Children are becoming more and more inactive as video games and other forms of media are taking up a lot of their free time. As a result, more and more children are overweight and even obese. If they stay like this throughout childhood, they will probably never lose the weight they need to lose to be healthy as adults. Instead of allowing your children to waste away in front of a screen, make them get up and get moving. They can play, do activities, and they can also work their way up to playing varsity sports in high school. They will be much more healthy because of it.
Before your children can play varsity sports, they have to start young. What you can do is introduce them to as many sports as you can to see if there is something that they like. Some kids automatically know they want to do something and have a drive for it, and others just need time to find out what they like to do. Don't eliminate things like golf from the picture either. It may not be as physical as something like football, cheer-leading, or wrestling, but there is quite a bit of exercise involved in golf. Some schools offer golf as part of their varsity sports. Take them out and do things with them and they will find at least one they would like to try.
It can be overwhelming to take kids to practices, meetings, and games or meets when they are young and probably not very good at what they are doing. However, this lays the groundwork for success in varsity sports in high school. They learn early that there is hard work involved, but also that hard work does pay off. Not only is this good for their physical well-being, it is also good for them mentally. They are going to be successful in life through hard work of all types, and if they learn that early, they are going to do so much better at anything they try from then on out.
Some schools are cutting back on varsity sports, but they still have great programs. Big districts may have to combine some teams into one so that they can still afford to have them. This means less spots on the team, but it also means the sports will survive until the time comes when school budgets have a little more leeway again. Encourage practice and study so that they can get that spot on the team for varsity sports, but don't make it so that they hate it. You can tell when you kid needs some downtime, so give it to them. Downtime is just as important as anything else or your child could become a mental mess.
Varsity sports are also not always cheap. What each school can provide varies year to year and school to school. Some have things that can be used and some parents may have to go out and buy needed items so their children can play in varsity sports. If you are having a tough time affording everything, talk to the couch or even the school board. There are some programs that can help students out that need it for things in school and also for extracurricular school activities like sports. Other parents often help too. It can be hard to ask for help, but think of it as asking for something to make your child's life better. People are always willing to give more than you think.
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Beginners Running Mistakes you Could Easily Avoid
When you start out running, you're probably quite passionate about it. And that's a great way to involve yourself in any kind of exercise. As passionate as you are though about running, there are quite a few beginners running mistakes that it could be possible for you to fall prey to. Unless you have a coach with the camcorder recording your every move (as they do for serious athletes), it can be impossible for you to actually find out what exactly you are doing wrong with your posture. You could have a dull cramp around your hamstrings, the backs of your knees could feel sensitive, you could have an unexplained kind of back pain - all of these and more could come from a poor running posture and gait. And even if you don't suffer from any of these kinds of injury, the wrong gait and posture can easily route the of performance that could be yours if you could only find out how to correct that.
One way that we have of catching a beginners running mistake or two would be t osign up for a session at a running clinic. This is where experts in running formThey, give you a musculoskeletal exam to see if there is anything about your muscle or bone structure that could throw you off balance. They then put you on a treadmill to study you from every possible angle. Physiotherapists these days actually recommend that every runner sign up for one of these sessions for a little advice on what they could be doing wrong. So what are the kinds of things that these runners do wrong in general?
To begin with, most people have, what is known is an asymmetrical gait. What this means is, that they tend to work one side of the body harder than the other - launching harder off one foot and landing harder on one. The way these clinics evaluate this kind of asymmetry is usually to listen to the runners footfalls. Once they discover this, explain to the runner how this can eventually lead to pain. And they try to help him concentrate and correct the unevenness.
Most people have their own ideas to do with what part of your foot you're supposed to launch or land on. Some people just happen to be forefoot runners; others happen to be rear-foot runners. Being told to do something that isn't natural to you can throw you completely off balance. It happens a lot to children in in school when some know-all athlete or instructor tells them that they're doing it all wrong. One does use the gait that is natural to one, Forefoot or the rear foot, it is possible to make a few mistakes in the angle one uses. A physical therapist can help one regain the right kind of gait.
A classic beginners running mistake happens to center on the kind of shoes one uses. Lots of people for instance have arches that don't rise as much as they should. It can be quite difficult to find shoes that exactly match the kind of arches you have. If you actually have any pain, getting custom fitted shoes may be the only option you have.
One way that we have of catching a beginners running mistake or two would be t osign up for a session at a running clinic. This is where experts in running formThey, give you a musculoskeletal exam to see if there is anything about your muscle or bone structure that could throw you off balance. They then put you on a treadmill to study you from every possible angle. Physiotherapists these days actually recommend that every runner sign up for one of these sessions for a little advice on what they could be doing wrong. So what are the kinds of things that these runners do wrong in general?
To begin with, most people have, what is known is an asymmetrical gait. What this means is, that they tend to work one side of the body harder than the other - launching harder off one foot and landing harder on one. The way these clinics evaluate this kind of asymmetry is usually to listen to the runners footfalls. Once they discover this, explain to the runner how this can eventually lead to pain. And they try to help him concentrate and correct the unevenness.
Most people have their own ideas to do with what part of your foot you're supposed to launch or land on. Some people just happen to be forefoot runners; others happen to be rear-foot runners. Being told to do something that isn't natural to you can throw you completely off balance. It happens a lot to children in in school when some know-all athlete or instructor tells them that they're doing it all wrong. One does use the gait that is natural to one, Forefoot or the rear foot, it is possible to make a few mistakes in the angle one uses. A physical therapist can help one regain the right kind of gait.
A classic beginners running mistake happens to center on the kind of shoes one uses. Lots of people for instance have arches that don't rise as much as they should. It can be quite difficult to find shoes that exactly match the kind of arches you have. If you actually have any pain, getting custom fitted shoes may be the only option you have.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Dealing with a Running Knee the Safe Way
When you hear of a disease named after a certain sporting activity - tennis elbow or runner's knee for instance - you naturally tend to think that people who practice those specific sports like crazy are the only ones who tend to be affected. Of course, they just name the disease this way for no particular reason. While running knee
is something that runners come by a lot, any kind of athlete who uses his legs - a bicyclist, a pole vaulter, a boxer or a weight lifter can be struck down by the disease just as well. Actually, running knee isn't one specific condition at all. It's a term that doctors use loosely to describe any of a set of problems that occur in the kneecaps.
For instance, any kind of athletic activity that requires a person to bend the knee and straighten it repeatedly can bring the condition on. Doing that can rub your nerves the wrong way. Sometimes, the tendons that connect your muscles to the bones around the knees can get injured with repeated bending too. And about half the time, overworked and inflamed tendons act up in such a way that you feel quite a bit of pain. In some people, merely to fall hard on the knees can cause the kind of nerve or tendon injury that overuse can cause as well.
Runner's knee can feel quite terrible. There is serious pain around the kneecap - most pointedly where the thigh bone meets the kneecap. You can feel grinding and popping in the knee and there is usually a good bit of pain when you climb downstairs or when you try to walk or sit. Your doctor gives you an MRI or an x-ray or CT scan to diagnose you. While all of this does sound kind of scary, the good news is that it can be somewhat easy to treat runner's knee. Most minor cases go away with a lot of the rest, icing your knee for a half hour every day for a week or using tight knee support help. If it hurts when you sit down, you could try elevating your knee on a pillow. Athletic types often take NSAIDs - painkillers like Advil - to settle the swelling and pain.
Athletes often have aching joints and muscles and often pop acetaminophen in place of Advil to try to help their stomachs out. If you have running knee and you need to take a painkiller, doctors are usually of the opinion that Tylenol is the safest bet - if you take no more than six tablets a day. The military usually has a huge problem with runner's knee in boot camp. Recruits who show up and go through the military's grueling series of exercises often complain of this affliction. In fact, running knee happens to be one of the major reasons why military recruits drop out.
Researchers have found now that simple well thought-out stretching exercises can help a great deal with keeping running knee away. Exercises especially that strengthen thigh muscles and leg muscles making them stronger and more flexible make the occurrence of runner's knee a lot less frequent.
is something that runners come by a lot, any kind of athlete who uses his legs - a bicyclist, a pole vaulter, a boxer or a weight lifter can be struck down by the disease just as well. Actually, running knee isn't one specific condition at all. It's a term that doctors use loosely to describe any of a set of problems that occur in the kneecaps.For instance, any kind of athletic activity that requires a person to bend the knee and straighten it repeatedly can bring the condition on. Doing that can rub your nerves the wrong way. Sometimes, the tendons that connect your muscles to the bones around the knees can get injured with repeated bending too. And about half the time, overworked and inflamed tendons act up in such a way that you feel quite a bit of pain. In some people, merely to fall hard on the knees can cause the kind of nerve or tendon injury that overuse can cause as well.
Runner's knee can feel quite terrible. There is serious pain around the kneecap - most pointedly where the thigh bone meets the kneecap. You can feel grinding and popping in the knee and there is usually a good bit of pain when you climb downstairs or when you try to walk or sit. Your doctor gives you an MRI or an x-ray or CT scan to diagnose you. While all of this does sound kind of scary, the good news is that it can be somewhat easy to treat runner's knee. Most minor cases go away with a lot of the rest, icing your knee for a half hour every day for a week or using tight knee support help. If it hurts when you sit down, you could try elevating your knee on a pillow. Athletic types often take NSAIDs - painkillers like Advil - to settle the swelling and pain.
Athletes often have aching joints and muscles and often pop acetaminophen in place of Advil to try to help their stomachs out. If you have running knee and you need to take a painkiller, doctors are usually of the opinion that Tylenol is the safest bet - if you take no more than six tablets a day. The military usually has a huge problem with runner's knee in boot camp. Recruits who show up and go through the military's grueling series of exercises often complain of this affliction. In fact, running knee happens to be one of the major reasons why military recruits drop out.
Researchers have found now that simple well thought-out stretching exercises can help a great deal with keeping running knee away. Exercises especially that strengthen thigh muscles and leg muscles making them stronger and more flexible make the occurrence of runner's knee a lot less frequent.
Friday, June 17, 2011
The First Time I Decided to Run a 5K Race
A few years ago, I decided that it was time to start shaping up and getting healthy. I bought a pair of running shoes, joined a gym, and the next thing I knew, I had lost 25 pounds and was in great shape. I felt so good that I figured it was time to run my first 5K race
, and I can honestly say that it is something I will never forget.
For about three or four weeks, I worked on running longer and longer without stopping, and eventually I got to where I could go for about 20 minutes. I wanted to see how far I had gone and found out that I had run just under two miles, quite a bit short of a 5K race, but pretty good nonetheless.
I continued to work at it, because if at all possible, I was hoping to run the entire 5K race without stopping to walk. As the day approached, I was getting closer and closer to being able to complete the entire distance without stopping, but was still not quite there yet. I knew that it was likely I would get right up to the end of the race and have to stop, and to be completely honest, that kind of depressed me.
On the day of the 5K race, I said a little prayer and drove out to the location where the race would be held. I told myself that even if I had to stop running and walk the remaining half kilometer I had not yet been able to complete, it would not be the end of the world. I had already dropped almost 40 pounds of extra weight at this point and was feeling much better.
I am proud to say that I completed the entire 5K race that day without stopping to walk at the end. It was kind of funny, because I guess I sort of got over the hump that day, or maybe it was the extra adrenaline, but I did not even feel like I was going to struggle at the end. In fact, not to sound cocky, but I believe I could have run a little more if necessary, and while I was not close to finishing first in the race, there were many more people behind me than there were in front of me.
Running the 5K race was a great experience for me, because it provided a challenge when I pretty much felt that the challenges in my life were over. Preparing for the race helped get me into good shape, and completing it gave me a great sense of accomplishment. I have run many 5K races since then, but I will never forget the first one.
, and I can honestly say that it is something I will never forget.For about three or four weeks, I worked on running longer and longer without stopping, and eventually I got to where I could go for about 20 minutes. I wanted to see how far I had gone and found out that I had run just under two miles, quite a bit short of a 5K race, but pretty good nonetheless.
I continued to work at it, because if at all possible, I was hoping to run the entire 5K race without stopping to walk. As the day approached, I was getting closer and closer to being able to complete the entire distance without stopping, but was still not quite there yet. I knew that it was likely I would get right up to the end of the race and have to stop, and to be completely honest, that kind of depressed me.
On the day of the 5K race, I said a little prayer and drove out to the location where the race would be held. I told myself that even if I had to stop running and walk the remaining half kilometer I had not yet been able to complete, it would not be the end of the world. I had already dropped almost 40 pounds of extra weight at this point and was feeling much better.
I am proud to say that I completed the entire 5K race that day without stopping to walk at the end. It was kind of funny, because I guess I sort of got over the hump that day, or maybe it was the extra adrenaline, but I did not even feel like I was going to struggle at the end. In fact, not to sound cocky, but I believe I could have run a little more if necessary, and while I was not close to finishing first in the race, there were many more people behind me than there were in front of me.
Running the 5K race was a great experience for me, because it provided a challenge when I pretty much felt that the challenges in my life were over. Preparing for the race helped get me into good shape, and completing it gave me a great sense of accomplishment. I have run many 5K races since then, but I will never forget the first one.
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
Back Pain Exercises Can Work Wonders
I injured my back at work several months ago, and I wondered if I would ever get better. The slightest movement would set it into spasms, I could not bend over at all without it throbbing, and I was taking painkillers like candy. I finally got into physical therapy and started doing back pain exercises, and that is when I noticed that things started to improve drastically for me.
It happened one day when I was lifting very heavy boxes into a dumpster. I had probably lifted nine or ten boxes, and then finally I picked up one and turned and I felt something pop. The pain that followed was absolutely excruciating, and I could tell immediately that something was seriously wrong.
I went to the emergency room that night, and any time the car would hit the slightest bump on the way up there, it was pure agony. I don't recall a time in my life where I was more afraid of movement than on that night, and it was not much better the next few days. I was placed on painkillers and muscle relaxers, and they certainly helped, but it was not until I started doing back pain exercises that I really started to feel like I was healing properly.
My physical therapist had an assortment of exercises that included me pushing a large inflatable ball across the floor, laying on my back and swaying my knees side to side, and stretching out the lower portion of my back, which was really the most affected by the injury. When all my exercises were done, she would place a heating pad on my back as well as some electrodes that provided a very low current. I have to admit, I was afraid when I first heard about it, but it felt incredible.
The funny thing is, I had always heard all of these horror stories about physical therapy and how hard it is on a person. What I found, with my back pain exercises, anyway, was that I looked forward to going because I knew that I would feel a lot better when I left than when I arrived.
My back healed up and eventually it was not even an issue for me anymore, but I still continued my back pain exercises, simply because they kept me from getting stiff and better allowed me to deal with my day-to-day routine.
I am a firm believer that back pain exercises can work wonders for almost anyone that has suffered a back injury. Even with rest and painkillers, nothing helped me like those exercises, and I would recommend them to anyone.
, and that is when I noticed that things started to improve drastically for me.It happened one day when I was lifting very heavy boxes into a dumpster. I had probably lifted nine or ten boxes, and then finally I picked up one and turned and I felt something pop. The pain that followed was absolutely excruciating, and I could tell immediately that something was seriously wrong.
I went to the emergency room that night, and any time the car would hit the slightest bump on the way up there, it was pure agony. I don't recall a time in my life where I was more afraid of movement than on that night, and it was not much better the next few days. I was placed on painkillers and muscle relaxers, and they certainly helped, but it was not until I started doing back pain exercises that I really started to feel like I was healing properly.
My physical therapist had an assortment of exercises that included me pushing a large inflatable ball across the floor, laying on my back and swaying my knees side to side, and stretching out the lower portion of my back, which was really the most affected by the injury. When all my exercises were done, she would place a heating pad on my back as well as some electrodes that provided a very low current. I have to admit, I was afraid when I first heard about it, but it felt incredible.
The funny thing is, I had always heard all of these horror stories about physical therapy and how hard it is on a person. What I found, with my back pain exercises, anyway, was that I looked forward to going because I knew that I would feel a lot better when I left than when I arrived.
My back healed up and eventually it was not even an issue for me anymore, but I still continued my back pain exercises, simply because they kept me from getting stiff and better allowed me to deal with my day-to-day routine.
I am a firm believer that back pain exercises can work wonders for almost anyone that has suffered a back injury. Even with rest and painkillers, nothing helped me like those exercises, and I would recommend them to anyone.
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