Change of Seasons; Change of Sports; Practice Sports Conditioning

When the seasons change, our sports change. Our exercise program should change, too. Preparing your body for a different sport prevents injuries, enhances recovery , and improves performance.
Here in Colorado’s Aspen Valley, cyclists are in their best shape in the fall. In the quiet red-rock town of Basalt, cyclists have been enjoying the riding along the scenic Frying Pan River. They have been fine-tuning their cycling muscles for months.
But now our attention turns to Aspen’s ski slopes. In fact, months before the ski resorts open for ski season, some locals work on getting their “skiers’ legs” in the backcountry.

Cycling to Skiing: two Sports Conditioning styles.

Let’s compare cycling and skiing to demonstrate the different requirements of these sports on our bodies. First, cyclists work on staying in a tucked position. The muscles on the front of the body, that put cyclists in a forward-flexed position, are strong and tight. And the positioning of a cyclists’ body over their bikes is different than a skier’s stance.Cycling also occurs within a limited space around one’s bicycle. Riding efficiently and maintaining balance on a bike requires a rider to tighten around the bike. The goal is to limit the area within which they work; i.e., to minimize their “work-space”.
Skiers, on the other hand, are unlikely to be as space-conscious. Their work-space is not so strictly defined. And unless they are competitive speed-skiers, they do not need to practice staying tightly-tucked.
For cyclists who ski in the backcountry before “ski resort season”, their muscles are not conditioned for the change in sports. Backcountry skiing requires a different sense of balance than cycling or skiing on groomed trails. The work-space is broader in the backcountry. Terrain may suddenly change beneath the skier’s feet. The skier must adapt and rebalance continually as they move.
Other conditions affect the transition in seasonal sports. These include: past injuries, your overall physical activity levels, weather and environment, and participation in other sports.

Sports Injury Prevention.

When changing sports, your first priority should be to prevent injuries. Before one season ends, you should be conditioning your body for the upcoming sport. If you are in great physical condition, you may be able to prepare in 4-6 weeks. But 8 weeks is optimal. If you have any preexisting injuries, you may need longer.
If you do not make a physical transition, you are predisposing yourself to injury. If you are recovering from an injury, you should start the next sport at a low physical intensity. Take basic first aid precautions whenever necessary. Icing sore muscles and getting aerobic exercise will remove the soreness and speed recovery.

Recovery.

Getting physically conditioned for the next sport will aid recovery in two ways. First, it will improve the healing environment so that preexisting injuries may heal. Your injury may be aggravated by your current sport. Or maybe your injury can’t heal while you’re training for your current sport. Changing your training may allow your injury to rest and heal.
Second, as you start to practice the next sport, being physically prepared will allow your muscles to respond better to their new requirements. You are less likely to become sore from new activities, and less likely to get injured. Your muscles will recover faster. This will make you feel energized, stronger, and ready to get out have more fun!

Better Athletic Performance.

Pre-conditioning for your sport results in enhanced performance. What is performance, and how can it be improved?
Performance means your ability to participate in a sport. It includes your muscles’ abilities to perform, or execute, the basic moves of that sport. Performance also refers to how you feel while practicing the sport.
Performance refers to measurements and artistic expression, too. It might refer to the time requirements of performing the basic activities. It might refer to the level of difficulty in executing certain moves. It might refer to the fluidity, creativity, and artistry of the sport.
If you practice your sport for fun and recreation, then enhancing performance might mean that you end the day without injuries or feeling wrecked! Improving performance means “More Play-time”!

Starting a pre-Conditioning program

When you start to condition for your upcoming sport, consider all of the factors described so far. How are the sports different? What condition is your body in? Do you have injuries? What does performance mean to you?
Hiring a personal trainer or a coach can make the transition easier. Trainers can make it more fun, too. They have the coaching tools to make those athletic dreams come true! They may motivate you to have your best season ever!

In conclusion, seasonal sports conditioning is an effective way to prevent injuries, treat injuries you already have, aid muscle recovery, and enhance athletic performance for the new sport.

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How to become a better footballer

Football (or soccer as the 'non-Brits' refer to it as) is the most popular sport in the World. Millions of people play, at various levels, every single day. Most people play for fun, others professionally, however the aim of the game is almost always the same - WIN! During the course of the article I am going to suggest ways to becoming a better footballer (and thus increasing your and your teams chances of winning matches). All the suggestions made will result in improvements in your game, however some will take longer than others to 'flourish'. Here goes:

FITNESS:

Watch the top footballers and you will notice that they produce a lot of movement during the 90 minutes, often running 10-15km in the process. To do this requires high levels of cardiovascular fitness. To gain such fitness requires dedication and discipline. Another sport where participants have very high levels of fitness, probably more so than footballers, is boxing (maybe not always the heavyweights!). Therefore, my suggestion to improve your fitness would be train like a boxer! Not in sparring etc, but by rising early (ideally between 5-6am) and putting in a session. This should ideally include a distance run followed by cardiovascular activities such as skipping, star jumps etc. Add to that push-ups, crunchies and sit-ups and your fitness will begin to improve significantly. Ideally I would suggest your session should be no less than 1 hour, at least 4-5 times a week. Training so early will kick-start your metabolism for the day plus psychologically it will give you a sense achievement which should motivate you day ahead.

GOAL!:
Rise at 5.30am, 5 times a week and complete a 4-5Km run followed by 5 x 20 push-ups, 5 x 20 crunchies, 5 x 40 star jumps, 5 x 20 burpees, then hold the PLANK POSITION for as long as possible.

TIP: This will seem difficult at first, but once you are into a routine it becomes easy. Have training clothes next to your bed and focus your mind so that you get out of bed immediately when your alarm goes off. Don't think about what your about to do, JUST DO IT!

DIET:

You are what you eat / drink. You wouldn't put the incorrect fuel into your car, so why put it into your body? Your performance will be affected by what you eat / drink - in the short term and in the long term. Therefore, your overall diet should be well balanced with large potions of green vegetables and salad. Avoid junk food which you know to be detrimental to you - I don't need to list these foods, you know them already, but they just taste too good! Right? 'Garbabge' - they taste good at time of consumption, but how do you feel afterwards once your taste buds have returned to state - I'm guessing it's not great! Improving at anything requires discipline and often sacrifice. Give up the junk food and the benefits which follow will be far in excess of the 'quick fix' pleasure these foods provide.

Your water intake should be high - you should never actually feel thirsty as this is an early sign of dehydration. Replace consumption of fizzy drinks, tea and coffee with water. Drink a minimum of 2 litres and maximum of 5 litres (dependant on body size and intensity of exercise(s) performed) each day. Carry water with you at all-times, don't leave dehydration any invitations into your body!

GOAL!:
Drink 2-5 litres of water everyday , whilst avoiding fizzy drinks, tea and coffee. Eat portion(s) of green vegetables / salad or fruit with every meal. Snack every 2-4 hours on fruit / salad / vegetables or nuts. Eliminate junk food from your diet completely.

TIP: Discipline and dedication are again the key. You don't become an extraordinary footballer by doing ordinary things!

Temperament and focus before, during and after a match is a key ingredient to making a footballer better. Before a match you should focus on what the overall aim is. That focus must remain strong and constant throughout. This should not make you fearful or nervous, but ultimately guide you towards achievement. If you make an error or wastes an opportunity, this should not affect your focus as your goal is still the same. It is unlikely that your overall aim was to score at that particular moment or not to make that error at that exact time. Therefore, concentrate on what you can achieve in the remaining time, there will be plenty of time to review performance after the match has finished.

Finally, once the match has ended focus on winning or losing with dignity. This will not just make you a better footballer, but a better person.

GOAL!:
Before a match spend 15-30 minutes focusing on what you actually want to achieve. Be clear of your outcome. So often people fail because they don't know exactly what they are wanting to achieve.

DO THE SIMPLY THINGS WELL AND OFTEN:

Not every footballer can do the things Cristiano Ronaldo, Zindine Zidane or Lionel Messi can do. But, all footballers can learn to do the simple skills often and well. I'm not trying to banish 'flare' and extravagant skill, rather dilute it. Learning to play short passes accurately and directly 100% of the time is an enormous advantage to any player. Great players, such as Paul Scholes and Claude Makele, are experts at doing the easy things well. This is something all players should adopt.

GOAL!:
Practice short passes, correct positioning, striking off the ball, tackling etc often and for a long period of time. Many players believe because they have mastered a technique they don't have to practice it any more - when in fact mastery and improvement comes from repeatedly practising an already learned skill. This sort of dedication and commitment ensures that in the crucial moments of a game when performing a skill or technique is vital you will be prepared.

LEARN FROM THE BEST:

Why re-invent the wheel? If you want to become a top footballer, benchmark a top footballer. They may have natural skill, but to get to the level they have achieved is not by chance. If you want to get to the level of a certain player(s) copy what they do on a regular basis (the beauty of benchmarking is you can take the positives and eliminate any negative routines the player may have!). With footballers living their life in the media spotlight and all sorts of data being openly available on the internet, it's never been easier to benchmark.

GOAL!:
Chose a World Class player(s) you admire both on and off the pitch. Collect information regarding their diet, training methods and fitness ideas. Study their movement and all-round play in a number of games. Record games which they have played extremely well and analyse their qualities. Possibly contact them directly for advice and hints - if done elegantly, with your reasons for contacting them clearly stated, they should be more than happy to oblige.

Combine all the above with belief and you will most definitely become a better footballer.

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The rising popularity of football sports betting

Sports’ betting has dramatically changed after the advent of the internet. No longer do you need to travel to far away casinos or stadiums to place your bets on your favorite teams. All that you need is a computer with an internet connection and you can place your bets from the comforts of your home. Football sports betting is among the most popular of all betting. The sport of football or soccer, as it is otherwise known, is the most popular sport in the world. It comes as no surprise then that billions of dollars are transacted as betting money on the sport.

No longer do you need to find a colleague or friend to place a bet. You also need not track down a local bookie or travel to a far off casino for placing your bets. Football sports betting is now only a matter of few clicks of the mouse. Before you choose an online football betting site, it is always preferable that you do a bit of online research. This is to ensure that you choose a reputable online sport betting site.

If you are an avid football fan then you must be already familiar with the latest scores in the league that you are following. You should also keep a close eye on the players that you feel would come out with flying colors from your favorite team. All this information will help you decide the odds on the team that you are betting on.

If you are serious about football sports betting, you should always seek advice from those who are experienced in placing bets. They can offer you valuable tips on the subject. You can also find many useful online guides on football sports betting that would be extremely useful to you. Read more...

How To Choose Your First Skateboard

What To Buy And What To Avoid

Now that you are taking an interest in skateboarding, the first thing that you will think about is buying a skateboard that you can practice on. Sure there are quite a lot of cheap skateboards available but you should be warned that cheap means dangerous.

Don't buy cheap skateboards from the toy store or from your nearest superstore. What this means is that you should not buy skateboards that are mass produced by companies that have little concern about the quality of the products they produce.

By nature, you have to face the fact that skateboards are dangerous. So, you wouldn't want to buy a cheap skateboard that is poor in quality which will make it even more dangerous to ride on especially when you plan on practicing your tricks on it.

Cheap skateboards will usually mean weak trucks, poor quality wheels that can break easily, freezing bearings, and boards that break easily. Good skateboard manufacturers will spend a lot of time to make the skateboards that are safer, better and last longer.

Instead of that mass produced cheap skateboard, try to buy a complete pro grade skateboard. This is high in quality and will last a lot longer. It will feel more comfortable when you ride it. Usually, skateboards like this will cost around $120. There are specific skateboard brands that you can choose from. If you are not sure which one to buy, try to take a look at skateboard brand reviews on the internet. It will give you an idea which brands will suit your riding needs best.

You can also try building your own pro grade skateboard. You can purchase the board, trucks, wheels, and bearings separately. This will allow you to get the best boards, trucks and wheels.

If you don't want to shell out a lot of cash, you will see that there are also good quality skateboards out there that aren't as expensive as the pro grade ones but not as cheap as the mass produced ones.

If you are buying your kid his or her first skateboard, you can cut some corners. However, never buy the $20 skateboards at your nearest superstore or toy store. For sure, you want the best quality skateboard for your kids. Although it shouldn't be the pro grade ones, you should get one that is of good quality.

These are the things that you have to remember when buying skateboards. If you want to prevent accidents and serious injuries, you might want to invest a little more money on the skateboard you purchase. Read more...

High School Basketball: Your Stepping Stone To A College Basketball Scholarship

There have been countless films on playing high school basketball and by doing this, the lead actor has landed a college scholarship. This isn't just a Hollywood make-believe event. It can happen even to an unknown athlete in your school—or it could happen to you.

When you believe that you were born to fulfill your destiny as a basketball star and that most of your time in high school was spent in trainings and basketball games, then you are on step one. As a high school basketball player, it is important for you to be noticed by, not only by the swooning girls but also, your basketball coach. He may be able to make the recommendations that you need to land a college basketball scholarship. Although this isn't a guarantee, it pays to do well in every training or game and to stand out.

Your high school basketball coach might not know coaches of different colleges so it is also highly advised that high school players make themselves known to them. Unless you play like Michael Jordan, then you have to be able to sell your skills to these coaches. Make them notice you. Don’t wait for any college basketball coach to recruit you. You must confidently submit a resume or profile of your personal basketball history and let your track record be tangible proof for them.

The next rule is probably one of the most important things that any high school basketball player needs to know—and that is to achieve good grades. Although basketball may be unrelated to language proficiency or mathematics, the fact remains that most colleges that offer basketball scholarships will want their applicants to have outstanding grades. What do these grades prove? They only tend to prove that despite the rigors of trainings and games, the player remains disciplined to finish other tasks. The grades will also mirror how well you balance your time on different endeavors. So the next time you start thinking that your English grade means nothing to your college basketball scholarship, think again.

Generally in the United States, athletic scholarship applications are best done right after high school graduation. The standing rule for age is 18-24 years old. The great news in the U.S. is that, there are a booming number of colleges and universities that offer scholarships. You have a lot of choices so take a pick and start sending your resume to some of the colleges that you like.

Participate in ranking tournaments and give each one of these games your best shot. When you are ranked high, of course, the chances of getting a good scholarship will be greater compared with mediocrity in regional or national ranking.

To be able to land an athletic scholarship, you should understand the sophisticated processes of recruitment. You just don’t go about telling every college basketball coach you meet that you can play the game. Know which colleges you want and be able to impress that you can play basketball on a non-neophyte level. Promote your skills and sell your talents.

Behave yourself. Basketball coaches want to work with an individual who has a clean track record and who they can mold into the athlete that they envision. If you have a smeared record, chances are, coaches might shun away from meeting you.

When you have finally decided which college will be able to offer you the best scholarship, begin processing not just your resume but also other important credentials such as transcript, your ACT and SAT scores, samples of completed work (in short, your portfolio). These are just some of the necessities so it’s important for you to ask your chosen college’s specific requirements. There are, of course, different requirements for different colleges.

There are many hurdles to acheiving an athletic scholarship. The requirements include a lot of physical and mental preparation. If you believe you have what it takes to succeed, then you have already succeeded. Read more...

Basketball Basics: Shooting

Basketball has made superstars out of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Shacquille O'Neal and many others. In almost every country, there are breeds of basketball icons.

No wonder, basketball is continuously catching the interest of more and more people, especially the younger ones. Though, football still is considered the most popular sports event on earth, the ability of basketball games to catch and suspend breaths of sports fans around the world shouldn't be underestimated.

The game of basketball is all about competition between two opposing teams. Each team has to accumulate points by shooting the ball into the basket. The more successful shots, the higher the points.

When looking at each game, it may seem that this sports activity could easily be handled. But experts and basketball players themselves would assert otherwise. Each player must strive harder to play the game better and help the team win the game.

Because basketball is all about shooting the ball into the basket, shooting is one of the most basic skills each basketball player must possess. Surely, there are many other aspects of the game, but so far, shooting is considered the most important because it is the way to accumulate scores for the team.

Shooting is that particular basketball act when the player is striving hard to successfully throw the basketball into the basket. There will be struggles to get hold of the ball, but in the end, each player's goal is to shoot that ball into the basket to score.

Types Of Shooting

Because shooting is a complicated move within the game, there are many types of shooting. Take note that players can throw the ball from a stationary position, while walking, while running, while jumping and so on. The ultimate goal is to shoot that ball where it should be—to the basket.

One type of shooting is the easiest—the set shot. The set shot is usually observed when a player is shooting a 'free throw'. In this type of shot, the player is left standing on the floor and throwing the ball into the basket very comfortably from a specified range.

The jump shot is more challenging than the set shot. In this shooting technique, the player jumps high into the air to be able to rise above the opponents and take a better vision and range of the basket. The opponent will try to block the shot and may end up being thrown up or being knocked down to the floor.

However, during a jump shot, traveling violations may occur. That is when the player isn't able to release the ball immediately before his feet get back to the ground.

The layup is a shooting style when the basketball player moves along the court and throws up the ball to the basket. Layup is a shooting style wherein the player doesn't need to take a stationary position to throw the ball. The opponents are aiming to snatch the ball from the one holding it, so there is a struggle.

And lastly, the most admired and sought-after shooting technique in every game is the slam dunk. Many stars have become icons because of their ability to perform a slam dunk during important games.

A slam dunk is a shooting technique wherein the player jumps toward the net, and directly throws the ball downward to shoot it in the hoop. When the player fails to shoot the ball into the basket during a slam dunk, it is an air ball, which isn't a violation of game rules.

How To Attain Good Shooting Skills

Because shooting is very essential in every basketball game, players should strive harder to acquire several shooting techniques and skills. Here are some very simple tips that will help you attain optimal shooting skills.

Attain proper body balance so you can aim to shoot the ball better and do your goal well.

Calculate the force to apply by your arms to the basketball when throwing the ball into the net. By acquiring the ability to estimate the range between you and the hoop, you can adjust the force to apply to the ball. The fingertips should also be well coordinated.

Basketball is a physical game, but you should also have the mental agility. Concentrate on the game and focus well on your targets. Good focus will help you to shoot that ball into the target hoop.

Basketball wouldn't be basketball without shooting. Train and criticize yourself so you will be able to be a better player. It may be just be a game, but it is important to the competitive side of you. Good luck! Read more...

Bowling Bags Are Necessary and Here Are Reasons Why

While other bowling paraphernalia helps your performance, some are really used only for attitude or as a mind-setter (go bowling-wear bowling). But setting your mind sometimes has indefinite advantage to your morale which in turn as advantage to your play. So don't neglect these things. A proper mind-set is sometimes as important as going for a game with full energy.

When you go for work, your pocket organizer tracks things for you. It has everything you need, notes, dates, calculator, voice recorder, internet, and even radio. It's so useful that everyone has them, even housewives, though the manner of need is somewhat different than of a businessman. In bowling parlance, your bowling bag is your pocket organizer. It should have everything bowling calls for. Powder, spare shirts, a neatly ironed spare uniform, extra shoelaces and socks, spare change for the vending machine nearby…the list goes on. But why bowling bags when you can use any bag you want. Again, mind-set; nothing can beat mind-set. Motivation and confidence. Besides, bowling balls have spaces just for bowling balls. You could fit your bowling balls into a duffel bag but hey, we're talking here about practicality and organizing. Using any bag besides a bowling bag to keep bowling equipment defeats the purpose.

So what would you have on your bag? Aside from your bowling shoes and balls, there could be a lot of things you could consider bringing. A towel, powder, wrist braces if you use one, wrist liners, extra shoelaces, a shoe brush to clean shoe soles, hand conditioner, rosin, sole pads and slugs or inserts, or even fingernail clippers. There's so much you might need that your bag might not even be enough. Therefore it is better to use your bowling bag exclusively for your bowling needs. That said, if you decide to go bowling on the spur of a moment, all you have to do is grab your bowling bag and you're ready to go. Read more...