GOOD LIVING HEALTH & WELLNESS
Your Calf Just Seized Up Like It’s in a Vice The excruciating leg cramp we call a charley horse is likely happening because you’re dehydrated. “This causes an electrolyte imbalance in muscles, and they react by spasming,” says Craig Kann, a physical therapist and athletic trainer at the Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. As we age, our muscles have a more difficult time eliminating waste, which can also result in cramping; drinking water helps relieve it in both cases. SOLUTION: Gently massage and stretch the area, or if you can’t bear to touch it, apply heat. Then start sipping. You need to replenish not just water but electrolytes (magnesium, chloride, potassium, and calcium). Rather than turning to electrolyte-rich sports drinks, which can be high in sugar and additives, some experts recommend tablets like Nuun, which you drop into plain water (from $7 for 10, nuunlife.com). Make it a habit to keep the liquids coming. Women need about 11.5 cups of fluids a day (just under three liters), per the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. If you live in a hot climate or are very active, throw back more.
If you haven’t been lifting heavy boxes, back pain can be caused by a slew of other behaviors, from prolonged sitting to smoking—and it’s made worse by anxiety. The solution may be as simple as moving for 5 to 10 minutes a day, or pulling out a journal to express pent-up emotions.
Check Your Messages
Olivia Newton-John was just flirting when she cooed, “Let me hear your body talk.” But the truth is, it’s communicating with you all the time: thanking you when you treat it well, and raising red flags when it needs attention. Learn to understand these five common yet confounding signals, so you can take healing action. TEXT BY LYNYA FLOYD
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Your Eyelid Twitches Uncontrollably You’re stressed out. “It’s a common complaint from patients when they’re worried about a deadline,” says Ninani Kombo, MD, an assistant professor of ophthalmology and visual science at Yale School of Medicine. Add a sleepless night and an extra cup of coffee or two, and you’ve hit the trifecta—insomnia and caffeine can be culprits, too. TRANSLATION:
PHOTOGRAPH BY MAURICIO ALEJO
ST YLING BY ENRIQUE MÉNDE Z VEDE; MODEL: ESTEFANIA FR ANCO AT NEW ICON
TR ANSLATION:
