Don't Try This at Home

So you want to be the next Alexandre Bilodeau?  Word of advice, he didn't just strap on the skis one day and win 2 Olympic Gold medals the next.  Sure going down a ski hill at 40 km/hr sounds like fun, but remember they put speed bumps in the way and then ramps that launch you into the air.  Anyone who has tried moguls on a ski hill will tell you it is not a walk in the park.

One of the great benefits of the Olympic Games is that it inspires people to get more active and try something new.  How many little girls wanted to be Liz Manley after the 1988 Olympics in Calgary or skiers that were inspired by Jennifer Heil from 2006?  This is great but success like this does not come overnight.

No matter the sport that you decide to try you must first be realistic and take precautions.  Even what seems like a simple sport such as cross country skiing has its risks.  Taking on any exercise program must be done so gradually.  With many of the winter sports they are outside activities and the elements must be taken into consideration.  If you decide to start cross country skiing make sure you have appropriate clothing is key, as well as not to go to far at first. You will fatigue faster than you expect and my end up stranded on some trail.  Extreme sports like ski-slope, snowboarding and in my mind the sledding events, (who thought it would be a good idea to go sliding down a tube of ice head first) require lots of training and education.  These are not sports you should try without some coaching or supervision.

All sports come with risk and that needs to be remembered.  Do not go into any sport blindly, be aware of the physical demands that will be placed on the body, and enjoy finding something that gives you joy.

Exercise - What is the Perfect One?

I would like to thank Freakonomics for the inspiration for this article and for Dr. David Geier for introducing me to the Three I's.

For many the desire to improve their health via exercise can be a long, tiresome journey.  One of the reasons is the need to try and find the perfect exercise.  Walk into any gym and you will see line ups for treadmills, ellipticals and bikes, yet not everyone is seeing the same results.

Intensity High intensity work outs are all the rage right now and for good reason.  By increasing the intensity of each individual work out you can decrease the time needed to work out and lets face it the majority of us do not have the time or desire to spend hours of each day in the gym.  A good example of intensity training would be to run for a minute as hard as you can, then rest (key here is active) for a minute.  You complete more work in 15 minutes than you would in double that time by doing continual exercise.

Indvidualized We all move in our own way.  Not everyone is a runner or a swimmer.  Some people have the ability to move gracefully in dance or yoga, were others feel more comfortable hitting a heavy bag.  Due to injury, physiology, anatomy or access to equipment can effect how well an activity works for you.  High intensity training works great for those who do not have access to much more than their running shoes and a pair of shorts.  Exercises such as high knees, bear crawls and jumping jacks can all be done in your living room.  Even those who enjoy running can employ the principals of intensity.  For some traditional exercises such as running, swimming and biking work well for them and produce ideal fitness gains.

I Like to Do It The best exercise for anybody is the one they will do.  If you don't like to run, don't.  Sink like a rock, don't enter the pool.  I quite enjoy Zumba, while my husband has recently discovered DDP Yoga.  Within a 30 minute Zumba session I work more muscles, burn more calories  than I do in a 30 minute jog.

I am adding Inspire even if you love the exercise if it does not inspire you to get off the coach, push your chair away from your desk then it still won't do you any good.  I love swimming but I have no desire to find a babysitter just to go workout for an hour, plus it's hard to get inspired to go into a cold pool during our Alberta winters.  A good test as to whether an activity is inspiring would be this.  If you see someone doing it, and you want to join, I suggest you do.

Not everyone has to start competing in triathlons once they start their journey to better health like TriFattyTri but you may enjoy it.  If you are starting your own journey to better health and incorporating exercise follow the Three I's, remembering that the most important is do you like it.

Please visit our website at www.eliteinjury.con and follow us on Twitter @EliteInjuryMgmt

Female Athlete - Their Why

The why.  This is extremely important to all who participate in sport.  It is what gives athletes their drive and purpose.  They why can change from beginning to end but performance can be effected if it is not truly from within.  With the female athlete, their reasons to start participation vary especially from their male counterparts.

Friends are one of the greatest reasons for females to start sport participation.  The adage if your friends jumped off a bridge would you?  Holds true in this case.  Many young female athletes either start participating in sport as a group of friends or because their friends are already involved.  Compared to their male counterparts females are not inclined to join a sport group or team by themselves.  They also are more likely to quit if they no longer have friends at sport or if they become bullied in any way.

Both male and female athletes feel a lot of pressure from family to participate, the female athlete however more so.  Females see it as a sense of duty to their family to participate, whether they are happy or not.

Females will choose to participate in sport as a means of exercise and weight loss, especially as they grow older.  This is one of the main reasons for females past their teenage years to restart or start participation in sport.

Another difference between males and females is the desire to compete.  Females will continue in sport participation not due to the competitive drive of beating their opponents but the internal drive of accomplishing the task and improving themselves.  This is one of the main points that keep females involved.  They want to continually improve themselves.  The sense of accomplishment over weighs that of besting their opponent if there is one.

One thing that everyone involved with female athletes needs to keep in mind is that their is a higher drop out rate compared to males.  We need to remove boundaries that interfere with female participation in sport.  Be it gender biases, the emphasis on the body or sport stereotypes, we need to encourage females to participate in sport.

Shoveling to Avoid Injury

For those of us living in central and northern Alberta over the last few weeks, we have had to break out the snow shovels and ice chippers.  Making sure your walks and driveways are shoveled is not only a safety factor for you but those who also use those sidewalks and steps.  When taking on the task of shoveling there are a few key steps you can take to prevent injuring yourself as well as how to be safe for everyone.

As with most everything else in life having the right tools for the job is extremely important.  When buying a shovel proper height and weight for your body will help you avoid injury and do the job more efficiently.  You should not need to hunch over when standing with your shovel.  Heavier is not always better, the shovel needs to be well built but not too heavy, lifting it in the store with no snow on it is great but you need to take in account the increased load that the snow will add.

Preparing to go outside to shovel is half of the battle.  Not only must you get yourself psyched up to do it, because lets be honest who likes to shovel snow.  Wearing the proper attire will not only make the job go quicker but also a lot smoother.  Wear layers.  Snow shoveling is a very physical activity, start layering as you would if you were to go outside and exercise.  Wear fabrics that wick away moisture and that keep a layer of warm dry air near your body to keep you warm.  Your outer layer should be wind and water resistant.  There are a wide variety of cold weather gear out there.  Find the one that suits your needs the best.  Cover your head, 50% of our bodies heat can be lost through the head.  In extreme cold weather cover your nose and mouth to help decrease the amount of cold air that is entering your lungs.  Warm hands and feet will also make your task more comfortable, use gloves that allow you to hold the shovel and will keep your hands not only warm but dry as well.  Proper footwear is key.  Wear warm socks and boots that provide warmth, water resistance and good traction.  If your winter boots or work boots do not have good grips add on some ice cleats or traction aids.

Once you are outside and ready to begin, push the snow as much as possible.  The less you lift and throw the better.  When you do need to lift make sure you use your knees and not your back.  Do not throw over your head or shoulder height as this will put unnecessary strain on your upper back and shoulders.  Take breaks as needed and keep hydrated.  If you are not physically fit take your time, no matter your fitness level take breaks as needed.  Snow shoveling is a physical activity that combines cardiovascular exercise, weight lifting, balance and coordination, and we all must take breaks and be aware of our level of fatigue.  As we tire our body will become more prone to injuries and have a harder time keeping warm.

Snow shoveling can be a great way to get some extra exercise in during the cold months of the year, however it is only beneficial if you remain injury free.  By shoveling our walks, driveways and steps not only are you making your  home safe for yourself and your family but your guests and those who use the sidewalks daily.