When Your Sports and Exercise are
Your Passions
By Deborah Caruana
You’re fired up, your adrenaline is pumping, engines are revved. You
can't wait to get out there and perform. You've waited all day, maybe a
few days and are replaying in your mind the challenges you will confront
and how you will tackle them. Your time to escape the day to day and
become your true self, the adventurer, the conqueror, the winner, the
leader, the activist or the dreamer has arrived.
When your sport is your passion, motivation is not a problem. Sometimes
though, the passion can create complications. Knowing how and when to
stop, slow down, change your ways, get educated, hire a pro. or just
‘take a break’ is essential to survival and ongoing fulfillment from
your sports and fitness career.
Your activities are precious and you want to be sure to keep it that
way. You’re certainly aware of all the advantages your sports
participation provides. It keeps your spirits up, makes you feel and
look young, gives you lots of energy, allows you to cheat on your
calorie counts, your mind is sharper, helps maintain your figure, you’re
passionate and optimistic, you feel fulfilled…and this only to start the
list of benefits. If your not feeling these benefits you may just want
to stop, take a look and see if your missing something in your routine.
Sports and fitness adventurers are human too.
Whether your venturing into a new sport, progressing in your same sport,
or cross-training here are some problems to consider, hopefully avoid or
know what to do, should the situation strike.
Keeping it all in perspective. Let's review some basics:
PROBLEM: Too rushed to do a warm up and stretch before physical
activity? Remember: studies confirm that cold muscles are prone to
injury and it's the times when you’re rushed that you are most prone to
injury.
SOLUTION: Don’t give into temptation and jump cold into your sport.
Instead jump into jumping jacks, arm swings, leg swings, step out
lunges, stationary cycling, running, or walking in place for three to
five minutes. Then, a few dynamic stretches (to wake up the muscles and
prepare them for effort), while reaching out with effortless breathing.
Slow static stretches (which put the muscles to sleep) have been shown
to dampen performance efforts, so stretch out and keep it moving. Now
your ready to jump in.
PROBLEM: Succumbing to the "weekend warrior" syndrome. Compressing all
of your physical activity into two days sets you up for trouble and
doesn't increase your fitness level. You should try to get at least 30
minutes of physical activity every day.
SOLUTION: If time is a problem HIIT (20 min. cardio) may be your
solution. High Intensity Interval Training is really quite simple to do.
You pick your favorite cardio activity and build up to a challenge pace
by minute 5. Then take your pace up to a winded “sprint” state for as
long as tolerable, and bring it back down for however long it takes you
to recover enough to go into your next “sprint” state again. These are
your intervals, which you eventually build up in numbers. At first you
can only do a few intervals and the entire workout will take 8 -12
minutes. So you save time while getting tremendous benefits! You will
eventually build up the length, intensity and number of intervals to
fill up 20 minutes no more time is needed! Always include gradual warm
up (5 minutes) and cool down (3 minutes), add a few stretches if you can
at the end.
Cautionary note: work within your level as you are more prone to injury
because of increased intensity. For example, if you’re a beginner use a
walk into a jog. Joggers can break into a run for intervals. Runners go
into a sprint, sprinters zip into light plyometrics like jump roping or
track and field.
It is believed that HIIT helps the body to release HGH (Human Growth
Hormone) which is a tremendous fat burning hormone, as well, it has
rejuvenating properties for body tissues (including skin, organs and
muscle). Less intense cardio programs cause fat loss but also muscle
loss, plus there’s the time element.
PROBLEM: Guessing at how to correctly maintain your physical form or
hold a piece of equipment is not smart. Improper form increases the
chance of developing "overuse" injuries like tendonitis or stress
fractures.
SOLUTION: Take lessons from a professional specializing in your specific
sport and invest in good equipment. Cross training with a qualified
fitness trainer can help you develop enhanced coordination, balance,
strength, flexibility, proper alignment and breathing techniques plus
teach you body awareness so you don't create bad habits and break the
old ones.
PROBLEM: Saving time, hassle and money keeping the old shoes and
equipment.
SOLUTION: Replace them when the treads start to look worn, or when the
shoes are no longer as supportive. Visit a qualified orthotist or
pedorthist to find if you need orthotics. They will help resolve (foot,
ankle, knee, hip, back, shoulder or neck) pain and debilitation provoked
by poor foot alignment.
PROBLEM: Not wearing the appropriate safety gear.
SOLUTION: If you inline skate, use a helmet, knee, wrist, and elbow
pads. If you ski, cycle or snowboard, get a helmet and wear suncreen.
Safety gear can save your life, broken bones, soft tissue injuries and
keep you away from the risk of cancer.
PROBLEM: Ignoring what your body says as you age. Losing flexibility and
not modifying activity you did years ago. Some sports put too much
stress on the body. The human body is not designed to perform many
activities, including traditional sports. Our bodies are very good at
repairing, but as we age, that changes and it takes longer to recover.
SOLUTION: You need to decrease the repetitive impact particularly to
your joints, to continue enjoying your sports with less aches and pains.
To modify try to switch from singles tennis to doubles, from running to
bicycling, or from advanced ski hills to the more basic slopes. You may
not be able to play three times a week because that doesn't give your
body time to repair. Meanwhile, work on your flexibility and strength.
By conditioning and increasing muscle mass, the body is able to better
absorb repetitive impacts. Using lighter weights and 30 repetitions per
exercise is safer and still provides improved strength. Lifting weights
damages muscle, but when it is rebuilt, it is stronger than before. You
may be able to lift two to three times a week and still play sports and
allow your body a chance to heal. Some studies show that exercise
reduces pain in arthritis sufferers. Warming up, stretching and
anti-inflammatory treatments help relieve symptoms but won't slow down
the natural progression of arthritis. Nutritional supplements like
glucosamine and chondroitin may also reduce symptoms. They are not
miracle cures and we do not understand how they work yet. But some users
swear that they help.
PROBLEM: Being impatient and wanting better results or avoiding boredom.
SOLUTION: Use the 10% rule. When changing your activity level, increase
it in increments of no more than 10% per week. If you normally walk two
miles a day and want to increase your fitness level, don't suddenly try
to walk four miles. Slowly build up to reach your goals. Develop a
balanced fitness program that incorporates cardiovascular exercise,
strength training, and flexibility. In addition to providing a total
body workout, a balanced program will keep you from getting bored. If
you have been sedentary or even if you are in good physical shape, don't
try to take on too much at once. It is best to add no more than one or
two activities per workout. Yours truly doubled everything and caught
herself another cold...not helpful.
PROBLEM: Trying to silence an injury such as tendonitis, arthritis,
stress fracture, or low back pain.
SOLUTION: See a qualified specialist (these specialists are ordered in
seriousness of injury) such as an orthotist or pedorthotist, medical
exercise specialist, physical therapist, physiatrist, or orthopaedic
surgeon who can guide and advice you along to a speedy recovery to your
first love and passion. Remember you want to keep that sports file
filled with great experiences. Your sports and fitness regime should
provide a lifetime of adventure, fulfillment and exhilaration, if your
passionate and smart!
Deborah Caruana RN, MES, PT
www.vitalsignsfitness.com
Email: deb@vitalsignsfitness.com call 212-677-3185
Deborah's fitness career started early. At fifteen years of age she was
practicing and teaching yoga to any and all interested in sharing. She
learned to love how she could influence people in a very positive way.
After leaving home for college she discovered she had an eating and
weight problem with resulting low self esteem, social isolation and
bewilderment, Deborah finally found inspiration. A rehab therapist,
helped turn her life and self image around completely. Through patient
guidance, counseling, goal setting and efficient workouts she learned
she had a new found passion in life. She improved her physique and
performance in all aspects of life while setting upon a career path
filled with passion and deep appreciation for helping others.
Health and fitness is now a twenty two year passion, that keeps Deborah
practicing with people in all walks of life. The full spectrum of
experiences include: Training top celebrity personalities, performing
medical oversight for a home of 15 mentally disabled geriatric patients,
providing medical oversite on a physical rehab floor in one of NYC's top
teaching hospitals, to teaching children's fitness classes at the School
for the Deaf in NYC.
The diversity of working successfully with people who need to lose
twenty pounds to those who want to gain twenty pounds has helped Deborah
hone and develop her diet and nutrition coaching skills. She has also
led professional trainers in continuing education with such courses as
maternity fitness, core fitness and rehabilitative fitness. She's also
helped teach novice trainers into professionalism.
Setting up fitness programs for gyms, she taught the physiological and
practical applications of cardio workouts and assessments. From
community outreach programs, to training teachers to teach children,
it's all about love for being your best! "My mission today is to help
people achieve a fit and healthy body, and a zest-filled, vibrant life."
"As a fitness lifestyle coach my tools are the individuals strengths and
weaknesses, likes and dislikes. I add some yoga, rehab, realignment,
pilates, meditation, free weights, plyometrics, nutritional/personal
guidance, aerobics, lactate threshold training, russian military
exercise, and whatever else it takes to make a specifically designed
training system. People become dedicated, because, the program is fun,
challenging, interesting and rewarding. They establish a lifestyle.
Then, they really get results!"
Deborah is a strong advocate of building peoples self esteem and self
image as part of their health and fitness quest. As a lifestyle fitness
coach she guides people to their best performance from life. She may be
contacted at 212-677-3185.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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