Warm Ups are Important

Whenever you are about to take part in an atheltic activity, or excercise at all, you should always start with a warm up stretch period. Stretching before you go all out and begin your athletic event or exercise routine can greatly reduce the chance of injury. Stretching all of the muscle groups before physical activity is important because it does exactly what this session says- it 'warms up' the muscles before they are tested at full intensity.

There are different types of stretching that can be done to warm up the muscles. One of the techniques that can be used is referred to as a static method of stretching. This technique involves stretches where the stretch is held for a certain count (i.e. 10 seconds) and then relaxed once that count is met. One example of a static stretch would be the hamstring strecht, where you put your hands under your knee and pull your knee up to your chest and hold it.

There are other types of stretches that are also important for stretching out all ranges of motion a muscle might encounter during physical performance. This type of stretching is called dynamice stretching. These stretches are different from static stretches with the respect that they involve motion, not just holding a certain stretch for a period of time. An example of this type of stretching would be high jumps, or explosives. These are done by high jumping off of alternating legs. This allows for a stretch that allows for a greater range of motion.

Stretching before performing physical activity not only helps prevent injury, but it helps to enable a greater range of motion for your muscles during activity. If you have ever tried to participate in a sport without prior stretching you can relate to the statement that stretching is important for mobility.

In addition to helping prepare your muscles for the intensity of the upcoming activity, stretching aslo helps increase flexibility. Flexibility is an important quality to have when playing many sports. Flexible people have advantages in some areas over those who may lack flexibilty.

Spring Weather

It's warming up outside and activity level outdoors always increases around this time of year. People have been stuck inside for the winter, and when the weather finally breaks, they are just itching to get outside. There are a plethora of activities that can be done. These activities are recreational, but yet at the same time serve a fitness purpose as well.

Outdoor activities that take place this time of year include, but are not limited to ultimate Frisbee, tackle and flag football, baseball/softball, basketball, and tennis. Activities such as the ones I just listed provide for a way to get outside and experience the spring fresh air. Although many of these activities are capable of being played indoors, the experience and capabilities of the games are much greater when played outdoors. They also provide for a good workout. Many of these provide for an exceptional cardiovascular workout. Recreational activities allow you to get outside and transition from being a 'couch potato' that some people were all winter, to getting back into shape.

Setting Goals Helps

Going into the gym day after day may seem repetitive after awhile. In order to keep this routine fresh, it may be a good idea to set goals for one's self. Just as for goals in any other area of life, these goals should be set to push one's self, but at the same time, should be set within reasonable limits. They should be attainable if one works hard enough to accomplish them.

Goals can vary with one's training routine. Most likely a runner is not going to set a goal to bench press over 350 pounds. Goals can be set no matter what one's training schedule is. If one is trying to get stronger, then yes, maybe goals for bench press could be set and increased to accomplish by the end of each month. One who is more interested in the cardio aspect could set timed goals for running the mile, or some other distance. They could push themselves to achieve this distance in a shorter time each month.

As I stated earlier, the everyday drag of going to the gym can be difficult at times. Setting goals can serve as a motivation factor for keeping one's routine moving steadily and smoothly. This can help prevent any of those 'lazy skip days' where one might just say "I don't feel like going to the gym today. I'll wait until tomorrow."

Training for Baseball

There are many training routines/exercises that can be done to improve one's abilities that are used to play that certain sport. These exercises build up muscle in which one has to use while playing the sport. They are important if one is interested in truly excelling to the elite position in one's sport. Here are a few training tips that I have for baseball especially. (These are ones that I went through when I played in high school and travel ball. Many of them were taught to me by experienced coaches.)

Baseball

1. It is important to have a strong core in this sport. One's core is used in almost every motion of the game from pitching, hitting, to throwing. One's core allows one to be explosive in all these phases of the game. Abdominal work with medicine balls is one of the best ways to strengthen one's core. Numerous exercises can be done with the ball such as crunches, leg lifts, and even side twists. Many of these can be done with a partner or by one's self. One may tend to see better results if done with a partner because one can push each other to burn out those last few painstaking reps that one might otherwise simply give up on.

2. Throwing is another important aspect of the sport. Therefore it is important to have good fast reflex muscles in order to throw the ball with a high velocity. One does not want to have a bulky and over-muscular build, especially if one is a pitcher. Cable and rubber band work are good ways to strengthen these muscles used for throwing, without building too much mass. Resistance bands are a good way to stretch out before games as well. It allows the muscle to experience some resistance while simulating the throwing motion.

3. Legs, just as abs, are a key part to many areas of the game such as throwing, batting, and running (obviously). One might ask how does one's legs help one throw and bat. Most of a batter's power is generated from the torque in one's legs. There are similarities when throwing the ball. A good majority of one's velocity comes from the push one gets from his legs when throwing the ball. So what are some good exercises to do to strengthen one's legs? Squats are good for strengthening one's hamstrings. Lunges and frog hops are also good exercises for working out one's legs. What are frog hops? One spreads their legs shoulder width apart, bends at the knees while keeping one's upper body perpendicular to the ground and then explodes jumping as high and as far as they can off both feet at once. This should be repeated for a set distance, some 60 yards or so.

Being coached by some knowledgeable coaches, I was taught many vital tips when training for baseball. These tips are recommended for those who are interested in excelling on the baseball diamond.

Response to the Article "Being Fit and Looking Healthy"

I would have to agree with many of the points made in the article by Wright et al on fitness for teens. Her conclusions that both males and females most often gave a general definition of what being healthy meant to them hovered along the guidelines of eating healthy and having a sufficient exercise level. For a general definition, I would agree that one's fitness level depends on the foods they put into their body and the amount of energy they burn to use up any excess caloric intake.

When she asked the males what their main concern for staying fit was, the most common response was something along the lines of being able to perform at a sport or have the capability to do work. Now the study was done on teens ages 12-19, and I would partially agree with this finding. I would have to say that the younger portion of the males probably do stay fit in order to perform well at a sport. While some of the older half probably does maintain a certain fitness level for performance, I would have to think that more of this end of the spectrum maintains a fitness level to impress the opposite sex.

Females' responses were almost a clean sweep across the board when asked the question about why they wanted to stay fit. They said that the pressure from the media to maintain a skinny, slim body was so great that they would fear becoming overweight. I would have to agree with the fact that most females maintain a fitness level in order to meet expectations of the public.

Important Workout Conditions

There are a few conditions in which you should go ahead with your workout, and there are some conditions where you should not continue with your workout. I will share a few pointers of how you can make sure you will be in the condition you need to be in to get the most of out your workout. These tips are as follows:

1. Be well rested. You need a good previous night's sleep in order to insure that you will get the most out of your lift. If you are fatigued or tired, you run the risk of not getting the maximum potential out or your workout, or even possibly injuring yourself. Both of these can be almost completely avoided by making sure you get a good night's sleep.

2. Have some nutrients in your system. You don't want to work out if you haven't eaten anything all day long. Working out causes your body to burn energy. If you don't have anything in your stomach this will cause problems. At the same time, you don't want to eat a seven course meal right before you workout. You should make sure your food is settled and digested before you begin physical activity.

3. Make sure you are healthy. You do not want to work out if you are sick. This will cause a domino effect. Your body is trying to fight an infection when you are sick. If you try to work out, you are taking away part of your body's energy from fighting off the disease, and concentrating the energy on working out. This may lead to you eventually becoming sicker that you were in the first place.

These few tips will help make sure you get the most out of your workouts. After all, if you are willing to put in the effort to workout, wouldn't it make sense to ensure that you are getting the most possible out of it?

Teens Views on Health and Fitness: Men vs. Women

According to the article, "Being Fit and Looking Healthy: Young Women's and Men's Constructions of Health and Fitness," a studied was conducted on the views of male and female teenagers on the topic of health and fitness. The media constantly portrays men with ripped, muscular, toned bodies and females with skinny, lean, bodies. This overwhelming portrayal has a negative effect on both male and females, forcing them into bad habits such as eating disorders. In contemporary Western societies, physical appearance is said to be associated with social, or individual, value. The more attractive one looks, the more social value he or she is assumed to suppose to have.

A study was conducted on six secondary level schools with both males and females in the age group from twelve to nineteen. The individuals involved in the study were asked what being healthy and being fit meant to them.

The results showed that both males and females came up with similar responses to what they thought it meant to be healthy. The most common response was that 'being healthy' had to do with a personal responsibility of having good eating habits while engaging in sufficient amounts of exercise.

While their responses were similar to the question of what being healthy was to them, males and females greatly differed with their response to the question of what they thought it was to be fit.

Most males responded to the question by saying that they thought being fit was having the ability to perform a given task, whether it be work or a sport. They thought it was important to be fit because it enabled them to be more 'responsive to life.' When the question of being fit was asked, males rarely talked about the relation of being fit to physical appearance.

On the other hand, females greatly differed from males in their response to the question of what it meant to be fit. Most women responded by saying that they wanted to be fit to achieve a slim body. In Western society, women are very self-conscience about their looks. Women associated being overweight with someone who eats too much or doesn't exercise enough. They compared a person's weight with their health. This is spring boarded from the media constantly comparing a person's health with their appearance.

In conclusion, the study showed that both males and females are informed on what it means to be healthy. Both know the correlation between eating healthy, exercising, and their overall health. The difference comes into play when males' and females' mindsets differ on the way they are going to be perceived by the public. The media is very powerful and influences many teens in numerous ways, and often times, more than it may intends to do.