Tommy Said:

Christian parents "oppose relaxation training"?

We Answered:

There is a long Christian tradition of meditation as shown in the lives of St. John of the Cross and St. Theresa of Avila. Meditation gives one the opportunity of being open to the will of God. I have spoken to a Jesuit priest about this on a number of occasions.

There is plenty of secular proof that meditation works. By doing deep breathing exercises, by concentrating on breathing, and emptying the mind of worries, you can reduce tension, reduce pain, reduce blood pressure, and actually make yourself happier and stronger. I studied about this when I was working on my masters degree in psychology, and I am convinced about the health benefits.

In the karate classes I take, the master insists that each class begin with a period of meditation. He is a Christian and the son of an ordained Christian minister of the Gospel. He would not do anything if it were bad for his students. This man's father, now retired, is a volunteer chaplain at our local hospital, and he advocates the use of meditation.

Caroline Said:

Shoulders, started aching again... Is there such a thing as permanent muscle injury?

We Answered:

You need to see a Doctor who is a specialist on shoulders and Rotary Cuff injuries. Most Family Dr's cannot treat the type of injury you have. There are excercises that will strenghten the muscle. Also your shoulder may be inflamed and require some medication.

Everett Said:

Is it possible I'm just not 'built' for running?

We Answered:

Your doctor is an idiot. If your doctor told you that, then they might have well just told you that you don't deserve to live. Think about it. All of our ancestors had to run and do some type of physical exercise just to make sure they had food to eat everyday. Not to mention to prevent from being food.

Some injuries are hard to get through. I was sidelined for almost 18 months and saw an article about a guy with one foot running, and half considered the possiblities of cutting my foot off so I could run again. It's hard to let your body heal. And it's demoralizing to be in discomfort and pain.

Here's the real question.

Who taught you to run? Chances are: nobody. But someone taught you everything else in your life. Your parents taught you to walk, eat. Someone taught you to swim. Read, speak. We learn to do everything in our lives... except running. We think, "Hey I can walk, so I can run."

Some people are lucky enough to have good running form naturally. Most of us are not. And it seems like WE are the exceptions because running is harder for us, so naturally there are MORE "natural" runners who are generally injury free than there are of us who struggle with bad form and injuries. But we aren't the exceptions. It's just that so many people who don't know how to run, don't run.

So with all that being said, it's probably your running form that is causing injuries.

Pick up "Chi Running" by Danny Dreyer, and "Pose Method" by Nicholas Romanov. Watch how elite runners run. If you get a chance, look at pictures or video of yourself running. Become a student of your own running form, and change it.

I was forced to go through these changes when I was injured because every step I took caused me pain. Finally it was just a question of "Why am I in pain?" not "How can I get better?"

Erica Said:

Help me! My shin splints are driving me crazy!?

We Answered:

My son had this problem he was sent for an xray but no fractures showed up try taking glucosamine suppliments and not running on hard surfaces but soft eg grass,sand try going uphill etc try the opposite of what hurts also he took anti inflamminateries and used ice packs when pain too bad ,ask about an insole for your trainer /spikes my son said this worked for him. Also try + google shin splints this will give you some good websites in usa with great advice on them.It will get better my son s just won the 200 m Ulster school final today thats shows it can be over come.

Manuel Said:

what does an officer in the british army do?

We Answered:

Very roughly -

Look beyond the military protocols and strutting.
An army officer is a decision maker (an NCO is a decision interpreter and a "grunt" just does it). True, an officer will get the credit for his team's work but he also carries the can if they under perform.
In active service he is responsible for the lives of his men as well as achieving the mission set by the generals.
At all levels he is a team leader and will undergo what in Civvy Street would be called Manegment Training.
When he "passes out" expect your friend to be the equivalent of a senior shift manager (ward sister or male equivalent sort of thing).

Lonnie Said:

Joining the army, possibly?

We Answered:

basic training is for all new recruits, same levels of fitness across the board.

min term is generally 4- 4.5 years including basics

medics uniform is just a badge really so general uniform and ur branch badge

check out the info with ur local careers advisor