keep in mind that as you age, you may not be able to do the same activities that you did years ago. Consider ways to modify activities to suit your abilities.
• Gradually increase your activity level. When changing your activity level or the amount of weight you're using while strength training, keep it gradual — such as increases of no more than 10 percent each week until you reach your new goal.
• Mix up your routine. Instead of focusing on one type of exercise, consider combining two or more types of physical activity, also known as cross-training. Doing a variety of low-impact activities — such as walking, biking, swimming and water jogging — in moderation can help prevent overuse injuries by allowing your body to use different muscle groups. Strive to include aerobic exercise, strength training, stretching, core stability and balance training elements in your routine.

• Recovering from overuse injury

  If you suspect that you have an overuse injury, consult your doctor. He or she will likely ask you to stop doing the activity that caused the injury and recommend medication for any pain and inflammation. More important, make sure you discuss with your doctor your physical activity program — including any recent changes in technique, intensity, duration, frequency or types of activity. Identifying the root cause of your overuse injury and ensuring that you're using the proper technique will help you correct the problem and avoid repeating it. When you think the overuse injury has healed, ask your doctor to check that you've completely regained strength, motion, flexibility and balance before beginning the activity again.

  Playing it safe

  Don't allow overuse injuries to prevent you from being physically active. By working with your doctor, listening to your body and pacing yourself, you can avoid this common setback and safely increase your activity level.

Hamstring Injury - Pulled Hamstring Muscle

How to treat hamstring injuries, pulls, and strains

By Elizabeth Quinn, About.com

Updated: September 27, 2009

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

Hamstring injuries are common among athletes who play sports that require powerful accelerations, decelerations or lots of running. The hamstring muscles run down the back of the leg from the pelvis to the bones of the lower leg. The three specific muscles that make up the hamstrings are the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus. Together these powerful knee flexors are known as the hamstring muscle group. An injury to any of these muscles can range from minor strains, a pulled muscle or even a total rupture of the muscle.

Symptoms of a Hamstring Injury

A hamstring injury typically causes by a sudden, sharp pain in the back of the thigh that may stop you mid-stride. After such an injury, the knee may not extend more than 30 to 40 degrees short of straight without intense pain. Like most sprains and strains hamstring injuries are usually caused by excessive stretching (tearing) of muscle fibers or other soft tissues beyond their limits.

Severity of a Hamstring Injury

Hamstring strains are classified as 1st (mild), 2nd (moderate), or 3rd (severe) degree strains depending on the extend of the muscle injury.

Mild (Grade I) Hamstring Injury

• Muscle stiffness, soreness and tightness in the back of the thigh.
• Little noticeable swelling.
• A normal walking gait and range of motion with some discomfort.
• Flexing the knee to bring the heel up

Moderate (Grade II) Hamstring Injury

• Gait will be affected-limp may be present .
• Muscle pain, sharp twinges and tightness in the back of the thigh.
• Noticeable swelling or bruising.
• Painful to the touch.
• A limited range of motion and pain when flexing the knee.

Severe (Grade III) Hamstring Injury

• Pain during rest which becomes severe with movement
• Difficulty walking without assistance.
• Noticeable swelling and bruising.

Common Causes of Hamstring Injuries

Hamstring pulls or strains often occur during an eccentric contraction of the hamstring muscle group as an athlete is running. Just before the foot hits the ground, the hamstrings will contract to slow the forward motion of the lower leg (tibia and foot). Less commonly, a hamstring injury is the result of a direct blow to the muscle from another play or being hit with a ball. Some of the factors which may contribute to a hamstring injury includes:

• Doing too much, too soon or pushing beyond your limits.
• Poor flexibility.
• Poor muscle strength.
• Muscle imbalance between the quadriceps and hamstring muscle groups.
• Muscle fatigue that leads to over exertion.
• Leg Length Differences. A shorter leg may have tighter hamstrings which are more likely to pull.
• Improper or no warm-up.
• History of hamstring injury.

Treating Hamstring Injuries

Treatment for hamstring injuries depends upon the severity of the injury. Due to the pain and limited ability to use the muscle, a third degree strain usually results in a visit to a physician for evaluation and treatment. Less severe hamstring strains may be treated at home. These general treatment steps are commonly recommended for mild or moderate hamstring injuries.

• After an injury it's important to rest the injured muscle, sometimes for up to two or three weeks before you can return to sports after your injury.
• R.I.C.E - Rest, apply Ice and Compression. Elevate the leg if possible.
• An anti-inflammatory can be helpful to reduce pain and inflammation.
• A stretching program can be started as soon as the pain and swelling subsides.
• A strengthening program should be used to rebuild the strength of the injured muscle in order to prevent re-injury. Make sure you increase this gradually.
• A thigh wrap can be applied to provide support as the muscle heals.

Preventing Hamstring Injuries

• Warm up thoroughly. This is probably the most important muscle to warm-up and stretch before a workout.
• Stretching after the workout may be helpful.
• Try adding a couple sessions per week of retro-running or backward running which has been should decrease knee pain and hamstring injuries.
• Follow the "Ten Percent Rule" and limit training increases in volume or distance to no more than ten percent per week.
• Other ways to prevent injury are to avoid doing too much, too soon, avoid drastic increases in intensity or duration, and take it easy if you are fatigued.