A STITCH IN TIME SAVES NO ONE.

Pfff. I have been jogging (GASPOHNOESJACHASGONEINSANE) and have discovered that it DOES work to a certain extent, but even thouugh my legs have gotten a bit stronger, there is this horrible thing that prevents me from going further.

Its called a STITCH.

Anyway. I've been training for my Taekwondo Blackbelt and discovered that I need more stamina for sparring. And because my sister is going to be in some triatholon or something, I have been traning with her. In the spirit of trying to find out whats going on (and avoiding doing my math paper) I did a bit of research.

TAKEN FROM THEFITMAP.CO.UK

What is a stitch - fitness information

Most of us have experienced a stitch at one time or another - that sudden pain just below the ribs that stops your workout in its tracks. But what causes it? And how can you stop it from happening?Almost everyone has experienced a stitch at one time or another - often during school cross country runs! It is a sudden sharp pain in your side just under your ribs that forces you to slow down or even stop, often exacerbated by not warming up properly or eating too close to exercise.But what causes a stitch? For many years there have been two main theories as to what causes a stitch. They are as follows:When we exercise hard, the body moves blood away from our organs to the limbs. One area in particular that has a reduced blood supply is the diaphragm, the muscle that separates the stomach and abdomen from the heart and lungs. It is one of the main muscles that we use to breathe, and many scientists believe that a stitch is caused by a reduction in blood supply to the diaphragm, which causes it to cramp.The other prevailing theory is that a stitch is caused by fluids which the body finds hard to digest. This causes the stomach to "tug" on the ligaments which connect it to the diaphragm.Recently, however, a new theory has become accepted as the most likely cause of this painful condition.

There is now a new theory that has become widely accepted as the most likely cause of stitches.

This theory suggests that we should look to the liver as the source of this pain.The liver is attached below the diaphragm by fibrous bands called ligaments. As we run, gravity pulls steadily downwards on the liver, stretching these ligaments.

Additionally, every time you exhale, your diaphragm pushes up, further stretching these ligaments. The combined forces cause you to experience a sharp pain in your side.So if you experience a stitch, how do you get rid of it?

There are two different remedies:

Stop running and press your hand firmly just below the pain. This should push the liver up, relieving the strain on the ligaments. Breathe in and out slowly as you do this to relax the diaphragm.

Stop running and touch your toes.

Try both and see which works for you - after pausing for a short while you should be able to run it off.And next time you head out the door, be sure to warm up, and allow time for any food to digest properly.

Well, there you have it. Its all the LIVERS fault )<

(But it filters out all the toxins in the body and de-toxifies us. and helps convert glucose into glycogen and back again. So I guess we cant really get mad at it. )

Aaaah, bio.

Time to get to my Math paper now.